BERLIN, March 28 (Reuters) – The political backlash against nuclear power in Germany means power generation will rely more on coal-fired plants, Europe’s Energy Commissioner said on Monday.

“There will be more coal power … with consequences for CO2 emissions,” Guenther Oettinger, a former premier of Baden-Wuerttemberg state where Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives lost power on Sunday, told Reuters in Berlin.

“That will have to be taken into account,” he added.

Oettinger’s remarks, after a meeting in the German capital to promote the Nabucoo gas pipeline project, came as EU power and carbon emissions rights prices climbed steeply as the poll outcome was interpreted by energy traders as bullish.

Nuclear power is carbon-free and more fossil fuels-based power supply would be needed to make up for shortfalls, should the conservatives shut more reactors in the wake of events in Japan, which German voters made clear they preferred.

Prices of European carbon permits, which polluters must hold under EU environmental laws, climbed well over one percent to above 17 euros CFI2Z1 and German forward power hit its highest level since late 2008 [EL/DE].

Oettinger at the meeting urged Germany to ensure that its increasingly likely moves to exit nuclear power faster than anticipated should be paralled by efforts in other countries where he said nuclear might stay around for decades.

FRANKFURT, March 17 (Reuters) – Germany’s move to take its oldest nuclear reactors off line in response to the crisis in Japan poses problems for high-voltage transmission grids, leading operators said on Thursday.

The move, involving a step-by-step withdrawal of a few thousand megawatts (MW) for at least three months, also raised questions over longer-term planning for the networks, should policymakers decide on more permanent and sharper cuts to nuclear capacity, the operators said.

“The withdrawal of sizeable nuclear capacity means load calculations and load management plans for the entire year have to be redrawn,” said Marian Rappl, spokesman for Amprion, the RWE (RWEG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) high voltage power grid subsidiary.

“It is doable but it puts great stress on operations. Stressed situations could increase.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that all seven of the country’s nuclear power plants that began operating before 1980 must close at least until June, leaving open whether they will ever reopen. [ID:nLDE72E176]

Two plants were already out of action. A further three, with a combined capacity 2,678 megawatts (MW) have been closed since Tuesday and the final two units, with a combined 2,635 MW of capacity, will probably shut from Friday.

Western European network operators have permanent guidelines to allow for a maximum 3,000 MW to leave the grid in one go.

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, March 16 (Reuters) – Support for Germany’s anti-nuclear Greens has grown before crucial state elections, while Chancellor Angela Merkel faced criticism from the right on Wednesday for shutting down seven reactors after Japan’s crisis.

Merkel finds herself in a squeeze, with the opposition demanding a new law to close the seven power stations for good and the pro-business right insisting she reopen them as soon as a three-month moratorium expires, if they pass safety tests.

Merkel announced on Tuesday that all nuclear plants which began operating before 1980 — seven out of 17 German reactors – would shut down until at least June for safety checks.

Conservative daily Die Welt, which generally supports Merkel, reported on what it called “worldwide astonishment with the Germans” and compared her decision with more measured responses elsewhere to Japan’s nuclear crisis.

“Neither America nor Britain nor France are staging this discussion with such emotional turbulence,” it said.

One shut down is already under way. Bavaria’s Isar 1 reactor will go offline by Thursday, its operator E.ONE.ON said.

It is likely to be followed by EnBW’s (EBKG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Neckarwestheim, a target of anti-nuclear protests which is in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, where Merkel’s conservatives face a struggle to hold on to power in the March 27 election.

FRANKFURT/LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) – German utilities are at risk of reduced revenues and charging consumers higher energy bills because of subsidies and red tape.

Below are the main risks facing Europe’s biggest power market.

* Price wars amid a gas glut

German gas prices are linked to the oil market through long-term contracts between buyers and suppliers.

Suppliers like Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) are determined to defend this gas-oil indexation, which guarantees them steady prices linked to the oil market. [ID:nLDE71K0OZ] [ID:nLDE71M0NC]

But major gas buyers, such as E.ON Ruhrgas (EONGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research), are increasingly hurt if they are locked into this link as new alternative gas supply has entered the global market in the past years, weighing on prices and benefiting competitors free of long-term obligations who cover themselves in the spot market.

A continuation of this link exposes gas-reliant utilities to reduced gas power revenue margins and could lead to an increase in consumer bills, as the firms try to make up for lost revenue.

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) – Spreading unrest in Libya shut down 6 percent of oil output in Africa’s No.3 producer and prompted a number of energy firms to pull out international staff, sending oil prices above $105 a barrel.

Wintershall, the oil and gas exploration arm of BASF said on Monday it was winding down Libyan oil production of as much as 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Other companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, ENI and OMV said they were withdrawing expatriate staff.

The firms acted as dozens were reported killed in Tripoli as anti-government protests reached the capital for the first time and Benghazi, Libya’s second city, appeared to have slipped out of control of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

Brent crude rose above $105 a barrel to a 2-1/2 year high on the unrest in Libya, whose oil exports mostly flow to Europe. The OPEC member pumps 1.6 million bpd of oil, making it Africa’s third-largest producer after Nigeria and Angola.

“The market is on edge about the potential for Middle East and North Africa supply disruptions,” said Mike Wittner, Head of Commodities Research, Americas, at Societe Generale.

“If you’ve got reports that actual disruptions are starting to occur, it’s going to have a supportive impact. A lot of it is high-quality crude and that is important as well.”

Libya’s oil is priced against European benchmark Brent crude, which traded as high as $105.47 on Monday, the highest since September 2008.

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) – Spreading unrest in Libya shut down 6 percent of oil output in Africa’s No.3 producer and prompted a host of energy firms to pull out international staff, sending oil prices to above $105 a barrel.

Wintershall, the oil and gas exploration arm of BASF BASF.DE said on Monday it was winding down Libyan oil production of as much as 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). A host of companies, including Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research), ENI (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) and OMV (OMVV.VI: Quote, Profile, Research) said they were withdrawing expatriate staff.

The firms acted as dozens were reported killed in Tripoli as anti-government protests reached the capital for the first time and Benghazi, Libya’s second city, appeared to have slipped out of control of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

Brent crude rose above $105 a barrel to 2-1/2 year highs on the unrest in Libya, most of whose oil exports flow to Europe and which pumps about 1.6 million bpd of crude oil, making it Africa’s third-largest producer after Nigeria and Angola.

“The market is on edge about the potential for Middle East and North Africa supply disruptions,” said Mike Wittner, Head of Commodities Research, Americas, at Societe Generale.

“If you’ve got reports that actual disruptions are starting to occur, it’s going to have a supportive impact. A lot of it is high-quality crude and that is important as well.”

Libya’s oil is priced against European benchmark Brent crude, which traded as high as $105.08 on Monday, its highest since September 2008.

FRANKFURT/LONDON Feb 21 (Reuters) – Spreading unrest in Libya shut down 6 percent of oil output in Africa’s No.3 producer and prompted a host of energy firms to pull out international staff, sending oil prices to above $105 a barrel.

Wintershall, the oil and gas exploration arm of BASF BASF.DE said on Monday it was winding down Libyan oil production of as much as 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). A host of companies, including Royal Dutch Shell [RDSa.L], ENI [ENI.MI] and OMV (OMVV.VI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said they were withdrawing expatriate staff.

The firms acted as dozens were reported killed in Tripoli as anti-government protests reached the capital for the first time and Benghazi, Libya’s second city, appeared to have slipped out of control of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. [ID:nLDE71K01F]

Brent crude LCOc1 rose above $105 a barrel to 2-1/2 year highs on the unrest in Libya, most of whose oil exports flow to Europe and which pumps about 1.6 million bpd of crude oil, making it Africa’s third-largest producer after Nigeria and Angola.

“The market is on edge about the potential for Middle East and North Africa supply disruptions,” said Mike Wittner, Head of Commodities Research, Americas, at Societe Generale.

“If you’ve got reports that actual disruptions are starting to occur, it’s going to have a supportive impact. A lot of it is high-quality crude and that is important as well.”

Libya’s oil is priced against European benchmark Brent crude, which traded as high as $105.08 on Monday, its highest since September 2008.

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) – Spreading unrest in Libya shut down 6 percent of oil output in Africa’s No.3 producer and prompted a host of energy firms to pull out international staff, sending oil prices to above $105 a barrel.

Wintershall, the oil and gas exploration arm of BASF BASF.DE said on Monday it was winding down Libyan oil production of as much as 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). A host of companies, including Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), ENI (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and OMV (OMVV.VI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said they were withdrawing expatriate staff.

The firms acted as dozens were reported killed in Tripoli as anti-government protests reached the capital for the first time and Benghazi, Libya’s second city, appeared to have slipped out of control of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

Brent crude rose above $105 a barrel to 2-1/2 year highs on the unrest in Libya, most of whose oil exports flow to Europe and which pumps about 1.6 million bpd of crude oil, making it Africa’s third-largest producer after Nigeria and Angola.

“The market is on edge about the potential for Middle East and North Africa supply disruptions,” said Mike Wittner, Head of Commodities Research, Americas, at Societe Generale.

“If you’ve got reports that actual disruptions are starting to occur, it’s going to have a supportive impact. A lot of it is high-quality crude and that is important as well.”

Libya’s oil is priced against European benchmark Brent crude, which traded as high as $105.08 on Monday, its highest since September 2008.

ESSEN, Germany (Reuters) – Denmark’s Dong is to take a decision on a German offshore wind project in the spring of 2011, its Chief Executive Anders Eldrup said on Wednesday.

The state-controlled oil and gas group, which is the world leader in wind energy, is studying whether to go ahead and build a 380 megawatts (MW) project in Germany’s North Sea, called Borkum Riffgrund 1, Eldrup said in an interview.

“We are looking for a decision in the spring. If we decided in favor, the plant could go online in 2013/2014,” he said.

Dong would initially hold 100 percent in the project company in charge of the 1 billion euro ($1.37 billion) plan, but look for partners for minority stakes, as in many of its projects in European countries.

“Partners reduce risks,” he said, adding there were also in theory plans for another phase, Borkum Riffgrund 2, further down the line.

A positive decision would give Dong its first production assets in Germany. It has been active in wholesale power and gas provision to German local utilities and industry for six years.

Eldrup said that pension funds were interested in investing in wind energy, in addition to utility companies such as E.ON

FRANKFURT, Dec 14 (Reuters) – European energy exchange EEX on Tuesday said its revenue streams from power futures, gas and carbon trading were up year-on-year in 2010 as the bourse reaped benefits from market share growth and clearing activities.

Finance chief Iris Weidinger told reporters at a briefing in Frankfurt that revenue from the flagship contract electricity futures, would rise 12 percent from the 23.6 million euro ($31.66 million) result last year, while gas revenue would nearly triple and that of carbon dioxide double this year.

“EEX will achieve bigger trading volumes and earnings in all its segments,” she said.

The exchange in January started raising its power revenue as regulators required the mandatory marketing of renewable power by Germany’s four main grid operators on EPEX, the spot market EEX created with French peer Powernext, she said.

The bourse’s clearing arm, European Commodity Clearing (ECC), also attracted more volumes traded both on the EEX and in the wider over-the-counter (OTC) market after the financial crisis, which has boosted the appeal of hedging institutions.

New activities by the exchange, which already accounts for power trading equivalent to a third of European consumption, are a German gas price index in late January 2011, which follows the introduction of a European power index (Elix) in October. [ID:nLDE6961WM]

The bourse’s activities span power trading in continental Europe, which has been linked to the Nordic region and the UK via cables, and already reaches through to Hungary.