information for our energy future
information for our energy future
The following energy reports, research and discussion papers can be downloaded from the publisher's website, usually in pdf format. If you require alternative formats please contact the publisher directly.
June 2008
BP
BP has released the 57th edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy. Although growth in energy consumption slowed in 2007 compared with 2006, it was still above the 10-year average for the fifth consecutive year, with primary energy consumption up by 2.4%. Coal was again the fastest growing fossil fuel, now for the fifth year in a row, with global consumption up 4.5%. The oil price has been on an upward path for more than six years, however oil production actually fell in 2007 despite an increase in consumption of 1.1%. The report shows 2007 was another year of rapid growth for alternative sources of energy, including biofuels, solar and wind power.
Download from: BP Statistical Review of World Energy (pdf 6.5 MB)
May 2008
PricewaterhouseCoopers
This global annual survey of energy utilities provides an interesting and enlightening view of utilities across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East, and Africa. Among many of the survey's outcomes was that the proportion of respondents anticipating that distributed generation will have the greatest impact has doubled – from 24% just two years ago to 49% in this year’s survey. Even more striking, the proportion expecting solar power plants to have the greatest impact has risen from 20% to 54% in the same period.
Download from: Utilities global survey 2008 (pdf 1.59 MB)
May 2008
US Department of Energy
Wind power could provide 20% of U.S. electricity needs by 2030, according to a new DOE report. According to the report, reaching the 20% goal will require boosting wind power from its current generating capacity of 16.8 gigawatts (GW) to 304 GW in 2030. Achieving this level by 2030 will require that the annual installations of wind power increase threefold, from today's 2,000 annual turbine installations to almost 7,000 per year by 2017. This 250 page report also has a wealth of information on the US wind industry.
Download from: 20% Wind Energy by 2030 (pdf 3.9 MB)
April 2008
Shell
Shell has released a new energy scenario called TANIA - There are no ideal answers - looking at how the world's energy supply and use might evolve to 2050. They outline two paths, Blueprint and Scramble in which the world either reacts to problems or cooperates to develop solutions. Both scenarios display a turbulent period between 2015 and 2030 when energy supply struggles to keep up with demand.
Download from: Shell energy scenarios to 2050 (pdf 1.5 MB)
March 2008
REN21 Secretariat and Worldwatch Institute
This report provides an overview of the status of renewable energy worldwide in 2007. It covers trends in markets, investments, industries, policies, and off-grid renewable energy, from data collected by over 140 researchers and reviewers from dozens of countries. Wind power capacity increased more than any other renewable power technology in 2007 including hydro power, with an estimated 21 GW added. This represented a 28 percent increase over 2006.
Download from: Renewables 2007 (pdf 480 kb)
February 2008
US Department of Energy
This report outlines the actions taken by 13 energy-intensive industry sectors in the USA to improve greenhouse gas emissions intensity of their operations from 2002 to 2006. The report indicates that the power and energy-intensive industrial sectors improved their combined emissions intensity by 9.4 percent over this four year period, and in 2006, actual greenhouse gas emissions for these sectors fell a combined 1.4 percent.
Download from: Climate VISION Progress Report 2007 (pdf 1.8 MB)
January 2008
Observ’ER
A review and update of the growth in renewable energy production for the countries of the EU. In both French and English, the report contains a breakdown by country and technology for eight renewable sectors. Solar and wind technologies grew strongly in Germany and Spain, but overall the growth is well below what is required to meet the EU 2010 targets.
Download from: State of Renewable Energies in Europe (pdf 870 kb)
January 2008
UK Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
This report provides a background to the Call for Evidence regarding the opportunities and prospects for renewable heat and some of the barriers that prevent the greater use of renewable heat in the UK. It provides a useful analysis and discussion on the heat and carbon markets in the UK as well as district heating. While focused on the UK, the content would also be useful for renewable heat and combined heat and power in Australia.
Download from: Heat (pdf 1.3 MB)
January 2008
American Wind Energy Association
The U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity in 2007, according to the latest market figures from the American Wind Energy Association. The rapid growth shatters all previous records and boosts the total U.S. wind power capacity by 45% in only one year. The total U.S. wind power capacity is now at 16,818 MW, with wind projects located in 34 states.
Download from: American Wind Energy Association (pdf 238 kb)
December 2007
California Energy Commission
A comprehensive look at the energy policies of California that contains an integated assessment of major energy trends and issues facing California's electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuel sectors and provides policy recommendations to conserve resources, protect the environment, ensure reliable, secure and diverse energy supplies.
Download from: 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report (pdf 3.8 MB)
November 2007
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This report outlines the vision for the US National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency of achieving all cost-effective energy efficiency by 2025. It presents ten implementation goals for states, utilities, and other stakeholders to consider to achieve this goal and describes what 2025 might look like if the goal is achieved. If that goal is achieved, it is suggested that the USA will spend $100 billion less for energy in 2025 than it would otherwise, will avoid emitting 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year and achieve $500 billion in net savings from its energy efficiency investments.
Download from: National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (pdf 1.3 MB)
November 2007
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
The UNFCCC prepares an annual report on the level of greenhouse gas emissions from data provided by each country (national inventory reports). The 2007 report provides emission data up to 2005.
Download from: National greenhouse gas inventory data for the period 1990-2005 (pdf 235 kb)
November 2007
UN IPCC
The Synthesis Report forms the final part of "Climate Change 2007", the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Earlier this year, the IPCC released the other three reports: "The physical science basis" "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" and "Mitigation of Climate Change". The Synthesis Report is the decisive effort to integrate and compact this wealth of information into a readable and concise document explicitly targeted to the policymakers. The summary for policy makers is downloadable, but the full report needs to be ordered from Cambridge University Press.
Download from: UN IPCC Fourth Synthesis Report (pdf 6.4 MB)
November 2007
The World Bank
This working paper analyzes CO2 emissions reduction targets for various countries and geopolitical regions by the year 2030 in order to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2 at the level of 450 ppm (550 ppm including non CO2 greenhouse gases). It also determines CO2 intensity cuts that would be needed in those countries and regions if the emission reductions were achieved through intensity-based targets while assuming no effect on forecasted economic growth. Considering that the stabilization of CO2 concentrations at 450 ppm requires the global trend of CO2 emissions to reverse before 2030, this study develops two scenarios: reversing the global CO2 trend in (i) 2020 and (ii) 2025. The study shows that global CO2 emissions would be 42 percent above the 1990 level in 2030 if the increasing trend of global CO2 emissions is reversed by 2020.
Download from: Atmospheric Stabilization of CO2 Emissions (pdf 760 kb)
October 2007
UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Energy Markets Outlook looks at security of supply and its drivers in the UK over a time horizon of up to fifteen years. It covers electricity, gas and other fuels including coal, oil, nuclear fuel and renewables. It also looks at supply chain issues such as the availability of skilled staff, materials and labour for the construction and operation of new infrastructure.
Download from: UK Energy Markets Outlook (pdf 4.7 MB)
October 2007
NZ Government Ministry of Economic Development
The New Zealand Energy Strategy sets out the government's vision for a sustainable, low emissions energy system and the actions that will be taken to make this vision a reality. The document covers generation, transport and energy efficiency, and is a comprehensive look at how NZ can become a sustainable, low-emission economy.
Download from: New Zealand Energy Strategy to 2050 (html)
August 2007
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
A new report from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) finds that far more investment is needed to hold greenhouse gas emissions in check, especially in developing countries.
Download from: UN analysis of investment needed to address climate change (pdf 26 kb)
August 2007
Electric Power Research Institute
According to the summary, this is a full portfolio discussion paper to provide stakeholders with a framework to develop a research, development, and demonstration Action Plan that will enable sustainable and substantial electricity sector CO2 emissions reductions over the coming decades.
Download from: Power to Reduce CO2 Emissions (pdf 2.8 MB)
August 2007
International Energy Agency
Released annually, this 80 page publication contains timely, clearly-presented data on the supply, transformation and consumption of all major energy sources, and other useful energy facts.
Download from: Key world energy statistics 2007 (pdf 2.6 MB)