The implications of last week's announcement from Canada about the first new SMRs to be ordered. Summary: on the basis of this deal not clear that SMRs are going to be any cheaper than full size nuclear reactors. carboncommentary.com/blog/20…

I wrote a piece on the striking global rise in climate scepticism in recent years. carboncommentary.com/blog/20…

In a previous life I worked on competition economics, including trying to stop early attempts to drain cash from water companies. Interviewed yesterday by Utility Week about Thames Water, I said that public ownership was inevitable. My reasoning is here: carboncommentary.com/blog/20…

Hannah Ritchie wrote an extremely useful summary of my chapter on steel decarbonisation here: sustainabilitybynumbers.com/…

Major study of effect of better insulation in Paris social housing shows 28% cut in energy use. Much bigger cut than typical. Perhaps we're getting better at insulating older flats. apur.org/fr/nos-travaux/cons…. Another impressive result: top floor heatwave temps up to 15degrees lower

Implausible claims about CO2 capture, industrial heat pumps, cost reductions for electrolysers, hydrogen tenders, advances in grid batteries and seven other stories on my free newsletter at carboncommentary.substack.co…

Despite what the UK Prime Minister says, waste oils can only provide a tiny fraction of the low carbon aviation fuel the world needs. The rest of government knows this. My take on the implausibility of Sunak's response to the Virgin transatlantic flight. carboncommentary.com/blog/20…

Plotting the relation between day ahead prices and the wind proportion of UK electricity supply shows how more turbines would significantly cut costs for consumers. My analysis of 2022/3 data here: carboncommentary.com/blog/20…

Netherlands, for example, had 45% plug-in electric vehicles sales last month. Most expect close to 100% by 2030. Difficult to see any substantial market in Europe for UK cars using petrol or diesel by that date.

Useful chart on p61 of lEA report on renewables today shows UK investment in grid fallen since middle of last decade even as demand to connect wind and solar has grown. Result: today we have about 200 GW of renewables waiting up to 20 years for connection.iea.blob.core.windows.net/as…

Another thing to add to the list of impediments to the green transition. Shipper Maersk says its 1st plant for making methanol as a replacement fuel needed 29 different permits, not the 5 it expected. Methanol is already one of the most widely manufactured chemicals in the world.

UK electricity costs aren't 'normal' yet by any means but tomorrow's day ahead wholesale prices are strikingly lower. Min = £4, Ave = £69. I know it's a sunny holiday weekend but still better than for months.

My minority judgment on proposed 2002 private equity takeover of water company is covered in the Guardian today. (Heavily redacted) doc here webarchive.nationalarchives.…. My views on incompatibility of good regulation of infrastructure and private ownership also apply to electricity.

UK infrastructure improvements to allow near 100% renewables may cost as much as the windfarms and solar parks themselves. One conclusion from my note on last week's CCC report carboncommentary.com/blog/20…

From today's CCC report. An issue around the world and in my opinion the no. 1 barrier to rapid electrification.