Damian's energy dispatch

ENERGYDESK

Viewpoint: Can we 'crowdfund' renewable energy
Germany's renewable investments have been funded, in part, by investments from private citizens. Could the UK do the same?

UK

Times: Boris calls for London fracking
"Leave no stone unturned, or unfracked" says the ever opinionated London Mayor.

FT: Government warned over climate targets
The chair of the government's independent Committee on Climate change, Lord Debden (aka John Gummer) has written to ministers warning them not to weaken the UK's climate ambition. The CCC is due to review the UK's 'carbon budgets' this year but says that the EU's failure to increase its level of ambition is not relevant to the review.

FT: The nuclear clean up quandary
The FT's Sylvia Pfeifer investigates the future for Sellafield and Nuclear waste in the UK as a permanent solution for high level waste remains elusive.

Guardian: REA say UK to miss renewable target
The Renewable Energy Association say the UK could miss its renewable energy target ranking it 25th out of 27 countries. 
 
Reuters: Rescue plan for UK coal 
The government's Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is to take over the remaining UK coal mines which supply around a third of UK, um, coal. 

WORLD

Guardian: Obama expects coal to stick around
US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has denied that Barack Obama has launched a 'war on coal' saying it would "remain a significant contributor for some time".

Guardian: Nuclear energy crunch
Nafeez Ahmed reports on a new study which appears to suggest the world may run out of Uranian, sparking chaos. But then, there are quite a lot of things that could spark chaos out there.

Bizgreen: Desertec in chaos
A €400bn plan to power Europe using solar panels in North African deserts has been thrown into disarray after the non-profit foundation behind the original idea parted ways with the strategic arm set up to help deliver the ambitious project.

Turkish shale 'not possible' before 2020
The Turkish energy minister says it won't be possible to exploit shale in the country until 2020 - citing the time taken to explore