Iberdrola has asked the Energy Minister to authorise the closure of its thermal power plants in Lada, Asturias and Velilla in Palencia, the only two operational coal power plants the group has left. With their closure, it will conclude the process of shutting down its thermal plants across the globe.
The global use of energy would have grown 12% in 2016 without the efficiency improvements achieved since 2000, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Spain’s energy minister, Alvaro Nadal, has explained current week in a meeting with companies from Spanish electricity market that he is betting on a mix of competitive electricity generation which takes advantage of all kinds of technology, including coal and nuclear.
The majority of the population in Spain put the blame for their excessively high electricity bills exclusively on the electricity companies which, in the end, only get paid a third of the bill for generation. This situation has enraged the companies who are more and more daring in their criticisms of the government – the current and previous ones – for their energy policies.
LONDON| By UBS analysts | Mexico is the eleventh largest country in the world by population. Yet, when it comes to energy infrastructure and consumption per capita, it ranks poorly especially compared to developed, western regions. The energy policy recently introduced provides a major capex opportunity: about €100bn over the coming ten years. Estimates for EU utilities reach investments of €18bn, which would allow for a potential net income increase of €1.1bn. In this context, most of the companies eyeing the region are from Southern Europe, with Enel and Iberdrola remaining as the sector top picks.
FRANKFURT | By Hendrik Kafsack at Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung via Presseurop | Germany is going down the green energy road, Poland is drilling for shale gas, and the United Kingdom has announced the building of new nuclear plants: when it comes to energy supply and security, the Europeans are hauling in different directions. It’s in their own interest, though, to adopt a common strategy.