Brussels Signal news chief reports from international blackout
Brussels Signal's head of news, Justin Stares, was in Spain during the mega blackout hitting the Iberian Peninsula and has reported from the scene.
Energy and climate
Latest reporting and analysis on energy and climate.
Germany’s CDU choice of new ministers shows it is ‘on its path towards the Left’
Germany’s incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has chosen his candidates for the top executive positions his party…
Photo story : Spain and Portugal hit by massive power blackout
Spain and Portugal experienced a major power outage that disrupted public transport, caused heavy traffic congestion, and delayed numerous flights.
General power blackout leaves Spain, Portugal and part of France in the dark
Southern Europe was hit by a major electricity outage affecting millions of people in the Iberian Peninsula and beyond, paralysing infrastructure, communication…
German city of Bonn abandons plan for ‘living-space tax’
The German city of Bonn has abandoned plans for the introduction of a new tax to incentivise people to abandon flats and houses considered “too large” for them.
Austria’s OMV shuts down hydrogen filling station network due to ‘lack of demand’
The Austrian oil and gas company OMV has decided to shut down its network of hydrogen filling stations in the country due to high costs and low demand.
China’s shifting gas strategy could push up EU imports of US LNG
A shift in China’s gas import strategy is set to push more US LNG towards Europe — potentially tightening a transatlantic energy bond Brussels has been wary…
Estonian navy detains Russia-bound oil tanker in Baltic Sea
The Estonian navy detained and boarded a Russia-bound oil tanker on an EU sanctions list on Friday, accusing it of sailing illegally without a valid country…
Azerbaijan warns EU it could sell its gas elsewhere
Azerbaijan will not sell more gas to the European Union without concrete guarantees, the country's President Ilham Aliyev has said.
Can Europe buy all its energy from the USA? Trump’s pitch meets reality
In the greater picture of his trade wars, Donald Trump pushed a bold idea: Europe should buy all its oil, gas and coal from the USA. It is a loud, daring proposal.
French court shuts down wind farm over death of golden eagle
A court in the French city of Montpellier has ordered the shutdown of a wind farm for one year following the death of a rare bird.
Russia indirectly hit by US-EU trade tensions as volatility spikes, expert says
The huge wave of US tariffs imposed on almost every country except Russia, and the trade negotiations that stemmed from it, have hit Moscow's energy interests and…
“Stupid and wrong”: Climate activists in Poland target Smolensk air disaster monument
Just one day before the 15th anniversary of a tragic air crash in which Poland’s then-president, his wife and numerous other state officials perished, activists…
EU wary of becoming more dependent on US energy imports
Brussels poured cold water on US demands for increased energy imports on April 8, saying it was both unrealistic and undesirable for the 27-member bloc.
‘Too much sun’ could cause black-outs, Belgian electricity grid operator warns
Belgium's grid operator Elia has warned that the country could face blackouts - due to an excess supply of solar energy.
EU courts Central Asia in quest for critical raw materials
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said Brussels was eyeing a new Silk Road — this time lined with lithium and rare earths.
Majority of Germans ‘want return to nuclear power’
A majority of Germans have said they were in favour of a return to nuclear power, two years after the last of its 17 nuclear power plants was switched off.
‘Just 17% of EU hydrogen project pipeline expected to materialise by 2030,’ say UK analysts
Research from the UK-based Westwood Global Energy Group, a leader in energy market analysis, has shown that less than a fifth of the EU’s hydrogen pipeline would…
EU pauses corporate reporting, worldwide companies not yet under Brussels’ thumb
On April 3, the European Parliament ratified a decision to stop the clock on scheduled corporate reporting and compliance requirements – most notably the Corporate…
Germany’s CDU mulls reactivation of nuclear power plants
Germany’s Conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party is considering restarting six of the country’s recently deactivated nuclear power plants.
German environmentalists’ legal challenge to Polish deepwater port plan
A German environmental organisation has filed a legal challenge against the decision to grant environmental approval for a deepwater shipping terminal that Poland…
The EastMed Pipeline, Greece, Cyprus and Israel: do not let cowardice kill it again
The Eastern Mediterranean is at a crossroads, and the EastMed Pipeline - linking Greece, Cyprus, and Israel in a defiant energy pact - stands as a promise and a…
Commission ‘green’ shadow lobby scandal slips into mud-slinging match
Left-wing organisations are trying to push back against MEPs who have been critical of lavish and secretive subsidies funnelled to green NGOs, but in doing so the…
Paris bans cars in 500 extra streets after referendum with 4 per cent turnout
Paris has voted in a referendum to drastically increase the number of car-free streets, although the turnout was extremely low.
Brussels U-turn: Agriculture Commissioner champions farmers’ role, rejects livestock cuts
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen has told Dutch farmers that Brussels would no longer "just focus" on reducing livestock to cut…
Germany’s Greens successfully write ‘net zero’ commitment into Constitution
Germany's Greens party has written a "net zero" commitment into the country’s constitution, which legal experts say could be used in court to make governments…
German police ‘forced to abort missions’ as their electric cars ‘drain too fast’
German police officers have become unhappy about the electric police cars forced on them by the government.
EU steel strategy caught between ‘green’ goals and trade turmoil
The European Union has sought a balance between protecting its producers, securing a "green" future and avoiding a transatlantic clash as the steel industry grappled…
‘Green’ stocks plummet to lowest levels in years
The S&P Global Clean Energy Transition Index, a key benchmark for clean-energy companies, has dropped by 16 per cent over the past year, despite the so-called "green"…
Heathrow Airport fire throws air travel into disarray across Europe and beyond
Air passengers have reported "carnage" as a fire closed London's Heathrow Airport, cancelling at least 1,351 flights due to take off or land from Europe's busiest…