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The pandemic and electricity transformation in the United States and the European Union: Developments in 2020
Representation of coronavirus pandemic impact on the energy industry (Maha Heang 245789/Shutterstock)
As the United States under the new Biden-Harris administration and the European Union (EU), now minus the United Kingdom, pursue pandemic economic recovery packages that involve major investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, it is useful to examine what happened in 2020 and evaluate what these developments portend. Both the US and EU governments are embracing a strategy of increasing green electricity to lower emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This endeavor is critical to global climate efforts given that the United States and the EU countries account for over 20 percent of world energy CO
Rapid response: SPP/ERCOT winter freeze energy crisis EnergySource by Global Energy Center
Frozen fountain with icicles at the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas (charzalan/Shutterstock)
The winter storm that swept the southern and southwestern United States and parts of Mexico has left millions without access to electricity, heat, and water in the midst of a pandemic. Nearly all energy sources in the mix from fossil fuels to wind turbines to nuclear power plants have taken a hit in the last few days. Although rolling blackouts imposed by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) grid operator have tried to restore stability to the grid, the blackouts have had dire consequences for residents who are facing the prospect of yet another day without power. The grid operators’ response has raised urgent questions about crisis management and grid resilience. Atlantic Council Global Energy Cen
25 January 2021
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The use of advanced nuclear technologies could help the world meet increasing electricity demand whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the deployment and commercialisation of advanced reactors faces many challenges, according to a discussion on nuclear innovation at the
Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum.
The participants in the session on Nuclear Innovation: Projections for the Next Decade on 20 January Just as the original prototypes do not resemble today s solar panels and wind turbines, tomorrow s nuclear looks very different from the plants of today, said session moderator Jackie Kempfer, senior policy advisor for Third Way s climate and energy programme and non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council s Global Energy Center. The next generation of nuclear power promises to be more cost-effective and safer than ever, she said.
Reconciling transatlantic differences over Nord Stream 2
Flag of Federal Republic of Germany waving in front of the German parliament building (Reichstag) in Berlin, Germany (Katatonia82/Shutterstock)
From the time it was first proposed in 2011, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has divided the United States and the project’s European supporters, principally Germany. Nord Stream 2 is not simply a US-Europe issue or a US-Germany issue, however. Many in Europe, including Central and Eastern European countries, the European Parliament, and those within Germany also oppose it. The policy dispute stems in part from different perspectives on energy security. Nord Stream 2’s supporters see Russia as an economic and reliable nearby supplier of oil and gas, while the US and European critics of the project are concerned that Europe’s reliance on Russian energy supplies creates security vulnerabilities. This concern has been exacerbated by Russian aggression against Ukraine starting in 201