It’s too soon to predict a bright future for solar power [News]

By Tilak K. Doshi, For The Straits Times, 14 Sep 2011.

Renewable energy technologies have been receiving much attention in policy circles and the mass media.

High fossil-fuel prices and concerns over global climate change have motivated interest among policymakers and ordinary citizens.

Proponents of renewable energy advocate government support for non-fossil- fuel-based electricity generation.

Won over by promises of energy security and the creation of ‘green’ jobs, many governments have legislated subsidies or other forms of policy support such as feed-in-tariffs (FITs) to compensate producers of renewable energy with guaranteed higher rates. Read more

SMEs can do bit for energy conservation, too

This article is contributed by Chua Wen Hao, Energy Analyst with the Energy and the Environment Division, Energy Studies Institute.

Energy efficiency has been earmarked as an integral part of Singapore’s energy policy. Efficiency gains are acknowledged to be one of the quickest and most cost-effective tools to achieve various policy goals, such as improving energy security, enhancing economic competitiveness or promoting environmental sustainability. To this end, the Singapore government has announced the implementation of the Energy Conservation Act, which will introduce minimum energy management standards for large industrial energy users from 2013.

The industrial sector accounts for almost 60 percent of Singapore’s total energy consumption. As the Act applies to just companies which consume more than 15 gigawatt-hours per year, only those operating on a large scale–generally MNCs (multinational corporations)–will be affected. However, SMEs should and can be doing their bit to save energy and consume energy more efficiently. The European Union, notably France and the UK, has such policies for its SMEs, and in the US, Industrial Assessment Centres have been established with the aim of improving SME energy management. Read more

IEA Chief Economist offers a look at our energy future

The era of cheap oil is over, and policies fall short of what is needed for a secure and sustainable energy future, says Dr Fatih Birol, Chief Economist of the International Energy Agency, in his lecture titled “A Glimpse into the Energy Fututre” at today’s EMA Distinguished Speaker Programme. This lecture is jointly organised by the Energy Market Authority and the Energy Studies Institute.

Era of cheap oil is over

Dr Birol shares that the era of cheap oil is over because of structural changes, and there is growing risk that the upturn in oil prices could undermine economic recovery.

On the demand side, strong growth from the transportation sector due to booming demand for mobility in emerging economies drives up oil use. The global car fleet continue to surge as more people in China and other emerging economies buy a car. Read more

Policy Responses to Climate Change and Energy Security Post-Cancun: Implications for the Asia-Pacific Region’s Energy Security [Events]

Date: Friday, 18 March 2011

Time: 9:00am to 6:00pm

Venue: Ballroom 3, Orchard Hotel Singapore, 442 Orchard Road, Singapore 238879

About the conference:

The Energy Studies Institute (ESI) at the National University of Singapore is organising a conference on “Policy Responses to Climate Change and Energy Security Post-Cancun: Implications for the Asia-Pacific Region’s Energy Security”. This conference is a sequel to the conference held in July 2010, which examined policy responses post-Copenhagen.

Following the disappointing outcome of COP15 in 2009, many observers were not particularly sanguine about the results of COP16. However, it seems that some small positive steps were made at the latest gathering in Cancun and all the concerned parties, particularly governments, must continue to play their part in monitoring and lowering their greenhouse gas emissions while pursuing their energy security objectives.

The post-Cancun conference will involve participants from various companies, government offices and academic institutions and will specifically focus on the world’s largest energy consumer, the Asia-Pacific Region. There will be presentations from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.

To register, please send your name, organization and email address via the ESI website. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Jan Lui at 65162000.

Source: ESI

Reply Email by ESI on Fred Singer’s Article

This is the reply to our earlier email:

Dear Mr Tay,

Thank you for your interest in ESI’s work and for sending us this email.

One of ESI’s values, as indicated on our website (http://www.esi.nus.edu.sg/portal/AboutUs/VisionMissionandValues/tabid/168/Default.aspx) is:

“We are objective – ESI will cut through biases and attempt to balance the wide spectrum of views.”

The website also states:

“The global energy landscape is one that is changing rapidly. The threat of a worldwide depletion of fossil fuels, the impact of climate change, and the growing importance of geopolitics on energy supplies have led to an urgent call for new energy policies and interventions.

Against this backdrop, the Energy Studies Institute (ESI) seeks to advance the understanding of local, regional and global energy issues through independent research and analyses aimed at addressing, informing and influencing public opinion and policies.”

Fred Singer’s piece in the latest ESI Bulletin was among other pieces on the Economics of Climate Change, Climate Change and Civil Aviation and China’s Climate Change Policy. The four pieces together represented various perspectives and approaches to the subject of climate change.

To be objective, we at ESI must consider all points of view. We cannot ignore the fact that there are large numbers of highly trained people in the world who believe that climate change and global warming are NOT happening.

Also note this statement on the back of each issue of the Bulletin: “The views expressed in each issue are solely those of the individual contributors.”

Hope this helps!

Elspeth Thomson

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