Renewable Energy

Climate is in firing line from Britain’s EU vote

20 Jun 2016

A UK exit from the EU could weaken the fight against global warming. Brussels would lose a key voice for climate action, and coal-loving Poland’s influence would rise. A smaller EU - and go it alone Britain - would also find it harder to sway big polluters like China and the US.

VW reform firing on only two and a half cylinders

16 Jun 2016

The stricken carmaker’s new strategy cuts costs and embraces disruptive technology. But properly addressing the flaws that led to Volkswagen’s emissions scandal requires less corporate complexity, and better governance. Boss Matthias Mueller needs to do more on these last two.

EU emissions rules yet to hit U.S.-style top gear

15 Jun 2016

Brussels is tightening standards on cars’ CO2 output. It’s the second time European authorities have redrawn industry standards since the VW scandal broke. But to decisively bin its image as a relative soft touch, EU rules on “defeat devices” need to match those of the U.S.

DONG and E.ON mark green power’s coming of age

9 Jun 2016

The Danish wind park pioneer’s successful $16 bln IPO and broad shareholder support for the German utility’s retreat from fossil power show investors finally take renewables seriously. They have every reason to do so: climate change goals call for a vast rise in investment.

Negative rates turn up in useful spot: electricity

18 Apr 2016

Rising production of green energy combined with stagnant demand and the high cost of shutting down conventional plants is causing some producers to pay buyers to take power. Unlike the controversial central bank policy, this variety of negative rates has more clear-cut benefits.

Tesla investors race to on-ramp of disappointment

1 Apr 2016

Founder Elon Musk unveiled the mass-market Model 3 to much fanfare and some 140,000 advance orders. The $32 bln electric-car maker probably will need more cash soon. And it faces growing competition from the likes of GM and Nissan. Tesla stock, though, is priced for nirvana.

Guest view: Time to harness power of green trade

30 Mar 2016

Progress is being made on financing cleaner technologies, but many nations charge high tariffs on water purifiers and such. Upcoming WTO talks could help push to make environmentally friendly products more affordable, argues former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Wall Street sees ray of hope in SunEdison woes

3 Mar 2016

The likes of Citi and Goldman have soured on backing the troubled energy company’s purchase of Vivint, and they may have found a way out: the buyer’s failure to deliver current financials. It’s a breach of contract and a chance for the banks to avoid losses and maybe boost fees.

Billionaires add thrust to clean-energy moon shot

30 Nov 2015

Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Jack Ma are among those pledging to pool their lucre for big investments in climate-friendly R&D. The aim is worthy but such ambitious projects have a mixed record. At least these entrepreneurs know how to tolerate serious cash burn.

Climate will supplant shale as top energy disruptor

27 Nov 2015

The world’s politicians may be about to get serious on cutting greenhouse gases at the U.N. Paris confab. And shareholders are pushing Big Oil to disclose global warming risks. The consequences for the industry will be longer lasting than the recent oil production revolution.

Islands sale emblematic of California water woes

11 Nov 2015

Zurich Insurance is set to sell land in the state’s northern water hub to a utility in the dry south. It may form part of a broader $15 bln plan and raises concerns about water rights, the environment, big projects and how to finance them and how best to use a scarce resource.

China carbon vow shows change in political climate

29 Jul 2015

Beijing’s new emission goal is convincing and could be legally binding. It’s a change of heart for a country that frustrated climate talks in the past. The commitment to change is real – even if a recent stock rout underscores how vulnerable reform is to domestic stresses.

Elon Musk plugs Tesla valuation into the grid

1 May 2015

The Silicon Valley billionaire’s new home battery system is, like his electric cars, too pricey for many. But if costs keep falling, Tesla’s Gigafactory runs smoothly and the solar market expands, shareholders may find there’s more spark in batteries than vehicles.

Global water woes mix with trickle of good news

23 Mar 2015

The planet faces a 40 pct H2O deficit by 2030 as rising populations require more food and energy. Droughts in Sao Paulo and California may become harbingers of doom. But progress on everything from data to usage to business awareness to international agreements offers some hope.

Obama’s nuclear gift to Modi is shrewd investment

26 Jan 2015

The U.S. president has unblocked a stalled nuclear power deal with India, allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build new reactors. While that will boost orders for GE-Hitachi and Westinghouse, bigger gains to the U.S. economy will come from ending India’s energy deficit.

Solar upstarts and utilities head for uneasy truce

15 Dec 2014

The soaring popularity of solar panels in the U.S. cuts carbon emissions but upsets utilities trying to make a return on grid investments. The industry’s attempts to slap fees on solar users sparked uproar in 2014. A new cost-sharing approach may take the heat out of the debate.

Review: How Big Oil could grease invisible hand

22 Sep 2014

“Pump” contends that democracy at the gas station would help U.S. democracy more broadly. Offering drivers fuel choices like ethanol, as Brazil did, might ease the grip of Exxon Mobil and its peers. The film makes a convincing case, even as it evades some inconvenient truths.

RWE, E.ON gain little from German energy revamp

8 Apr 2014

Coal and gas power generators might hope to profit from a reform of costly subsidies for solar and wind power. But while the government is trying to cut costs, the target - almost doubling the share of renewables by 2025 - hasn’t changed. RWE and E.ON will continue to suffer.

Are resurgent solar stocks burning too bright?

19 Nov 2013

Shares in panel makers like Trina and JinkoSolar have soared this year. Recent earnings show a long-awaited return to the black now that panel prices are recovering after an 80 pct slump. Profit growth is set to shine, but stock prices look to have gone too far, too soon.

U.S. utilities want to rain on solar parade

15 Nov 2013

A lobby group says solar power may put $170 bln of utility revenue at risk. Meanwhile Elon Musk’s panel installer SolarCity could quadruple sales in two years, and solar ventures abound. No wonder a big Arizona utility is fighting back with a fee on citizens with solar panels.