Latest news
US authorises limited crude oil exports to Europe
The U.S. government has approved some new licenses to export crude oil to Europe for the first time after the country banned crude exports following the oil shocks of the 1970s. In December last year, Exxon Mobil Corp. joined Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips in publicly urging a repeal of the 1970s era federal law that strictly limits exports of domestic oil.
read more... 05/02/2014
Germany: solar PV installations more than halved in 2013
According to the federal solar industry association BSW, Germany’s total installed solar capacity additions plunged 55% in 2013 to 3.3GW, decreasing considerably if compared to 7.6GW in 2012, when it detained the world's top spot in new installations, bringing annual solar PV additions back in line with government expansion targets. Generally, Germany's total installed solar PV capacity has reached around 35.7 GW, having more than tripled over the past four years.
read more... 04/02/2014
UK and France agreed to develop safe nuclear energy
The UK and French Governments have pledged to beef up the two countries' cooperation regarding the defense, nuclear energy and climate policy as well as trading opportunities and skills. British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande agreed to develop safe nuclear energy, to build new nuclear power stations, to cooperate on climate change action as well as pushing for European Commission's domestic emissions reduction agenda.
read more... 03/02/2014
Poland to build two new nuclear power plants
Poland's government has announced on Tuesday its intention to go ahead with the plans to build two nuclear power plants. Currently, the country produces 90 percent of its electricity from coal but wants to diversify its fuel sources, making its energy sector more efficient. Poland has opted for nuclear, in a move which aims also to help meet the environmental requirements of the European Union.
read more... 30/01/2014
Germany: the first EU state to penalize the self-consumption of solar energy
The German government has approved on Wednesday a new solar tax, becoming the first European nation to charge owners of renewable energy plants for their own use of electricity, as part of Merkel’s plan to contain rising power bills. The changes would affect photovoltaics and are now partly being reported as a new retroactive solar tax. The cabinet is expected to officially sign off on the draft law in April before it goes to the Bundestag, which is expected to vote on it in June and could become law on August.
read more... 27/01/2014