Each week, I review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted over at the RFF Library Blog.
Is China Doubling Down on its Coal Power Bubble?
[New York Times] …China’s economic slowdown and the government’s pledges to use more renewable and nuclear energy make some of the country’s existing plants and most or all of the 155 new ones unnecessary, according to interviews with officials and scholars, a review of public statistics and a report released Wednesday about the “coal power bubble” by Greenpeace East Asia. There are already too many plants, as shown by a steady decline in the plants’ average operating hours since 2013. - via Greenpeace
A Long, Hard Road: Reducing GHG Emissions in Canada’s Road Transportation Sector by 2050
[Green Car Congress] A new Conference Board of Canada report finds that Canada is unlikely to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. Even when taking into account reduced distances traveled per vehicle, improvements in fuel efficiency, and greater market penetration of alternative technology vehicles, Canada falls short of the 80-by-50 target… - via Conference Board of Canada
US Shale Oil Dynamics in a Low Price Environment
One of the biggest unanswered questions facing the market is whether or not relatively high-cost US shale oil production can survive in a relatively low oil price environment (sub $60 per barrel). This is the first economic test of the shale oil renaissance. While shale production has thus far proved resilient (due to a combination of factors, such as enhancing efficiency gains, lowering the cost of services, and retreating to the more productive areas), signs of weakness are beginning to show. - via Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
World Energy Outlook 2015 – Executive Summary
Big questions abound in global energy in 2015:
- Could oil prices stay lower for longer? What would it take for this to happen and what would it mean for energy security and for the energy transition?
- India is set for a period of rapid, sustained growth in energy demand: how could this re-shape the energy scene?
- What do new climate pledges mean for the way that the world meets its rising needs for energy?
- What are the implications of the rising coverage of energy efficiency policies and the growing competitiveness of renewables?
- Is the unconventional gas revolution going to go global or to remain a North American phenomenon?
- via International Energy Agency
US Forests Will Lose Their Ability to Sequester CO2 in 25 Years: USFS Scientists
[Abstract] The sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C) in forests has partially offset C emissions in the United States (US) and might reduce overall costs of achieving emission targets, especially while transportation and energy sectors are transitioning to lower-carbon technologies. Using detailed forest inventory data for the conterminous US, we estimate forests’ current net sequestration of atmospheric C to be 173 Tg yr−1, offsetting 9.7% of C emissions from transportation and energy sources. Accounting for multiple driving variables, we project a gradual decline in the forest C emission sink over the next 25 years (to 112 Tg yr−1) with regional differences. - via Scientific Reports
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