Category: News

August 30 2017

India Dodgy Contracts Record Risks Turning Away Investors

By Anindya Upadhyay and Upmanyu Trivedi Falling renewable energy tariffs in India have prompted some state governments to tell generators that they can’t buy the energy at prices agreed upon, exposing the businesses to risks due to poor enforcement of contracts in Asia’s third-largest economy. Investors panicked earlier this year when the southern states of Andhra Pradesh […]

August 30 2017

The Leaf Is the World’s Best-Selling Electric Car. Now, Nissan Needs to Catch Up With Tesla

By Jie Ma and Masatsugu Horie When Nissan Motor Co. unveiled its all-electric Leaf in 2010, the Japanese carmaker found itself uncharacteristically leading the automotive pack. Capable of traveling 100 miles on a single charge, the car leapfrogged those from most rivals who were focused on developing hybrids—such as Toyota’s Prius—or simply squeezing more mileage […]

August 30 2017

Elon Musk’s Battery Demand Boom Lifts Japan Supplier Tanaka

By Chisaki Watanabe and Emi Urabe As Elon Musk pushes out from his California base to make electric vehicles ubiquitous, a company halfway around the world and deep in the depths of the battery supply chain is riding his wake. Tanaka Chemical Corp., which has a long history in developing battery materials, says it’s boosting output […]

August 29 2017

Stalled Chile Solar Farm Is Seeking $800 Million to Restart

By Brian Eckhouse and Laura Millan Lombrana A stalled solar-thermal project in northern Chile backed by a U.S. private equity investor is seeking about $800 million in debt to resume construction, according to people familiar with the deal. EIG Global Energy Partners, the U.S. private equity investor that took over the $1 billion Cerro Dominador […]

August 29 2017

Prolonged Shutdowns From Harvey Could Strand Shale Output

By Meenal Vamburkar The mutual dependency of pipeline companies and refiners is being magnified as Tropical Storm Harvey takes its toll on the Gulf Coast, putting at risk the U.S. shale boom. With a number of refineries in the region closed by the storm, pipelines have fewer places to deliver oil carried from prolific West […]

August 29 2017

Lower Debt Ratios Likely for Unsubsidized Green Energy

By Angus McCrone, Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Chief Editor. This article first appeared in BNEF’s ‘New Energy Deals’ publication, available to clients on the web and on the Bloomberg Terminal.  The new era of unsubsidized wind and solar projects will mean developers facing a smaller pool of potential lenders, resulting in “a squeeze” on the debt ratios that they […]

August 29 2017

Green Cabs May Get Prime London Ranks in Plan to Cut Pollution

By Jess Shankleman Electric taxis may be about to get a leg up on the competition for passengers in London’s financial district. The City of London is looking at new taxi stands reserved for electric vehicles near the offices of Lloyds Banking Group Plc. and Macquarie Group, according to planning documents. The new ranks would […]

August 29 2017

BMW Softens Electric i3 City Car’s Boxy Look to Counter Tesla

By Elisabeth Behrmann BMW AG is giving its bug-like i3 electric car a sporty makeover to boost its appeal and counter Tesla Inc. as the German carmaker prepares to roll out battery-powered versions of its mainstream lineup. To give it a more conventional look, the updated i3 features a wider track and elongated front end, […]

August 29 2017

Renault-Nissan to Set Up EV Venture With Dongfeng in China

The Renault-Nissan alliance increased its bets on China’s electric-vehicle market, the world’s biggest, by forming a new venture to design battery-powered automobiles that meet the country’s tighter emissions rule. Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. will each hold 25 percent of eGT New Energy Automotive Co., with Dongfeng Motor Group Co. holding the rest, the […]

August 29 2017

As France’s Heatwave Melts Away, Another Weather Crisis Brews

By Anna Shiryaevskaya and Kelly Gilblom As southern France emerges from months of searing heat, the country is scrambling to avert getting caught out by a winter cold snap again. Natural gas that should be going into storage is being used to offset reduced hydropower output and to cool people down, meaning the nation may not […]