Articles by
Craig Morris
Will 2018 be the year of new nuclear design success?
By
Craig Morris
The new third generation (EPR) nuclear reactor is being built in France and Finland and is also proposed in the UK. A similar design went into operation in South Korea in December 2016 – but it remains the only one running commercially worldwide. That could change soon, however, as Craig Morris explains.
How many new power lines will Germany need?
By
Craig Morris
Researchers at Germany’s Öko-Institut have published a review of nearly a dozen previous studies on the need for new power lines in a future renewable electricity supply. The main finding is that the research community isn’t yet speaking the same language.
Can nuclear and renewables coexist?
By
Craig Morris
Ramping – when power plants adjust their output according to market needs – is crucial in an energy system that includes renewables. So can nuclear reactors ramp enough to accommodate significant shares of wind and solar?
Auctions didn’t make wind power cheaper, study finds
By
Craig Morris
The study thus basically further documents the real reason for the shift from feed-in tariffs to auctions: it wasn’t about price, as lots of people assume; the goal was to give policymakers a way to control, and hence limit, the amount built annually.
Auctions didn’t make wind power cheaper, study finds
By
Craig Morris
Wind power prices have plummeted in recent years since Germany switched to auctions. Now, a study has found what readers of this blog already knew: the prices only look low because they are reported as though future electricity were already being generated today.
France to close five nuclear reactors?
By
Craig Morris
Without any official announcement having been made, French nuclear reactor operator EDF seems poised to close up to five reactors next year. What will this mean for the French energy market?
Share of German citizen renewable energy shrinking
By
Craig Morris
Unexpectedly, Trend Research have updated their controversial study from 2013. The share of citizen investments in renewables remains high but has clearly fallen.
High German power prices, low monthly bills?
By
Craig Morris
According to the most recent data, German retail power rates are the highest in the EU along with Denmark’s. The monthly power bill is, however, exaggerated in reports.
Germany’s energy consumption in 2017
By
Craig Morris
Based on preliminary figures for 2017, electricity from renewables grew by a record amount. Coal power production also fell noticeably even as nuclear power fell – despite record exports. But one big news item may have been overlooked amidst all the new records.
New study: Germans still support the Energiewende
By
Craig Morris
The results of the most comprehensive survey of what the Germans think of their energy transition were published in November.
Why France really had to postpone its nuclear reduction
By
Craig Morris
France has announced (report in French) the abandonment of plans first adopted in 2012 to reduce the share of nuclear from 75% to 50% by 2025. The reason given is that such a fast reduction would not be possible without more fossil energy in the interim.
The state of auctions in Germany
By
Craig Morris
Germany has now conducted auctions for wind, solar, and biomass. But if the headlines are optimistic, the outcome is massively oversold.
