The performance of feed-in tariffs and tradable certificates is assessed on criteria of efficacy, efficiency, equity and institutional feasibility. In the early stage of transition to an energy system based entirely on renewable energy supplies, renewable electricity can only thrive if support...

Definitions of fossil fuel reserves and resources and assessed stock data are reviewed and clarified. Semantics explain a large stake of conflict between advocate and critical voices on peak oil. From a holistic sources-sinks perspective, limited carrying capacity of atmospheric sinks, not...

The Copenhagen Accord performed a seizure in the COP ungainly crawl. The Accord’s <em>urgent combat</em> against climate change and <em>deep cuts in emissions</em> require a policy reversal, ending the zero sum games on pledged caps, creating clarity on immediate marching directions and eliciting worldwide...

Reversibility and irreversibility are poorly defined in the decision-making literature. Defining reversibility as “the ability to maintain and to restore the functional performance of a system” is consistent with thermodynamics; specification of its crucial terms is case dependent....

Nuclear decision-making is embedded in slowly evolving political, economic and financial institutions. Belgium houses extended nuclear activities, mostly under French control, for example: SUEZ-GDF and EDF own all Belgian nuclear power plants. But a 2003 law mandates the closure of Belgium's...

The article unveils the mystery of cogeneration. Cogeneration is an add-on or embedded activity in thermal power plants, with as merit the use of part or whole of their point source heat exhausts. EU's talk of “high-efficiency cogeneration” is an unfounded transfer of responsibility from the...

Recognizing the urgent need for sustainability, we argue that to move beyond the rhetoric and to actually realize sustainable development, it must be considered as a decision-making strategy. We demonstrate that sustainability assessment and sustainability indicators can be powerful...

This book focuses on the diversity of electricity reforms in Western Europe, drawing evidence from ten European Union memberstates plus Norway and Switzerland as associate members. The contributors analyse the various ways of introducing competition in the European electricity industries, and...