Friend or Foe? How Competition Authorities View the Energy Transition

One difficulty of an energy transition is that incumbent market players enjoy outsized influence thanks to decades of growth and consolidation. The move to a low-carbon economy promises profound stru...

Renewables Operators May See Some Asset Values Jump On Change in Grid Rules

In some of Japan’s local power grids, developing renewable energy facilities has proved problematic with a lack of spare capacity often cited as the reason. To address the issue, a few years ago a ne...

Hydrogen’s Day of Reckoning Is Approaching; Which Technologies Will Win Out?

The next two years will make or break the fate of hydrogen in Japan, at least as far as the state-led hydrogen economy program plans to meet its 2030 targets. The goal is for hydrogen-fired power ...

The Great Energy Talent Squeeze

As Japan and the world transitions their energy mix from fossil fuels to renewables and new fuels, the workforce is transitioning as well. With new sectors such as offshore wind and hydrogen growing ...

Putin’s Rubles-for-Gas Threat: Desperate Measure or Start of Bigger Changes?

The global energy community was initially bewildered by Moscow’s threats last week demanding ruble payment for energy sales. Russian President Vladimir Putin set an April 1 deadline for the measure, ...