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Rare earth materials/Critical minerals

Aerial view over industrial facility, with many rectangular buildings and cylindrical tanks - one large building has Tesla written on the roof

EI Member only

4/2/2026 Feature / Brian Davis

Why lithium extraction offers a new opportunity for Big Oil

Extraction of rare earths like lithium are vital for the transition to a low-carbon future, with battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) a key component of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and fixed storage like BESS. Major oil companies are embarking on direct lithium extraction (DLE), using their subsurface expertise to extract lithium from produced wastewater. This potential source of income is only recently considered to be able to work at scale, and still faces technical and regulatory challenges. Brian Davis reports.

Energy policy

Gas pipeline with EU and Russian flags on either side

14/5/2025 News

EC plans to shut off Russian energy supply to EU for good

The European Commission (EC) has presented a new roadmap that paves the way to ‘ensure the EU’s full energy independence from Russia’.

Carbon trading / pricing

Green trees emitting green speech bubble with US dollar sign and black speech bubble with carbon dioxide chemical symbol

EI Member only

3/5/2023 Feature / Michelle Meineke

Carbon pricing in focus

With more options on the table for carbon pricing than ever, sustainability consultant Michelle Meineke asks if this choice will confuse or propel decarbonisation efforts later on.

Electricity prices

Series of wind turbines in Scottish hills, set against blue sky

EI Member only

1/2/2023 Feature / Nick Cottam

Time for a change to the wholesale pricing model?

From Cornwall to Thurso, UK household consumers pay the same unit price for their electricity, despite the cost of getting it there. Yet this may have to change as more locally-based renewable generation is connected to the power grid. Nick Cottam reports.

Energy efficiency

Close up of smart thermostat attached to side of household radiator

EI Member only

22/11/2023 Feature / Karolin Schaps

Driven by high energy bills, Europe’s efficiency measures also have a lasting effect

Record energy prices across Europe seen last winter have resulted in residential and industrial energy users investing heavily in measures to bring down their energy consumption. This trend produced an unprecedented dip in energy demand across the Continent last winter. Here, energy journalist Karolin Schaps investigates whether the drop in consumption was a one-off phenomenon or if energy efficiency changes are having structural impact.

Net zero / decarbonisation / energy transition

Man in dark suit, set against dark background, cupping lighted lightbulb in hands

EI Member only

7/9/2022 Feature / Luiza Nolasco,Guilherme Castro

Liberalising the Brazilian energy market

Brazil’s energy market is on the road to liberalisation and modernisation, according to Luiza Nolasco, Strategic Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Enel in Brazil, and Guilherme Castro, Solutions Consultant for Energy & Utilities at Dataiku and Chair of the EI London Young Professionals Network. Regulators have a vital role to play in adapting the system and incentivising new business models.

Geopolitics

graphic with Ukraine flag on left and Russian flag on right

9/3/2022 News

US and UK to ban imports of Russian oil

US President Joe Biden imposed an immediate ban on Russian oil and other energy imports on 8 March 2022, in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. In a co-ordinated announcement, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would phase out all oil imports from Russia, which accounts for about 8% of UK demand, by the end of the year.

Energy markets

Map with magnifying glass providing focus over Europe

30/11/2022 News

New focus on European energy deals

A new ‘Energy Deals Tracker’ has been launched by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) to help present a clearer picture of how European Union (EU) member states’ diversification efforts could shape Europe’s energy policy in the long term – particularly the impact they could have on the bloc’s climate commitments.

Geopolitics

Two large industrial chimneys and building pipework set against blue sky and white clouds

EI Member only

1/3/2023 Feature / Steven Farmer,Aaron Hutman,Iris Karaman

Tug of war: Impact of Western sanctions and Russian countermeasures on the energy sector

How effective have Western sanctions been on Russian oil and gas operations? Here, Steven Farmer, Partner; Aaron Hutman, Partner; and Iris Karaman, Associate; at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, look at the spectrum of initiatives aimed to impact the Russian supply chain and the sector’s revenue over the past year.

Forecasting

Computer generated 3D drawing of NASA satellite photo of the globe, with the sun rising over India

EI Member only

15/10/2025 Feature / Brian Davis

What’s the latest outlook for the energy transition? BP and DNV forecasts compared

The last four weeks saw publication of two authoritative energy transition outlook reports. Although BP’s 2025 energy outlook favours a scenario approach, considering the ‘current trajectory’ and a greener approach keeping ‘below 2°C’ by 2050, DNV issued a more specific forecast. Common findings include delays in progress towards global net zero, increasing electricity demand and more emphasis on energy security. New Energy World Features Editor Brian Davis reports.

New Energy World™

Search results:

Why lithium extraction offers a new opportunity for Big Oil

EC plans to shut off Russian energy supply to EU for good

Carbon pricing in focus

Time for a change to the wholesale pricing model?

Driven by high energy bills, Europe’s efficiency measures also have a lasting effect

Liberalising the Brazilian energy market

US and UK to ban imports of Russian oil

New focus on European energy deals

Tug of war: Impact of Western sanctions and Russian countermeasures on the energy sector

What’s the latest outlook for the energy transition? BP and DNV forecasts compared