Lightbucket

Germany accused of ditching climate targets as it scraps renewables mandate Coalition government agrees to remove parts of controversial law and allow homes to rely on fossil fuels

5/5 (…contd.)

…and Germany dumps its low-carbon domestic heating requirements:

 ❝ While the previous law required most newly installed heating systems to use at least 65% renewable energy, often with a heat pump, the amended legislation will allow households to keep using oil and gas.❞

A chart showing the electricity generation from fossil fuels for the largest six EU nations from 2010 to 2025. Germany and Italy have the largest electricity generation from fossil fuels. For these six countries in 2025, electricity generation from fossil fuels was: Germany: 205 TWh Italy: 136 TWh Poland: 119 TWh Spain: 73 TWh Netherlands: 62 TWh France: 30 TWh Source: Ember Electricity Data Explorer

With Germany and Italy leading the drive to weaken the EU Emissions Trading System, here's the fossil-fuel electricity generation for the six largest EU nations.

The 2025 shares of fossil-fuel electricity:

 • Italy: 51%
 • Germany: 42%

 • France: 5%

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Ref: Ember ember-energy.org/data/electri...

4/4 (…contd.)

…and now Germany joins the push to weaken the EU Emissions Trading System.

#Energiewende

A chart showing the share of electricity generation from gas for the five EU countries with both grid emissions and household electricity prices above the EU average, from 2010 to 2025. Ireland and Italy have the highest gas shares. Source: Ember Electricity Data Explorer

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Of these five EU countries, Ireland and Italy have the highest shares of electricity generation from gas.

Italy had a 47.3% gas share in 2025.

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Ref: Ember ember-energy.org/data/electri...

Grid emissions and electricity prices for household consumers in the EU. A chart showing the household electricity price plotted against the carbon emissions intensity of electricity generation for all 27 EU nations, and the EU average. Electricity prices are from Eurostat, for 1H 2025, inclusive of taxes, Carbon emissions intensities are from the Ember Electricity Data Explorer, for 2025. Germany, Italy, Ireland, Czechia and Cyprus have grid emissions and household electricity prices above the EU average. Ref: Ember, Eurostat.

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Italy is one of just five EU countries with *both* grid emissions *and* household electricity prices above the EU average.

The others are:

 • Germany
 • Ireland
 • Czechia
 • Cyprus

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Refs:
Ember ember-energy.org/data/electri...
Eurostat ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...

Italy Pushes to Suspend EU Carbon Market Ahead of Review Italy’s industry minister called for a suspension of the European Union’s carbon market until it is reviewed and overhauled, adding to the growing pressure on the bloc’s primary tool to cut CO2 emissi...

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Italy wants to suspend the the EU carbon market.

Carbon pricing of gas is emerging as a politically contentious issue in the EU.

Italy has an exceptionally high gas share in its electricity mix.

🇮🇹 Last week, the Italian government announced their intent to reimburse the carbon cost paid by gas-fired power plants.

The motivation is clear - Italy has the largest gas share in power production across Europe.

The risk is that this prolongs that dependence and reduces renewables investment.

Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland – 2025 report to Parliament Climate Change Committee Electricity supply (excluding energy from waste): electricity generation in Scotland is almost completely decarbonised. Electricity supply emissions were 0.7 MtCO2e in 2023, 0.6 MtCO2e lower than in 2021. Emissions are now 95% lower than 1990 levels. Emissions fell rapidly between 2010 and 2017 as coal was phased out of the generation mix and largely replaced with wind and solar (Figure 2.5). The last remaining coal-fired power station in Scotland, Longannet, closed in 2016, leaving unabated gas generation, which also declined significantly in this period, as the main source of emissions. Between 2017 and 2023, emissions reduced at a slower rate as continued deployment of wind and solar largely displaced retiring nuclear capacity. During this period, the share of generation from unabated gas remained around 10% up to 2022, until a fall to 7% in 2023. Remaining emissions are dominated by Peterhead power station, which in 2023 accounted for more than 90% of electricity supply emissions

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 • Peterhead gas-fired power station (1.18 GW www.ssethermal.com/flexible-gen...) accounted for over 90% of Scotland's electricity supply emissions in 2023.

 • Hunterston B nuclear power plant (1.19 GW) closed in 2022, leaving the Torness nuclear plant (1.25 GW), due to close in 2030.

A chart showing Scotland's electricity generation from wind and solar, coal, gas, and nuclear for the years 2009–2024. Wind and solar are rising fast, nuclear fell sharply in 2022 with the closure of a nuclear plant. Coal was phased out of the electricity generation mix in Scotland by 2017. Source: Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland – 2025 report to Parliament The Climate Change Committee

2/2

 • Scotland's coal share hit zero in 2017, after its last coal-fired power station, Longannet (2.4 GW), closed in 2016.

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Electricity generation from wind and solar, coal, gas, and nuclear in Scotland, 2009–2024.

Ref: Climate Change Committee www.theccc.org.uk/publication/...
👇

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The Climate Change Committee's 2025 report on Scotland is published today.

I've picked off the headline points on electricity supply.

🧵👇

Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland - 2025 report to Parliament - Climate Change Committee Footnotes have been removed from the online version of this report. Please download the PDF for the footnoted version of…

Our latest assessment of Scotland’s progress in reducing emissions is now live 📣

Read the full report here: www.theccc.org.uk/publication/...

A Reckless Gamble Wars rarely go to plan, especially if you believe your own rhetoric

This is the piece I published on substack on 25 February 2022. Not everyone thought it would be over in a matter of days. samf.substack.com/p/a-reckless...

FRV set for 1.2GW/5GWh BESS rollout in Spain Fotowatio Renewable Ventures has unveiled plans for a 1.2GW/5GWh portfolio of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Spain.

FRV set for 1.2GW/5GWh BESS rollout in Spain #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

RIIO-T3 Business Plan National Grid Electricity Transmission’s Business Plan page 91 The table sets out the investments that are described throughout this document. It shows how the costs break down into the cost category structure that Ofgem uses within the Business Plan Data Tables. National Grid Electricity Transmission – December 2024 Total Plan Costs (£bn 23/24 Prices) RIIO-T3: £35.1 bn Infrastructure fit for a low-cost transition to net zero: £26.6 bn Secure and resilient supplies: £6.6 bn High quality of service from regulated firm: £0.5 bn Long-term value for money: £1.4 bn Total cost: £70.2 bn

2/2

The RIIO-T3 programme will include 25 new substations and 1000 km of offshore power lines, at a cost of £35.1 bn.

Further projects will take the total cost to £70.2 bn.
👇

⸻
Ref: RIIO-T3:
National Grid Electricity Transmission’s Business Plan
www.riiot3.nationalgrid.com/document/300...

1/2

Electricity transmission costs rising:

 ❝ Electricity transmission network spending is expected to rise nearly fourfold from ~£18bn across RIIO-ET2 (FY 2021-25) to ~£70bn across RIIO-ET3 (FY 2026-31).❞

 — Cornwall Insight
 👇

No, I won't. Because I cant be sure you won't lock me up for being foreign.

EDF Group 2025 annual results Press release Published on 2026/02/20 impairment of €2.5 bn on the Hinkley Point C project, essentially due to the £3/MWh reduction in the Contract for Difference strike price to £89.50/MWh (in 2012 sterling) following the final investment decision for Sizewell C, fully offset by the £1.6 bn payment to Hinkley Point C for the project expertise and series effect that has benefited Sizewell C, and the 12-month delay in commissioning of Unit 1 due to the electromechanical work;

2/2 (…contd)

EDF's Annual Results show a €2.5 bn impairment on HPC,
because the CfD for HPC reduced from £92.50/MWh to £89.50/MWh (2012) when Sizewell C reached FID,
and the 1-yr delay in electromechanical work at HPC.

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Ref: EDF Group 2025 annual results
Press release
www.edf.fr/en/2025-annu...

Hinkley Point C nuclear plant delayed to 2030 as costs climb to £35bn French utility company EDF says operations in Somerset will start a year later as delay costs firm €2.5bn

Hinkley Point C delayed to 2030:

 ❝ EDF said the first reactor at the site in Somerset will begin operations in 2030, a year later than planned.❞

How Wind Power Correlates Across Europe “The wind is always blowing somewhere”, but how far do we have to go to find it?

Currently my most popular blog post on Wordpress:

 ❝ How Wind Power Correlates Across Europe ❞

3/3

Refs:

Cross border electricity trading in 2025:
Fraunhofer ISE www.energy-charts.info/charts/impor...

Average electricity spot market prices in 2025:
Fraunhofer ISE www.energy-charts.info/charts/price...

A map showing average electricity spot market prices in 2025. France had an average spot price of €61.07/MWh, lower than its immediate neighbours. Source: Fraunhofer ISE, Energy-Charts.info. Last update 20 February 2026.

2/3

France had lower prices than those importers:

2025 average electricity spot price:

France: €61.06/MWh

Italy: €115.26/MWh (North zone)
Britain: €92.20/MWh (=£80.5/MWh www.electricitymaps.com/grid-in-revi...)
Switzerland: €101.69/MWh
Belgium: €82.53/MWh
Germany: €89.32/MWh
Spain: €65.29/MWh

A map showing cross-border electricity trading in 2025. France dominated exports. France exported 92.5 TWh. Italy imported 48.9 TWh. Britain imported 30.3 TWh. Germany imported 22.0 TWh. Source: Fraunhofer ISE, Energy-Charts.info. Last update 20 February 2026.

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France dominated European electricity exports in 2025, with 92.5 TWh exported to:

 ➡️ Italy: 26.2 TWh (=3.0 GW average)
 ➡️ Britain: 22.6 TWh (=2.6 GW)
 ➡️ Switzerland: 20.1 TWh (=2.3 GW)
 ➡️ Belgium: 12.1 TWh (=1.4 GW)
 ➡️ Germany: 11.2 TWh (=1.3 GW)
 ➡️ Spain: 0.2 TWh (=0.03 GW)

The question may not be "why are British students taking so many useless degrees?" so much as "why can't the British economy generate enough graduate vacancies?"

A chart showing Britain's "spark gap", the ratio between electricity and gas prices, from 1990 to 2026, along with the spark gap for 25 other countries in 2026. Britain’s spark gap over the last 35 years has remained well above the level in other countries. Electricity for households is now 4.7 times more expensive than gas, giving Britain the highest spark gap out of the 25 major countries compared which provide retail price data. In contrast, the spark gap in France, Japan and the US is around 2, while it is below 1.5 in the Netherlands and Sweden. Ref: Electric Insights Quarterly Report, Q4 2025.

Britain's "spark gap", the ratio between electricity and gas prices, is higher than in any other large country.

Electricity for households is now 4.7 times more expensive than gas.

⸻
Ref: Electric Insights Quarterly Report, Q4 2025
reports.electricinsights.co.uk?p=2637

UK: Prince Andrew arrested.

South Korea: Former President Yoon sentenced for life.

Brazil: Former President Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence.

USA: President Trump demands $10 billion payout from taxpayers.

Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE3) 12 February 2026 page 33 Central scenario Final energy consumption 2023: 1510 TWh 2030:1243 TWh 2035: About 1100 TWh Exit from fossil fuels 2023: About 60% of final energy is fossil 2030: About 40% of final energy is fossil 2035: About 30% of final energy is fossil Production of decarbonised electricity: 2023: 458 TWh 2030: 585 TWh 2035: Between 650 et 693 TWh Nuclear production 2023: 320.4 TWh 2030: 380 TWh (high target 420 TWh) 2035:380 TWh (high target 420 TWh) Solar PV 2023: 19.3 GW, 22.7 TWh 2030: 48 GW, ~59 TWh 2035:55 – 80 GW, ~67 – 98 TWh Onshore Wind 2023: 21.9 GW, 48.7 TWh 2030: 31 GW, ~68 TWh 2035:35 – 40 GW, ~80 – 91 TWh Offshore Wind 2023: 0.84 GW, 1.9 TWh 2030: 3.6 GW, ~14 TWh 2035:15 GW, ~59 TWh Hydroelectricity 2023: 25.9 GW (with pumped hydro), 54.2 TWh 2030: 26.3 GW (with pumped hydro), ~54 TWh 2035: 28,7 GW (with pumped hydro), ~54 TWh

Current solar CfDs at €79/MWh (montelnews.com/news/0a6943b...), 2025 mean day-ahead elec. price was €61/MWh (www.electricitymaps.com/grid-in-revi...) so the subsidy itself is modest.

The French PPE3 energy program remains mainly nuclear but aims to build a wider mix, solar at 10%-15% by 2035.
👇

A chart from the Financial Times showing how France is cutting nuclear output in the afternoon. The chart shows Q2 hourly nuclear load factor for the years from 2022 to 2025. The afternoon dip in nuclear output is getting deeper each year. Source: Financial Times, August 19 2025.

Rising solar generation, which has 2 impacts:

1) Negative prices: Negative price hrs up from 352 hrs in 2024 to 513 hrs in 2025 (www.electricitymaps.com/grid-in-revi...)

2) Deeper nuclear ramping (www.ft.com/content/22a5... 👇) adding €310m/yr in maintenance costs montelnews.com/news/340313e...).

France Battery Buildout Report: Capacity closing in on 1.5 GW - Research | Modo Energy France’s grid-scale battery fleet is nearing 1.5 GW. Longer-duration utility-scale and distributed projects are shaping a trajectory reaching 5 GW by 2030.

Grid-scale battery storage in France:

 • By the end of Q4 2025, installed battery capacity is expected to reach 1.46 GW.

 • Looking to 2030, France could exceed 4.7 GW of installed capacity.

 ❝ Russia's oil and gas revenue over January-February is expected to total 800 billion roubles, down from 1.56 trillion roubles in the first two months of 2025.❞

Calls to halt Drax’s £2m-a-day subsidy over sustainability doubts Exclusive: MPs ‘deeply concerned’ power plant may have misled ministers and regulators over source of wood pellets Ed Miliband is under pressure from MPs to suspend subsidies worth £2m a day paid to the owner of the Drax power plant in North Yorkshire after court documents cast doubt on the company’s sustainability claims. A cross-party group of 14 MPs and peers have called on the energy minister to halt the subsidies for Britain’s biggest power plant while the financial watchdog investigates the company’s claims about how it sources the millions of tonnes of wood pellets burned to generate electricity. Continue reading...

Calls to halt Drax’s £2m-a-day subsidy over sustainability doubts