ECA INSIGHTS >

The EU’s updated Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) retains Article 7, which requires Member States to implement an Energy Efficiency Obligation (EEO) scheme, or eligible Alternative Measures, capable of delivering a set quantity of energy savings via energy efficiency measures…
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Electricity storage devices are widely expected to become the must-have add-on to electricity systems increasingly supplied by intermittent renewables.
As battery technology has rapidly come down in price…
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Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy in the world, accounting for around 71% of all renewable electricity. It is expected to play a critical role in…
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European legislation foresees a solidarity gas agreement between member states in case of a supply disruption…
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In Lusaka, health and environmental hazards have been…
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Electricity transmission networks are natural monopolies and traditionally have been handled by a single national (or in larger countries, provincial) state-owned company or…
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The closure of GB’s largest gas storage facility (Rough) led to concerns among market observers and participants of supply shortages and increased GB gas price volatility…
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The recently announced merger between the supply businesses of npower and SSE is in stark contrast to the emergence of much smaller suppliers including municipal energy offerings…
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Standard economics begins with the assumption that we behave rationally and in our own interests. We seek to maximise utility, which is often equated with maximising monetary gain…
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Because they are cheap to install, reliable, long-lived and have very low maintenance costs, night storage heaters are popular in granny-flats and with landlords…
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Mines have the potential to transform a country’s power sector, but often do not connect to the national grid because of the risks this creates. To prevent this opportunity being lost…
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The European Target Model for the electricity market emphasises market coupling – to bring cross-border competition – and a liquid day ahead market (DAM) to set a reference price for trading…
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In a previous article, we discussed whether policies will allow cost-reflective tariffs for isolated and grid-connected electricity mini-grids in developing countries. Less attention in policy-making circles…
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“Clean energy’s dirty secret” was last month’s provocative headline in the Economist. Prevailing structures for power market pricing, it claimed…
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An acceptable tariff policy for consumers and investors alike is a fundamental requirement for the viability of mini-grids in developing countries. Decisions are driven as much by social and political considerations as by economics.
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Water sector reforms are intended to remove constraints and create conditions for rapid progress in achieving access and service delivery goals. However…
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Answers on a postcard due this week to Ofgem regarding embedded benefits – the exemptions from transmission charges provided to embedded generation (EG) and…
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Theresa May has claimed she will place reliability of supply at the heart of UK energy policy. However, early Capacity Market auctions have not delivered the new CCGTs deemed…
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Last month French power utility Engie announced that its long term gas contracts with Gazprom would be linked to international gas prices, replacing oil price indexation. This comes at…
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Market Brief / Putting out the fire: The difficulties facing new CCGT plants in the UK In November the UK government announced its target of closing all coal fired generators by 2025, becoming the first major economy to put a date on shutting coal plants. Instead, the…
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