Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Commission nixes Slovak plan to subsidise energy bills with EU funds | Euractiv

2

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 2d

At least we will always have this

www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

Opposition lawmakers have accused Fico’s government of using the subsidies as “political corruption” ahead of next year’s regional elections

Inside the EU's private assessment on Trump's massive aid cuts | Euractiv

2

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

Not your usual leak! @vchadw.bsky.social has obtained the frank internal assessment made in Brussels on how to proceed after the US slashed its foreign aid budget to shreds.

Top line: thorny chance to regain lost momentum in Afghanistan

www.euractiv.com/news/inside-...

The US cuts will leave funding gaps for fragile countries in the areas of rule of law, human rights, security and migration. But with the EU also cutting aid, it now needs 'a strong narrative' abroad, officials say

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

"Energy efficiency is not a virtue in and of itself," Jan writes.

"It is valuable only when it delivers tangible social benefits, ..."

Does this already allow for a political economy of energy efficiency, can energy efficiency shed its bad image?

And fundamentally: does this mean ecodesign is bad

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

This is sufficiently radical in the sense that it questions a holy tenet of the energy efficiency ecosystem -- energy efficiency first

"As electrification progresses, energy efficiency policies must adapt to prioritize when energy savings occur, not just how much is saved."

Why energy efficiency needs a radical rethink

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

Interesting post from energy-efficiency-czar Jan.

Everybody watching long saw the movement/idea stuck in a rut.

His way out: the "focus on user cost reductions is inadequate" --> "carbon reduction ... is the primary benefit" & "the emphasis will shift to reducing system costs."

Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 3d

Energy efficiency needs a radical rethink.

Making fossil fuel technologies & processes incrementally more efficient is no longer enough.

It might even perpetuate their use. In my new article I explore how energy efficiency needs to evolve to remain relevant.

medium.com/@jan.rosenow...

Energy efficiency has historically been the most significant contributor to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past few decades…

medium.com

2 1 9

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

8 days of protest, 3 dead

gazettengr.com/anti-governm...

Anti-government protests enter eighth day in Morocco

Three people have been killed during the unrest, with hundreds arrested and detained.

gazettengr.com

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

In case you missed it (like I did): GenZ is on the streets in Morocco

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

True, irgendwie hab ich in der ganzen Aufregung nicht klar gelesen....

Ja moi wasn avg bsky disaster aber nicht die ganze Plattform ist so! (Englischer energysky is eher normal)

Commission held 'emergency' talks with Tiktok over Czech elections | Euractiv

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 3d

Ich wünschte Sie hätten zumindest in der Sache etwas kritisiert, Leute dumm zu nennen bedarf auch auf bsky einer Begründung....

That being said, Nuss agiert very Weber-like

1 5

Reposted by Nikolaus J. Kurmayer

Maximilian Henning @maximilian-henning.bsky.social · 5d

Tiktok deleted several bots following an “emergency meeting” with the @ec.europa.eu on the Czech elections, a spokesperson said today.

Read my article at @euractiv.com:

www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

Video-sharing platform removed “several bots” following yesterday's meeting, according to a Commission spokesperson

Iberian blackout was ‘first of its kind’, EU expert panel concludes | Euractiv

9 14

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 5d

As Europe delves deeper into the historic Iberian blackout, it's becoming clear that it was a world first!

Overvoltage -- a threat that can topple entire power systems stemming from a minor local issue

www.euractiv.com/news/iberian...

Energy commissioner speaks of an 'unprecedented' event, but grid operators stop short of apportioning blame

1 1 1

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

Fair, but is this a fault of the tax system or what? In Lux, municipal taxes are missing in neighbouring towns

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

How does this mesh with the criticism of Luxembourg by neighbouring areas (where commuting is seen as a non-LUX negative externality)

How Europe crushes innovation

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

Ist das nicht die art von trade-off (small gains for many v large losses for few) bei der politik entscheiden soll/muss?

8

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

And they say the Brussels effect does not exist...

1 1 10

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

The responses to this sadly make the point, but maybe its just bluesky talking

The Economist @economist.com · 6d

The difficulty of firing staff—a reality of corporate life—steers Europe’s biggest firms away from making risky bets in innovative fields. This is catastrophic for the continent’s economy

Labour rules devised in the 20th century are hobbling Europe in the 21st

econ.st

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

That has next to no effect on transmission grid fees

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

The secret juice is subsidies.

1 2

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 6d

Heh

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer @nkurmayer.bsky.social · 7d

EU's Ribera signals her support for besieged utility Ørsted (short on cash, project issues with Trump admin)

Teresa Ribera @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu · 7d

Great visit to Ørsted today, an european champion in wind energy.

A great example of a company that has made a full transformation from fossil fuels to renewable energy.