Q: Do you believe sustained low energy prices could significantly impact business of renewable energy cos., specifically BEP, RNW, AQN, NPI, BIP.UN per the IEA comments below. How could this play out and which companies would be most vulnerable? Thanks.
The IEA fears that low prices for all fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, will sideline the renewable energy push in some countries. In the developing world, coal is becoming irresistibly cheap, encouraging the construction of coal-fired generating plants that spew out horrendous amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases.
“We see the cost of renewables going down, but in a low-oil-price environment, we may well see that some governments may weaken their support for renewable energies or efficiency improvements,” Mr. Birol said. “We have been telling governments that it would be a historical mistake to lessen the support on renewables and efficiency as the price of fossil fuels becomes cheap. Let me be clear: Lower oil prices are a risk for the transformation of energy.”
The IEA fears that low prices for all fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, will sideline the renewable energy push in some countries. In the developing world, coal is becoming irresistibly cheap, encouraging the construction of coal-fired generating plants that spew out horrendous amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases.
“We see the cost of renewables going down, but in a low-oil-price environment, we may well see that some governments may weaken their support for renewable energies or efficiency improvements,” Mr. Birol said. “We have been telling governments that it would be a historical mistake to lessen the support on renewables and efficiency as the price of fossil fuels becomes cheap. Let me be clear: Lower oil prices are a risk for the transformation of energy.”