Ben McWilliams

2 weeks ago | bruegel.org | Marie Jugé |Ugnė Keliauskaitė |Kate Larsen |Ben McWilliams

As the world moves beyond fossil fuels, clean technologies will shape new economic and energy systems. To assess the relative positions of the United States and European Union, we must evaluate both deployment and manufacturing. The EU leads the US on deployment, being home to more wind turbines, solar panels, hydrogen electrolysers, batteries and electric vehicles. Meanwhile, China has deployed more than the combined sum of the EU and US.

1 month ago | bruegel.org | Ben McWilliams |Georg Zachmann |Rebecca Christie |Conall Heussaff

To a great extent, mystery still surrounds the highly disruptive and damaging 28 April power blackout on the Iberian peninsula. Information about the sequence of events that resulted in the blackout is emerging only slowly. Some data circulated early on was likely wrong (such as Spanish electricity generation data). And media overstated quotes from senior government officials and network companies.

Jan 16, 2025 | bruegel.org | Georg Zachmann |Ben McWilliams |Ugnė Keliauskaitė |Giovanni Sgaravatti

Electrification is at the heart of the EU’s agenda as it works towards deep decarbonisation and economic competitiveness. However, electricity demand has remained stagnant, representing less than a quarter of final energy demand. To meet ambitious goals, the EU must electrify sectors like transport, heating, and industry. Key policies are under discussion, including the Electrification Action Plan and the proposed Electrification Bank to support industrial projects.

Dec 11, 2024 | bruegel.org | Jean Pisani-Ferry |Simone Tagliapietra |Ugnė Keliauskaitė |Ben McWilliams

The crisis at Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker that in November filed for Chapter 11 protection against creditors in the United States, is a warning for the European Union over the future direction of its industrial policy. After its founding in 2017, Northvolt – a partner in the flagship EU industrial policy initiative the European Battery Alliance – became a symbol of the EU’s clean-tech ambitions and its goal of creating a competitive, homegrown battery value chain.

Dec 5, 2024 | bruegel.org | Georg Zachmann |Simone Tagliapietra |Ben McWilliams |Ugnė Keliauskaitė

The international process for coordinating the fight against global warming is in trouble. The United States is likely to withdraw again from the Paris Agreement on climate change, pushing multilateralism and the rules-based order deeper into crisis. Global emissions continue to rise. Developed countries are more directly feeling the short-term cost of decarbonisation policies. The main hope remains technology that cuts the cost of decarbonisation, making compromise easier.