Renewable Energy

Hot summers are least of UK utilities’ problems

12 September 2018

SSE’s shares dipped after high temperatures and gas prices forced a profit warning. A cap on tariffs for retail customers will hit the sector further. And all energy companies have to work out how to cope with the falling cost of renewables and competition from new entrants.

China’s solar stress could burn more dealmakers

13 August 2018

Slashing official support for solar energy helped scupper Shanghai Electric’s plan to snap up a $2 bln stake in giant GCL-Poly’s core unit. A downturn should drive consolidation in the heavily indebted sector. But the doomed deal shows how hard it is for two sides to agree.

Elon Musk outburst puts Tesla board on the spot

16 July 2018

Punishing a CEO who tweets, without evidence, that someone is a pedophile ought to be a no-brainer. But Musk’s fortunes and the electric-car maker’s are symbiotic, and his allies pack the board. Investors should worry for their own sakes if directors fail to act this time.

CATL’s overseas charge has lasting power

10 July 2018

The Chinese battery champion will build its first factory abroad in Germany after scoring a $5 bln supply deal with BMW. It establishes a base in a promising market for electric vehicles. The newly listed company is cementing its lead over compatriot Warren Buffett-backed BYD.

China’s renewable giants can live without handouts

29 June 2018

Authorities are pulling state subsidies for solar and wind companies. The shake-out recalls earlier crises, which claimed stars like Suntech. Now, however, cheaper technology and better supporting infrastructure give clean energy champions a chance to thrive on their own.

Tesla shareholders box themselves into corner

5 June 2018

They ought to strip CEO Elon Musk of the chairmanship thanks to his sprawling responsibilities, production problems and recent outbursts. But investors helped make Tesla a personality-cult stock. Any direct attack on Musk risks undermining the electric-car maker’s fortunes.

Nuclear deal flags UK’s public investment caprice

5 June 2018

Britain may take a stake in Hitachi’s likely $20 bln-plus Wylfa power plant. That could make it cheaper than the controversial Hinkley deal. Yet it’s still a big bet on a scheme that energy shifts could render ill-advised, at a time when simpler public projects have been spurned.

Enel’s Brazil dominance needs elbow grease

31 May 2018

The Italian utility offered $2 bln to buy grid operator Eletropaulo, over three times its market value in March. It makes sense for Enel to grow its presence in South America’s biggest country, but extracting value at this price will require hefty cost savings and efficiencies.

Oil rally puts New Delhi in a bind

29 May 2018

As a major energy importer, India is in a tight spot. Taxes introduced when crude was cheap are now squeezing consumers. The government can’t reverse course without creating a budget hole – unless it makes up the shortfall by taxing ONGC and other producers instead.

Portuguese power bid tests EU’s open door to China

11 May 2018

China Three Gorges is set to bid for the 77 pct of EDP it doesn’t own. The group has been an investor since 2011, but success would place the 11 bln euro utility under Chinese state control. That will add a spark to European Commission plans to better screen foreign investment.

California helps Paris send solar message

11 May 2018

The most populous U.S. state is making panels mandatory on most homes built after 2020. It will cut emissions only a little. But the clean-energy focus will push other states along. Fossil-fuel producers will have fewer excuses to ignore the renewable writing on the wall, too.

Viewsroom: What’s eating at Elon Musk?

10 May 2018

Tesla’s CEO berated analysts for asking “boring, bonehead questions” after the electric-car maker reported a record quarterly loss. He then taunted Warren Buffett, suggesting his idea of corporate “moats” is sugary nonsense. Breakingviews columnists discuss why Musk is so testy.

Tesla speeding toward capital raise crunch time

2 May 2018

The electric-car maker lost $710 mln last quarter. It also missed more production targets, annoyed a regulator, lost more key staff, clamped down on costs and got less than ecstatic support for CEO Elon Musk’s bonus plan. Better to sell new stock now than wait for more bad news.

Coal clearout puts Rio on path to greener deals

28 March 2018

The Anglo-Australian miner has raised $4.2 bln this month getting out of coal. That implies more buybacks and fewer environmental concerns, helping lift Rio Tinto’s modest valuation. It can also focus on future growth, including investments in battery ingredients like lithium.

Duke Energy draws power from climate activism

22 March 2018

America’s largest electricity generator plans to phase out coal and slash carbon emissions. Gas and renewables make business sense regardless of the Trump administration’s policy-reversal efforts, it claims. Duke’s stance and transparency put Exxon’s climate disclosures to shame.

German utilities give new setup chance of success

13 March 2018

E.ON expects 600-800 million euros of synergies from its mega-asset swap with fellow German utility RWE. Both companies have announced better 2017 results than expected. That puts their carve-up of Innogy on a firmer footing.

Cold snap chills prospects of U.S. coal subsidies

9 January 2018

The federal energy regulator nixed Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s proposal to prop up nuclear and coal power. Instead grid operators will be asked how to improve energy reliability. That’s more logical, especially after bad weather showed no fuel source is immune from disruption.

Canadian Solar CEO deserves some shareholder shade

11 December 2017

Shawn Qu is offering a 7 pct premium to take the renewable-power firm private. It’s a cutthroat industry. But medium-term demand is strong. And Canadian Solar stock surged more than two-fifths this year. Investors should have no qualms forcing Qu to put more energy in his bid.

Buffett-backed BYD could use a battery ram

21 November 2017

The carmaker’s stock almost doubled this year on China’s plans to rev up the electric-vehicle market. Founder Wang Chuanfu is targeting 1 trln yuan in sales by 2025. Yet earnings are flagging. To outpace nimble upstarts and powerful rivals such as CATL, BYD must scale up fast.

SSE and Innogy subtly unplug from UK households

8 November 2017

The British energy group is merging its retail unit with its German rival’s struggling UK arm. The new separately listed company should have lower costs and a better chance of turning around Innogy’s loss-making business. But tougher regulation could eat into the benefits.