The Oil Drum

EU outlines new carbon permits

The European Union has established carbon limits for the second phase of the carbon trading scheme, a key step in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The European Trading Scheme (ETS) aims to cut emissions by 8% of 1990 levels. Critics say that nations involved in the scheme had set their carbon allowance levels too high, and have not been aggressive enough in cuts. The EU set allowances for the 2008-2012 period to an average of 7% below the levels proposed by member states.

Europeans face fuel 'price surge'

Electricity prices could double in Europe if power firms are to meet emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto protocol, says a report. Carbon prices are set to surge, and firms might pass this rise on to the wholesale market, says a report by consultancy Global Energy Decision.

You may have noted a couple of posts recently concerning the relationships between Gazprom and its customers.  More particularly the pressure being put on places such as Armenia, Belarus and now the UK to allow Gazprom to take over the distribution companies for the natural gas.  Well, just in case the message wasn't getting through, there now comes a new threat. The West has been benefiting too long from Russian largesse, in terms of oil availability.

Russia plans to cut oil supplies to Europe, diverting shipments from "overfed" European markets to Asia, Semyon Vainshtok, president of pipeline monopoly Transneft, said in an interview published Monday.

"We have overfed Europe with oil. Every economics textbook says that surplus supply lowers prices," Vainshtok said in an interview published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta. "But we can't reduce supply -- all our exports are oriented toward Europe."

That will change with the construction of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline, which will feed energy-hungry Asian markets with up to 1.6 million barrels of oil per day, Vainshtok said.

"As soon as we turn to China, South Korea, Australia, Japan, it will immediately take away a portion of oil from our European colleagues," Vainshtok said.