Rapid response: SPP/ERCOT winter freeze energy crisis EnergySource by Global Energy Center
Frozen fountain with icicles at the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas (charzalan/Shutterstock)
The winter storm that swept the southern and southwestern United States and parts of Mexico has left millions without access to electricity, heat, and water in the midst of a pandemic. Nearly all energy sources in the mix from fossil fuels to wind turbines to nuclear power plants have taken a hit in the last few days. Although rolling blackouts imposed by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) grid operator have tried to restore stability to the grid, the blackouts have had dire consequences for residents who are facing the prospect of yet another day without power. The grid operators’ response has raised urgent questions about crisis management and grid resilience. Atlantic Council Global Energy Cen
Reinforcing transatlantic ties amidst Nord Stream 2 sanctions: A way forward
European Union and United States Flags blowing in the wind (Lisa-S/Shutterstock)
This blog is based on a high-level virtual discussion convened in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation on November 19, 2020.
US Congress has passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, sending the bill, which contains expanded sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipeline, to President Trump’s desk. The latest round of sanctions will target individuals and companies that assist with finishing the construction of NS2, including those that provide services for vessels used in laying the final hundred miles of the project. While these sanctions might halt the project for another year and, possibly, indefinitely they are also putting a strain on the already fragile transatlantic relationship, especially on US-German ties. Unresolved, these tensions will damage President-elect Biden’s agenda to