Press Release
Table of Contents
Summary

Type: Country Reviews
Subject: Energy Market Reform ; Energy Policy ; Energy Security

The Slovak Republic imports virtually all of its natural gas and crude oil from a single supplier, the Russian Federation. Energy security is therefore an overarching concern and priority in the Slovak Republic’s energy policy agenda. The government is taking steps to diversify supplies and build on lessons learned from the gas supply disruption in 2009.

Enhancing regional co-operation, particularly in the development of gas and electricity interconnections, is an essential step towards meeting the dual policy objectives of enhancing energy security and market competition. The Slovak Republic has moved forward with coupling its electricity market with the Czech Republic's, and supports the construction of a North-South pipeline connection that would link planned LNG terminals in Croatia and Poland, including an interconnector to Hungary.

Despite a sharp decline in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 1990, the Slovak Republic remains a GHG-intensive economy by OECD standards, with energy-related CO2 emissions accounting for over 70% of total GHG emissions. The country must continue to implement policies that ease the transition to a low-carbon economy. Nuclear power and renewable energy can play crucial roles in the Slovak Republic’s efforts to decarbonise its electricity production. Significant efforts can also be made to improve energy efficiency, especially in the transport and building sectors. District heating is a notable area with huge potential for reducing national GHG emissions.

This review analyses the energy-policy challenges currently facing the Slovak Republic, and provides sectoral studies and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide the country towards a more secure and sustainable energy future.

Press Release
Table of Contents
Summary

Type: Studies
Subject: Climate Change ; Coal ; Energy Security

Despite public calls in many countries for reducing reliance on coal as a primary but high-carbon energy source, global demand continues to escalate. Coal has traditionally been seen as a low-cost and price-stable source of energy, but recently coal prices have increased and become much more volatile. Moreover, while coal is viewed as a very secure energy source, infrastructure bottlenecks and weather-related events can dramatically tighten the market.

This new annual IEA publication, Medium-Term Coal Market Report 2011, presents a comprehensive analysis of recent trends in coal demand, supply and trade, as well as an IEA outlook for coal market fundamentals for the coming five years. The report places a special focus on trade and infrastructure development in the key exporting countries. Given the existing uncertainties on the production capacity of China to meet its challenging coal demand growth, the book presents two scenarios for coal trade: a high and a low Chinese production outlook. This comparison highlights the massive influence of Chinese behaviour on the international coal trade.

Table of Contents
Summary

Type: Studies
Subject: Climate Change ; Renewable Energy ; Technology ; Energy Security

In 90 minutes, enough sunlight strikes the earth to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year. While solar energy is abundant, it represents a tiny fraction of the world’s current energy mix. But this is changing rapidly and is being driven by global action to improve energy access and supply security, and to mitigate climate change.

Around the world, countries and companies are investing in solar generation capacity on an unprecedented scale, and, as a consequence, costs continue to fall and technologies improve. This publication gives an authoritative view of these technologies and market trends, in both advanced and developing economies, while providing examples of the best and most advanced practices. It also provides a unique guide for policy makers, industry representatives and concerned stakeholders on how best to use, combine and successfully promote the major categories of solar energy: solar heating and cooling, photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity, as well as solar fuels.

Finally, in analysing the likely evolution of electricity and energy-consuming sectors – buildings, industry and transport – it explores the leading role solar energy could play in the long-term future of our energy system.

Press Release
Table of Contents
Summary

Type: Studies
Subject: Climate Change ; Energy Policy ; Renewable Energy ; Energy Security

The global energy system faces urgent challenges. Concerns about energy security are growing, as highlighted by the recent political turmoil in Northern Africa and the nuclear incident in Fukushima. At the same time, the need to respond to climate change is more critical than ever. Against this background, many governments have increased efforts to promote deployment of renewable energy – low-carbon sources that can strengthen energy security. This has stimulated unprecedented rise in deployment, and renewables are now the fastest growing sector of the energy mix.
This “coming of age” of renewable energy also brings challenges. Growth is focused on a few of the available technologies, and rapid deployment is confined to a relatively small number of countries. In more advanced markets, managing support costs and system integration of large shares of renewable energy in a time of economic weakness and budget austerity has sparked vigorous political debate.
The IEA’s new report, Deploying Renewables 2011: Best and Future Policy Practice:
• Provides a comprehensive review and analysis of renewable energy policy and market trends;
• Analyses in detail the dynamics of deployment and provides best-practice policy principles for different stages of market maturity;
• Assesses the impact and cost-effectiveness of support policies using new methodological tools and indicators;
• Investigates the strategic reasons underpinning the pursuit of RE deployment by different countries and the prospects for globalisation of RE.

This new book builds on and extends a 2008 IEA publication, drawing on recent policy and deployment experience world-wide. It provides guidance for policy makers and other stakeholders to avoid past mistakes, overcome new challenges and reap the benefits of deploying renewables – today and tomorrow.

Press Release
Table of Contents
Summary

Type: Studies
Subject: Climate Change ; Coal ; Energy Projections ; Oil

Special discounts:
- 30% discount for universities and non-profit organisations
- 50% discount for clients based in low income and lower middle income countries For your special discount to be set up please click on ASK FOR A DISCOUNT and follow the procedure. Please do not place your order before receiving your confirmation e-mail.

Please note that we also offer the option of “corporate/institutional package” which provides the opportunity to offer the WEO-2011 PDF on your intranet so that your entire team will be able to simultaneously access all aspects of the WEO-2011. For more information, please contact us at weo@iea.org.

World Energy Outlook 2011 brings together the latest data, policy developments, and the experience of another year to provide robust analysis and insight into global energy markets, today and for the next 25 years. This edition of the IEA’s flagship WEO publication gives the latest energy demand and supply projections for different future scenarios, broken down by country, fuel and sector. It also gives special focus to such topical energy sector issues as:

• Russia's energy prospects and their implications for global markets.
• The role of coal in driving economic growth in an emissions-constrained world.
• The implications of a possible delay in oil and gas sector investment in the Middle East and North Africa.
• How high-carbon infrastructure “lock-in” is making the 2°C climate change goal more challenging and expensive to meet.
• The scale of fossil fuel subsidies and support for renewable energy and their impact on energy, economic and environmental trends.
• A “Low Nuclear Case” to investigate what a rapid slowdown in the use of nuclear power would mean for the global energy landscape.
• The scale and type of investment needed to provide modern energy to the billions of the world’s poor that do not have it.

WEO-2011 provides invaluable insights into how the energy system could evolve over the next quarter of a century. The book is essential reading for anyone with a stake in the energy sector.

WEO-2011 purchasers will receive link, user ID and password enabling to download the published Annex A Tables for Scenario Projections from the World Energy Outlook 2011 Excel format.

See video of Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Chief Economist , presenting key topics in the WEO-2011