Energy

French N-giant seeks survival by rewriting rules

Bloomberg France’s nuclear giant has a plan to survive the wave of renewable energy that’s sweeping aside old-fashioned utilities across Europe. First it needs to disprove the conventional wisdom about how reactors work. Electricite de France SA says its fleet of nuclear reactors aren’t just able to provide a steady stream of power, they’re flexible enough to complement a large ...

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Unions oppose Norway power export drive

Bloomberg Norway’s vast resources of Europe’s cheapest and greenest electricity has helped its energy-intensive industry gain an edge and produce everything from aluminum to chemicals and tankers. But now the nation’s powerful unions are objecting to plans by grid managers and utilities to get in on the act by spending more than $6 billion on cables to profit from selling ...

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‘Mena needs $180bn investments to add power generating capacity’

DAMMAM / WAM The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) will need investments of approximately $180 billion to add a capacity at 7.4% annually until 2021, which corresponds to additions of more than 130GW, according to estimates by Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP). ‘‘Governments continue to meet this challenge by expediting new projects and upgrading their infrastructure to meet increasing ...

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‘Brexit could cause power blackouts’

Bloomberg Britain probably will risk more energy supply shortages after leaving the European Union, a panel of lawmakers from the House of Lords said, adding to pressure on the government to bring forward measures that protect consumers from higher costs. “It’s likely that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will lead to less-efficient energy trade, which could in turn increase ...

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SunPower seeks exemption from Trump’s solar tariffs

Bloomberg US solar panel maker SunPower Corp. is planning to ask for an exemption to the 30 percent tariff on imported solar panels that President Donald Trump approved. The company that manufactures most of its panels at factories in Asia and Mexico could hire more workers at its headquarters in San Jose, California, and invest in a “pilot” factory in ...

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BP ‘scanning everything’ to tap opportunities in clean energy

Bloomberg BP Plc, the oil major that sold a third of its assets after a disastrous rig accident in 2010, said it won’t be left behind as the industry boosts investment in new energy. “We haven’t made really big bets but we’re scanning and screening everything” to assess renewables opportunities, Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley said. BP must “get its ...

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Trump’s tariffs biggest blow to renewables yet

Bloomberg President Donald Trump dealt his biggest blow to the renewable energy industry yet. Trump approved duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made outside the US, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. The tariffs are the latest action by Trump ...

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FirstEnergy soars as Elliott leads $2.5 billion investment

Bloomberg FirstEnergy Corp. rose the most in almost a decade after announcing a $2.5 billion equity investment by a group including Elliott Management Corp. As part of the deal, the Akron, Ohio-based utility owner is forming a “restructuring working group” that will seek to minimise the time needed to exit the unregulated power business, according to a statement. The company ...

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San Francisco solar firm nabs $55mn to expand into Africa

Bloomberg Off Grid Electric, a San Francisco-based company that develops rooftop solar and battery systems in Africa, has raised $55 million as it expands into Ghana. The Series D round was led by Helios Investment Partners and included GE Ventures, the venture capital subsidiary of General Electric Co., Off Grid said in a statement. The company’s Ghana expansion is part ...

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Texas solar boom poses $1.4bn threat to fossil fuels

Bloomberg A boom in solar power is threatening to wipe out $1.4 billion a year of summertime revenue for fossil-fuel generators in Texas. Almost 15 gigawatts of solar power may crop up in the Lone Star state in the coming years, and every gigawatt stands to shave about $2.76 a megawatt-hour from wholesale electricity prices there when demand peaks in ...

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