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The difference between energy and electricity can be a trap for the unwary. In 2007, when Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, pledged to reach 20% of renewable energy sources by 2020, he thought he was only committed to electricity and did not realize that transportation and heating were also included. That's what the rumors of Whitehall claimed. The distinction is important: only about 19% of global energy consumption was used as electricity last year, according to the International Energy Agency. As this graph of 2015 data shows, oil provides more than twice the energy than electricity. (The source is the IEA's key report on global energy statistics last year.)
On Monday, when Jerry Brown, California's governor, enacted a law requiring renewable and "zero carbon" sources to provide all state power by 2045, this difference was re-perfected. The law, Senate 100, entitled "100% Clean Energy Act in 2018", is less ambitious than it sounds: it could leave cars and trucks on California roads and the warmth of its homes and businesses. always dependent on fossil fuels.
However, Brown also took another step this week by signing an executive order stating that California should set a goal of carbon neutrality, "as soon as possible and no later than 2045". David Roberts of Vox argued that if the state, the fifth largest economy in the world, had actually set this target, "it would be the most important commitment of carbon policy. Nowhere. Period ". A crucial factor will be the speed with which transportation and heat in California can be electrified. A Third Way group study, discussed by Axios, suggested that the electricity law would have effects "that would go far beyond the electricity sector".
Although the implications of Brown's policies may be important, some say he is not moving fast enough or fast enough. Mother Jones reported that protesters at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco this week complained that Brown was turning to future solutions that were urgently needed today.
According to a report from the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society, the UK could achieve the same carbon neutrality target by 2050. As Carbon Brief pointed out, this would mean a strategy to reduce emissions outside the EU. # 39; air.
Brent crude has still hit $ 80 a barrel this week, and Anjli Raval of the Financial Times has highlighted five factors to consider. Hurricane Florence, which struck the North Carolina coast on Friday morning, was one of those factors, mainly because of people wishing to fuel in the event of future disruption. The area in the expected trajectory of the storm does not contain oil production or refining, so it should not affect US fuel reserves. From an energy point of view, the most important impact is probably the disruption of the electricity supply. The US Energy Information Administration has released a map with real-time information on the effects of the storm.
Puerto Rico, whose electricity grid was destroyed by Hurricane Maria last year, plans to build "the network of the future".
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to support advanced nuclear energy. c & # 39; was described as the most important bill on nuclear energy to pass Congress in many years.
The implementation of Saudi Arabia's ambitious plan to invest heavily in solar energy will reveal how serious his government is in the face of rapid economic change.
Four Chinese freighters, two pieces carrying wind turbines, have taken the Northern Sea Route to Europe from Asia via the Arctic Ocean.
Large-scale wind and solar farms in the Sahara Desert could have an unexpected benefit: increased rainfall and vegetation.
And finally: a sign of the significance of coal for some communities in the United States. The seventh edition of the 5000-meter coal dust race was conducted by about 300 people in Williamson, West Virginia, last weekend. The runners were covered with gray "coal dust" when they crossed two areas of dust. In case somebody worried about health consequences, the organizers did not use real coal dust, but a mixture of black powder paint and corn starch.
According to a study by S & P Global Market Intelligence, President Donald Trump's latest plan to revive these communities by replacing the Obama administration's energy supply plan does not seem to help. He concluded that "after years of avoiding building new coal-fired power plants, US utilities remain cautious in investing in their existing coal fleets."
Other views
Nick Butler – Donald Trump's gas ambitions are fragile
Nick Butler – Kuwait's strategic problem is location as US interest declines
Neil Hume – Why Asia Needs a New Price Reference for Thermal Coal
Michael Liebreich – Aircraft, trains and cars, electric remake
Michael Shellenberger – If they had bet on nuclear, not on renewable energy, Germany and California would already have 100% clean energy
Robert Bullard – Polluters should bear all the costs of responding to climate change
Carlo Amenta, Giulia Di Croce, Luciano Lavecchia and Carlo Stagnaro – Managing the liberalization of the electricity market in Italy: a policy proposal
Quote of the week
"The kingdom [Saudi Arabia], Opec members who opt for their production to ensure that the world's citizens do not see a spike in the price of oil. . . must be admired and appreciated, and Russia is one of them. – Rick Perry, the US Secretary of Energy, quoted by Reuters during his visit to Moscow, congratulating Russia, Saudi Arabia and other countries that increase their oil production in an attempt to moderate price increases. Mr Perry also warned that the United States could step up sanctions on the new Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.
Diagram of the week
This moment came for a moment, but this week it became official: the Energy Information Administration estimated that the United States had overtaken Russia to become the world's largest producer of crude oil.
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