Nick Butler

The G8 and China – a self defeating exclusion

Nick Butler — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:55:49 +0000

Organisations die when they become irrelevant. That is what is happening to the G8 which, for reasons I can’t understand, continues to exclude China. When the G8 was formed in the 70s to bring together the leaders of the world’s main economic powers at a time of crisis and recession, China was tiny in global economic terms and focused on its own internal political struggles. Now it is at the heart of the global economy. Excluding the Chinese in favour of Canada or Italy is insulting.

A hot July in Whitehall

Nick Butler — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:18 +0000

July promises to be a busy month in Whitehall Place, the home of the UK’s Energy and Climate Change Department. Unfortunately, however, despite the prospect of a flurry of activity it seems as if all key decisions will still be left on hold.

Germany – a nuclear surprise ?

Nick Butler — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:31:26 +0000

If Samuel Beckett had made Godot a woman he would have called her Angela. That is the joke in Berlin where every policy is on hold and everyone – from the members of the Eurozone to the prospective nominees for the new European Commission – is waiting for Angela. And she in turn is waiting for the results of the election on September 22nd. Then and only then will we know the shape and balance of the next coalition Government. The result is a period of deep uncertainty, not least over energy policy which is frozen by indecision.

Shale gas and competitiveness

Nick Butler — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:07:49 +0000

The new estimates of shale gas resources published by IGas, one of the energy companies involved in exploration in the UK, complicate still further the decisions facing the Government on energy. Ed Davey, energy secretary, talks about moving to a point at which power supplies will be almost carbon free. But at the same time civil servants across Whitehall, including some from his own Department, have been asked to produce a paper on the competitiveness of UK energy supplies at a time when US costs are falling dramatically. That will be an interesting piece of work and should be published openly.

New nuclear – nearly

Nick Butler — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 12:39:39 +0000

As the FT reported on Friday, negotiations on the terms for new nuclear have advanced and there is increasing optimism that a deal can be done. The meeting between David Cameron and Francois Hollande in Paris two weeks ago amounted to a declaration of agreement in principle. Just three issues remain to be resolved.

Whitehall needs an overhaul

Nick Butler — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:12:35 +0000

The announcement that the Department of Energy and Climate Change – along with half a dozen other Whitehall ministries – has accepted another reduction in its budget under the latest spending review will be celebrated only by the energy companies and their lobbyists. A weak department has been weakened further with its negotiating capability undermined at a critical moment.

Most of DECC’s £3bn budget goes to meet its statutory obligations – including nuclear decommissioning costs. Those obligations can’t be cut so the burden falls on the “discretionary” areas of policy making which include negotiations around the vexed issue of Electricity Market Reform. Cuts and natural wastage, which leaves a significant number of posts unfilled, mean that the department is now seriously understaffed for these negotiations. There is big money at stake and for the companies no expense on staff and lobbyists is too great. The secretary of state has been supine in accepting the cuts without challenge.

The underperforming oil majors

Nick Butler — Mon, 27 May 2013 09:03:13 +0000

One part of the financial market which is thriving is the so called activist investment community. Could the international oil and gas sector be their next target?

The collapse of the carbon market

Nick Butler — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:59:07 +0000

The collapse of the European emissions system over the last few weeks is a serious indicator of the loss of interest in the issue of climate change among the top policy makers, especially in Germany. Unless the market can find a new credibility the whole structure of the European climate agenda looks vulnerable.

China’s long march into the Middle East

Nick Butler — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:04:55 +0000

Success always brings its own burdens. The Chinese economy has grown in real terms by around 8 or 9 per cent a year since 1980. Some 800 million people have been lifted out of subsistence. Dozens of new cities have been built. The country is now one of the world’s great economic powers even if it is still not allowed to join the G8. And growth continues. China is the world’s biggest building site.

One of the burdens which has come with economic success is the need to import oil. China has found very little oil, despite extensive exploration efforts – especially in the South China sea. Net imports have therefore risen steadily from zero twenty years ago to 5.6m barrels a day last month.

Galileo and the shale gas revolution

Nick Butler — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:37:39 +0000

The news that Exxon is to build a $10 bn LNG export facility in Texas marks another significant step forward in the story of shale gas and its disruptive impact on the world energy market. Those who want a parallel for the painful process through which so many of the established forces of the industry on one side and the lobby groups on another have struggled to come to terms with the reality of shale gas over the last three years should read John Heilbron’s fascinating book on Galileo.