Why oil companies are banking on the ice caps melting

By now, it should be common knowledge that the ice caps are melting due to an increase in the Earth’s surface temperature. Blockbuster Hollywood movies and proponents of global warming have offered us one apocalyptic scenario after another. Ice ages. Tsunamis. Super-storms. However, one demographic may actually be banking on the ice caps melting: big oil.

According to a report filed by the U.S. Geological Survey, an estimated 13% of the planet’s reserve of unperturbed oil, and 30% of natural gas, sit beneath the once-thick sheath of Arctic ice. Oil executives are salivating for a chance to begin drilling operations. Nations, too.

Russia has already dispatched a fleet of submarines to explore the North Pole. Amy Crawford, a writer for Smithsonian Magazine, says China is next in line.

"China obviously does not have any Arctic coastline. Their northern border is about 900 miles from the Arctic Circle. But they are seeking influence."

In order for China to get in the game, they’ll need support from Canada, one of their main suppliers of crude oil. But if Canada does throw their support behind the Chinese, the move could damage relations between Canada and their neighbor to the South, the United States.

The U.S. and Canada are currently vying for control of the Northwest Passage, a direct sea route to the North Pole that, thanks to global warming, is ice-free for the first time in years. The route is substantially shorter (4,000 miles and 2 weeks shorter, in fact) than the alternative route through the Panama Canal. Obviously, this represents some financial leverage. Canada contends that stretches of the Northwest Passage fall within its jurisdiction, while the U.S. argues that it’s part of international waters. Let the bickering begin!

Russia, on the other hand, controls 100% of the Northeast Passage, giving them a distinct advantage in the race to claim the Artic oil, which is technically ‘up for grabs’. Crawford writes: “In 2007, they (the Russians) actually did this symbolic flag planting where they sent a formerly secret mini-submarine down and they planted a titanium flag. So it sounds like something out of Christopher Columbus' playbook."

Big oil companies are scrambling to compete, but so far have been forced to abandon exploratory voyages due to insufficient technology. Most of today’s tankers are unable to withstand the sub-zero Artic temperatures and vicious winds – issues naval submarines don’t have to consider.

Are oil and gas really worth all the trouble we’re going through? Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective for countries to invest in alternative forms of energy? Why hope that the ice caps melt when we can work towards the solution of a clean, renewable infrastructure? Unless we want to spend our retirements under water…

[ ice caps, ice caps melting, Smithsonian Magazine, Arctic Circle, Panama Canal, Northeast Passage, Ana Shell NRGLab, nrglab asia, NRGLab Pte Ltd, NRGLab Сингапур, nrglab singapore, sh-box nrglab, Ana shell ]

德国的电力供应商应对腐败负责？

如果您还需要更多不信任公用事业公司的理由，那这儿就有一个，倡导团体BDEW（德国能源与水经济协会）日前声称德国正处于一个重大的税务欺诈丑闻的边缘。

在此之前，德国的能源部门并不是没有出过丑闻。在不到四年前， 他们就曾是为数众多的碳排放交易骗局的牺牲者！

在过去的两个月里，来自巴登-符腾堡州的税收监管部门一直来到了汉堡，就“在能源交易方面存在的增值税骗局”进行讨论，并提供了证据。1,800多家德国电力供应商将会轮流接受彻底的官方检查， 在显微镜下接受腐败活动调查。

但那些被认定有罪的公司是否会受到惩罚呢？还是像华尔街的美国银行家一样，这些能源界的显要人物将逃脱象征性的惩罚？

“要采取反欺诈行动会很困难，如果某人有犯罪意图，那在人们发现时很可能已经太晚了。”BDEW（德国能源与水经济协会）董事希尔德加德·穆勒（Hildegard Mueller）说道。BDEW（德国能源与水经济协会）是一家公用事业公司，其成员包括德国最大的能源公司埃昂集团和莱茵集团（RWE）。德国能源部门的90%都是BDEW（德国能源与水经济协会）的成员。这表明小部分人的手中掌握了大部分“权力”。

2009年，碳排放市场的欺诈行为让欧洲付出了将近50亿欧元（65.4亿美元）的代价。从那以后，有关部门一直对此高度警惕，但似乎警惕性还是不够。

对公司而言，存在大量的措施供其选择，避免腐败的产生。内部调查。背景筛查。制衡制度。而如果一宗交易好得令人难以置信——那它多半儿就不真实，穆勒（Mueller）说道。

上周，欧洲各国财政部长通过了打击欺诈立法。随着越来越多的法律法规的出台，安全墙也越来越高，但这只是给那些有意犯罪的人提供了越来越多的机会，找出安全墙上的弱点，并加以利用。

不过，有些新程序看来的确有用。最近，REW公司发现了在2009年和2010年期间完成的35个碳排放交易可疑账户。公司会“继续检查并评估对手，并与当局密切合作。”公司发言人麦克·墨菲（ Michael Murphy）说道。

德国的能源部门于1998年实现了自由化，这让国外生产商可以在第一时间使用该国电网，并获得顾客群体。不幸的是，这也打开了腐败的大门。

去年，德国的能源交易在欧洲市场上约占45%。“流动市场非常重要。这意味着人们可以在众多的交易关联方中进行选择，”穆勒说道，“德国显然是这方面的典范。”

我们希望那些想要欺骗系统的人，能在拖垮市场之前，被绳之于法！

从英文版翻译而来。 

原文于2013年7月2日发表在http://anashell.blogspot.sg/2013/07/german-power-providers-guilty-of.html

[ 腐败, 全球经济危机, 塞浦路斯银行危, 塞浦路斯银行危机, 德国的腐败, NRGlab, Ana Shell NRGLab, nrglab asia, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, sh-box nrglab ]

Zero-net homes: make more energy than you take!

Innovative new houses are being built across the Hudson Valley in New York, U.S.A.  that generate more energy than they consume. Dubbed “zero-net homes,” these dwellings come equipped with solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling systems, and thick insulated walls. Quite a change from the energy guzzling city.

Gil Lobell, a resident new to the zero-net development that’s nestled 70-miles north of New York City, loves the prospect of cutting ties with his public utility company. “I don’t have to worry about $6,000 worth of utilities to run a house,” he says. “I can use that money for other things, so we go on vacations because I’m not spending money on utilities. I don’t worry about oil bills. I don’t worry about electric bills. I don’t worry about gas bills.”

HIs most recent electric bill read: “Electricity Used (kWh) = 0.” Basic service charges and taxes for two months came out to $49.51. Lobell even gives electricity back to the grid when it’s sunny out, earning credit towards what he consumes later. He figures he saves about $5,500 a year compared to his previous house.

Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?

Exterior walls of Lobell’s house consist of a 6-inch layer of reinforced concrete sandwiched in between 2½ inches of polystyrene. Combined with heavily insulated rafters above, an insulated concrete slab below, and triple-paned windows, the entire house is practically airtight!

Three-bedroom units in this development start at around $399,000. Each house features a $29,000 solar panel system and a $39,000 geothermal system.

“Any homeowner that goes out and spends $100,000 less than my zero-energy homes is going to be spending more at the end of the year,” claims Anthony Aebi, president of Greenhill Contracting Inc., the company behind the Hudson Valley development. 

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a mortgage on a $400,000 house. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a zero-net home!

With something like the SH-Box – a carbon-free, poly-crystalline generator developed by NRGLab - you too could be creating more electricity than you consume! All it takes is a little upfront investment and you could see huge savings.

Check out NRGLab’s slate of alternative energy projects at nrglab.asia.

Truly yours,

Ana Shell

[ Hudson Valley, Gil Lobell, Anthony Aebi, Greenhill Contracting Inc., sh-box, nrglab, nrglab Singapore, nrglab Сингапур, Ana Shell, Ana Shell nrglab ]

Attention small business owners: some keys to keeping energy costs down

It isn’t easy owning a small business in today’s age. Expenses like rent, utilities, and inventory are at all-time highs. Even taxes are expected to spike. Conglomerates like Wal Mart squash small businesses wherever they spring up. So, how can entrepreneurs stay afloat in an increasingly competitive economy? By saving money wherever and however possible.

First off, start by educating and motivating your employees to be more energy conscious. Offer incentives to those who cut down on their electricity usage. Throw an Earth Day celebration. Remember – happy employees are hard-working employees. Keeping costs down is going to require hard work on everyone’s part.

Install smart-thermostats to maximize your heating and cooling systems. You’re paying for your employees to be comfortable. Not relaxed in a tropical or wintry climate.

Invest in an ink-jet printer. They use about 90% less energy than their laser counterparts.

Copying machines actually consume the most energy of all the appliances around your office. It takes quite a lot of energy to warm the toner in order to fuse it to the paper. Even when not in use, copying machines tend to waste a considerable amount of electricity. If you’re thinking of buying a new one, make sure it comes with duplex copying capabilities. Utilizing both sides of a page helps cut down on the machine’s usage.

If you have a T12 lighting system, replace it with T8 energy-efficient fixtures. And if you haven’t already, make sure you upgrade your incandescent lights to compact fluorescent lamps. They’ll save you money and last longer.

Speaking of lighting – turn off all non-essentials. Not using the conference room? Why keep it lit? Installing motion-detectors helps keep the lights on where they’re needed.

Do your employees still use bulky desktop computers? Think about exchanging them for laptops, which draw about 1/10^th the energy. Prefer looking at the larger screen? Go ahead and plug your laptop into a larger monitor. That will still cut your energy usage in half!

But, if you insist on keeping the desktop computers, have your employees shut off their monitors if they don’t intend on using them for 30 minutes or more. The monitor alone draws about half of the computer’s overall energy.

You know the saying – TGIF! Make sure all computers, printers, copiers, and appliances are switched off or unplugged for the weekend.

Don’t let the times frustrate you. Don’t just stay afloat, either. Adapt to the ever-expanding global market and rise above your competition by demonstrating your superior energy awareness. Join the green revolution and help fight the effects of global warming. When you receive next month’s utility bill, you’ll be happy you did…

[ small business, energy costs. Wal Mart, Earth Day, affordable energy, NRGlab, nrglab asia, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, sh-box nrglab, ana shell sh-box, SH-box ]

Preserve nature or clean up energy: do we really have to choose?

Some cities are being forced to choose between their gorgeous, all-natural views, and a new green energy infrastructure. Santa Rosa and Sonoma in California, U.S.A. are two such cities.

Advocates of green energy call it “reinvesting in the community,” and yes, while boasting clean energy independence would be quite a feat, is it worth the price of admission? Is it worth cutting down forests? Blanketing farmlands? Blotting out skylines?

In Sonoma, a 20-megawatt, 50-acre, $100 million solar-panel system is currently in development. At best, the farm would provide for 10,000 local homes. Only 10,000! At that size, where are we expecting to build future solar farms? On top of one another?

Eventually, our nations will become nothing but ice rinks of black glassy solar panels!

City planners in Sonoma are considering changing zoning regulations to open up thousands of acres of green pastures for green energy projects, including a 23-acre solar farm on 130 acres of grazing pasture just outside of Petaluma. Residents are obviously up in arms about the vote, but unfortunately, have little influence over the outcome.

This tradeoff – nature for technology – is far from breaking news. From fracking to giant wind turbines, ocean drilling to nuclear plants, we’ve been sacrificing our environment for improved fuel-efficiency for decades now. We want lower prices. Convenience. And we’re willing to give just about anything to get it…

NRGLab is hoping to put a stop to all this with the one-of-a-kind SH-Box. It’s carbon-free, low cost, and even portable! So whether you’re at home, stuck at work, or on the go – you can experience energy independence without destroying the environment.

Think of how many great works of art we would have missed out on! Instead of Van Goh’s landscapes of the French countryside of farmhouses and fields, we’d be admiring a black rectangular solar panel.

Doesn’t quite compare, does it?

So for the sake of the future of art and the environment, help fight urban sprawling. End the tyrannical reigns of solar and wind. Usher in the dawn of truly renewable, reliable energy with the SH-Box. Visit nrglab.asia for more information.

Truly yours,

Ana Shell

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DJ Contest. $200 Grand Prize

The territory of "Shell" is full of treasures, and in the hearts of each of its members resides love, conviction, and faith in family. "Shell" is a territory full of hopes and dreams for a bright future; it’s like vision, creativity, and all of the other God-given gifts of nature; it’s devotion to country, culture, and religion; it’s a friendship and brotherhood of its members, intolerant of racial and religious persecution, injustice and dishonesty. As Roman Philosopher Seneca once said: "We should strive not to live a pleasurable life, but to live the right one.”

Members of the territory of "Shell" clearly understand the importance of its formation and are free to choose the extent of their involvement. Each member agrees to behave honestly, simply, and modestly, and to act honestly and morally. He or she is confident that the reason for the territory of "Shell’s" formation is the disappearance of the phenomenon known as Globalization, both in terms of material trade and spiritual culture.

The aim of the members of the territory is to consistently educate others on the current economic crisis, and that it stems from liberal “Western” dogmas that constitute the basis of our modern socio-economic environment. Each member firmly understands that if we do not protect traditional values the world will delve into total depravity. Moreover, if we do not fill the ideological vacuum with something constructive, it will be consumed by itself, or quite possibly be filled by extremely destructive and dangerous ideas for the future. Like it says in the Gospel of Matthew: "A bad tree cannot bare good fruit.”

The territory of "Shell" is proud to announce a new DJ remix contest for Ana Shell’s hit song “Killers.” The contest supports the creative initiatives of territory members - from big cities all the way to small villages. Hopefully, this contest will stimulate territory members to begin exchanging ideas on energy, the environment, and how we can ensure a better future for all . Remember - you can never have too much creative thinking. For more information, visit http://anashell.com/newsandevents.html 

[ DJ Contest, ana shell, ana shell music, ana shell song, ana shell killers, ana shell nrglab, ana shell sh-box, Ana Shell Singapore, Anastasia Samoylova, NRGlab, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур ]

Perusahaan Penyedia Energi Jerman Tersangkut Skandal Korupsi?

Rasanya sulit dipercaya jika perusahaan-perusahaan penyedia fasilitas umum, kelompok pendukung BDEW (Asosiasi Air dan Energi Jerman) kini mengklaim bahwa Jerman berada di ambang skandal penipuan pajak yang besar.

Bukan berarti sekarang ini sektor energi Jerman tidak terlibat skandal sama sekali. Kurang dari empat tahun lalu, mereka menjadi korban sejumlah penipuan yang melibatkan perdagangan emisi karbon!

Lebih dari dua bulan terakhir, regulator pajak berangkat dari Baden-Wuerttemberg ke Hamburg telah mengajukan bukti "penipuan pajak pertambahan nilai dalam perdagangan energi." Lebih dari 1.800 perusahaan penyedia energi negara akan bergiliran diperiksa secara ketat karena pejabat pajak memeriksa dan mencari aktivitas korupsi. 

Tapi apakah mereka yang dinyatakan bersalah akan dihukum? Atau, seperti bankir Amerika di Wall Street, akankah para penguasa energi  ini melarikan diri hanya dengan membayar sedikit denda saja?

"Sulit untuk bertindak atas penipuan," kata Hildegard Mueller, direktur BDEW, kelompok fasilitas Berlin yang anggotanya termasuk EON SE dan RWE AG (RWE), perusahaan-perusahaan energi terbesar Jerman. "Jika seseorang bertindak dengan tujuan kriminal, mungkin akan terlambat ditemukan." 90% keanggotaan BDEW berasal dari sektor energi Jerman. Itu artinya ada banyak 'kekuasaan' (power) yang dikuasai oleh segelintir orang saja.

Pada tahun 2009, penipuan di pasar emisi karbon Eropa menelan biaya sekitar €5 milyar atau $6,54 milyar. Sejak saat itu, wilayah ini menerapkan kewaspadaan tinggi. Sayangnya, tidak cukup tinggi.

Ada sejumlah langkah yang dapat dilakukan perusahaan untuk melindungi diri terhadap korupsi. Investigasi internal. Pemeriksaan Latar Belakang. Sistem checks and balances. Dan jika suatu kesepakatan tampaknya sangat sempurna - mungkin justru harus dicurigai, kata Mueller.

Pekan lalu, para menteri keuangan Eropa mengesahkan undang-undang untuk memerangi penipuan. Namun karena lebih banyak hukum dan peraturan dibuat, dan dinding keamanan semakin bertambah tinggi, hal tersebut hanya memberi banyak kesempatan bagi mereka yang memiliki agenda kriminal untuk menemukan titik lemah dinding tersebut, dan memanfaatkannya.

Sekalipun beberapa prosedur baru dibuat cukup ampuh. REW baru-baru ini menemukan 35 rekening mencurigakan dalam perdagangan emisi dari tahun 2009 dan 2010 silam. Perusahaan ini “terus memeriksa dan mengevaluasi rekanan mereka dan bekerja sama dengan pihak berwenang,” kata juru bicara Michael Murphy.

Sektor energi Jerman telah diliberalisasi pada tahun 1998, memberikan akses bagi produsen asing ke jaringan  grid dan basis pelanggan mereka untuk pertama kalinya. Sayangnya, hal ini juga telah membuka celah bagi mereka untuk korupsi.

Tahun lalu, perdagangan energi Jerman menyumbang sekitar 45% dari pasar Eropa. "Sangatlah penting untuk memiliki pasar yang dinamis. Ini berarti seseorang dapat memilih dari sejumlah besar rekanan perdagangan, "kata Mueller. "Dan dalam hal itu, Jerman adalah panutan."

 Berikut ini harapan bahwa orang-orang yang mencoba untuk menipu sistem dibawa ke pengadilan sebelum mereka menyeret pasar jatuh bersama mereka!

Diterjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris. Artikel asli diterbitkan pada 2 Juli 2013 di http://anashell.blogspot.sg/2013/07/german-power-providers-guilty-of.html

[ korupsi, Asosiasi Air dan Energi Jerman, BDEW, Baden-Wuerttemberg, EON SE, RWE AG, Jerman, krisis di siprus, krisis ekonomi, NRGlab, NRGLab auction, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, SH-box, Ana shell, Ana Shell NRGLab, Hildegard Mueller ]

Forget low: 7 no-cost energy saving solutions

Recently, we’ve been discussing a number of low-cost ways you can cut back on your energy consumption and save on your monthly bills. But what about people who can’t afford to make efficiency upgrades? How about some ‘no-cost’ solutions?

Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take – completely free of charge! – that will help you improve your home’s energy efficiency.

1. If you have a fire place, make sure the damper or flue is closed. It’s an easy thing to forget about and an even easier way to blow that cold air right out of the house.
2. Leave your drapes drawn during the day. It will help reduce warming from sunlight through the windows.
3. Own a pool? During the summer, let the pump run between eight and 12 hours. During the winter, you can cut back to six. No need to overwork it. Also, make sure the strainers and filters are cleaned regularly to maximize your pool pump’s efficiency.
4. When washing your clothes, did you know that roughly 90% of the energy used goes to heating the water? Wash as many loads as possible in cold water. You’ll be shocked at how much money you save.
5. Dry loads of laundry back-to-back to utilize the heat stored up in your machine. And don’t forget to clean out the lint traps! Clogged ones will keep your machine from reaching its full drying potential.
6. Every time you reach into the refrigerator to look for a snack, 30% of the cold air escapes. Think about what you want to eat before opening the door.
7. If you’re cooking in the kitchen, turn the oven off 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve. It’s already hot enough in there! Also, like the refrigerator, every time you open the oven door, you lose anywhere between 25 and 50% of the heat. Set a timer instead, and trust your culinary instincts.

You don’t always have to spend money to save money. Sure, investing in a carbon-free source of energy like the SH-Box by NRGLab is a monumental leap towards self-sufficiency, but even small steps add up. These easy tips should help you take the first step towards responsible energy consumption.

Don’t be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution. Be a part of a greener future.  

[ energy consumption, source of ebergy, Ana Shell NRGLab, NRGlab, NRGLab auction, nrglab company, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, sh-box nrglab ]

谁将为非洲带来照明灯与电力？

自2009年以来，非洲对太阳能灯的需求年增长率为90%。我们卖出了近4百万盏灯，乍看之下，这个数字似乎让人印象深刻，但这仅仅是当前市场的3%。3%！

2009年，科学家们争相提出用一种低成本的优质照明灯，去帮助发展中地区实现现代化。2013年，40多家企业拥有满足“照亮非洲”（国际金融公司与世界银行提出的联合计划，力求为之前不通电的地区提供可靠的供电）所设定的严格标准的产品专利。目前，这40多家企业必须要克服的最大障碍在于缺乏营运资金。他们需要更多资金去生产和出口足够的照明灯，以满足迅速增加的需求。但满足他们资金要求的选择又都不太理想。这些企业既不能尝试依靠投资者或银行提高他们的债务水平，也不能依赖他们的股本储备，因为这样做极易导致破产。

2011年，世界卫生组织联合石油输出国组织国际开发基金，向这些受困于营运资金的公司提供贷款。这引起了一轮销售波——无数的太阳能灯进入了非洲市场。但随着市场的扩张，需求也不可避免地增加了。如果针对创新制造商的健康投资体制、优质的产品没有落到实处，对非洲经济而言，要维持下去几乎是不可能的。相反，非洲将沦为“泡沫”和“爆发”的牺牲品。

正如多数人所知道的那样，太阳能技术有其自身的缺点。由于采用光电池，太阳能板的产能和储存能力都有限。同时，它们非常笨重。它们也不能在晚上和下雨天工作。最糟糕的是——它们价值不菲！

早在19世纪托马斯·爱迪生（Thomas Edison）和尼古拉·特斯拉（Nikola Tesla）发明白炽灯以来，这种由电网供电、便宜的灯泡一直是世界的主要选择，在这种情况下，为什么我们还要依赖太阳能灯呢？

ARGLab 正积极寻求合作伙伴和投资者，以便获得足够的运营资金去制造SH-box（多晶体发电机），一种便携式发电机，它能为非洲的每一个角落或是其他任何需要电力的发展中国家供电。或许，零排放的SH-box（多晶体发电机）会被证明是稳定非洲经济的筹码；而其生产的电力仅需0.03美元每千瓦时，也让我们得以把资金投资到其他地方，如电网扩建和社会福利。

登录nrglab.asia，了解即将到来的SH-box（多晶体发电机）拍卖会的最新消息，还可了解更多关于如何与NAGLab合作的信息，这可能会是您所做的最成功的投资和最明智的决定。

从英文版翻译而来。 

原文于2013年6月11日发表在http://anashell.blogspot.sg/2013/06/who-will-bring-light-and-electricity-to.html

[ NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, SH-box, NRGlab, Ana shell, Ana Shell NRGLab, ana shell sh-box, 全球经济危机, 塞浦路斯银行危, 塞浦路斯银行危机 ]

German power providers guilty of corruption?

As if you needed another reason not to trust public utility companies, the advocacy group BDEW now claims that Germany is on the brink of a major tax fraud scandal.

Not that Germany’s energy sector isn’t used to scandals by now. Less than four years ago, they were victimized by a number of scams involving carbon emissions trading! 

Over the last two months, tax regulators from Baden-Wuerttemberg all the way to Hamburg have come forward with proof of “value-added-tax scams in energy trading.” More than 1,800 of the countries energy providers will take turns under the microscope as officials scrutinize and search for corrupt activity.

But will those found guilty be punished? Or, like the American bankers on Wall Street, will these energy moguls escape with little more than a slap on the wrist?

“It is hard to take action against fraud,” said Hildegard Mueller, director of BDEW, a Berlin utility group whose members include EON SE and RWE AG (RWE), Germany’s largest energy companies. “If someone acts with criminal intentions, it might be discovered too late.” BDEW’s members account for 90% of Germany’s energy sector. That’s a lot of ‘power’ in the hands of a few.

In 2009, fraud in the carbon emissions market cost Europe approximately €5 billion, or $6.54 billion. Since then, the region has been on high-alert. Not high enough, it seems.

There are a number of measures companies can take to protect themselves against corruption. Internal investigations. Background screenings. A system of checks and balances. And if a deal seems too good to be true – it probably is, says Mueller.

Last week, European finance ministers passed legislation to combat fraud. Yet as more laws and regulations are put in place, and the security wall grows higher, it simply affords those with a criminal agenda more opportunities to find the wall’s weak spot, and exploit it.

Some new procedures do appear to be working though. REW recently discovered 35 accounts of suspicious emissions trades dating back to 2009 and 2010. The company is “continuously checking and evaluating counterparties and working together with the authorities,” said spokesperson Michael Murphy.

The German energy sector was liberalized in 1998, giving foreign producers access to their grid and customer base for the very first time. Unfortunately, this has also opened them up to corruption.  

Last year, Germany’s energy trade accounted for roughly 45% of the European market. “It is important to have a liquid market. It means one can choose from a large number of trading parties,” said Mueller. “And in that respect, Germany is a role model.”

Here’s hoping that those who try to cheat the system are brought to justice before they drag the market down with them!

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