The conventional wisdom holds that the nuclear phaseout in Germany is a reaction to the Fukushima disaster on March 11, 2011. The story goes something like this: Fukushima changed Germany’s views on nuclear energy by “scaring” German politicians and constituents into pursuing a path that transitions away from nuclear energy… read more
European Union
The Future of Coal: The Case for HELE Generation
High-efficiency and low-emission technology coal generation describes three tiers of carbon-intensity and coal-consumption intensity: supercritical, ultra-super critical, and advanced ultra-supercritical technology. According to the IEA, non-HELE technology, or sub-critical generation, is most common in coal-generated electricity today. Plants combust pulverized coal in a boiler to produce steam that powers a… read more
Hydraulic Fracturing and the Energy Future of Europe
The issue of hydraulic fracturing is revealing deep divisions in the European Union. While many of the rich nations of Western Europe have all shunned the practice, the poorer countries of Eastern Europe are in favor of it. The debate is revealing deep rifts in the power structure of the… read more
