John Ainger
@johnainger.bsky.social
Journalist eating mussels in Brussels and covering climate, energy (crises) for Bloomberg. Mundus Journalism advisory board member. Opinions own etc. He/him.
It feels apt that my final piece, after three months covering the struggle of US power grids from New York, looks at how the city's grid is ageing badly and brings with it a growing threat of blackout for one of the world's key financial hubs.
Bloomberg News@bloomberg.com · 4d agoTwo 50-year-old power plants in the East River are propping up New York's grid, which is ailing under strain from electrification and climate change.
A proposed Utah data center that would have been almost three times the size of Manhattan will be drastically scaled back after intense pressure. It's the brainchild of Shark Tank's Kevin O’Leary. He's now pledged to cut the 40,000-acre Stratos project in half. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Shark Tank Star Shrinks Data Center Footprint After Backlash
A proposed Utah data center that would have been almost three times the size of Manhattan will be drastically scaled back after pressure from lawmakers.
bloomberg.com
⚡ The AI data center boom in the US is threatening to claim its biggest victim yet — the nation’s largest electric grid operator. ⚡ In an explosive speech, the FERC chair said it may have grown "too big to function." 🎁Gift link to our deep dive below 🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Data Center Boom Risks Breakup of Biggest US Power Grid Operator
Soaring utility bills and sluggish bureaucracy are fueling calls to split up PJM Interconnection, which runs the grid in 13 states.
bloomberg.com
NEW: A wind project billed as the largest clean energy installation in the US is due to come online next month, even as the pipeline of new large-scale renewables dries up amid pressure from the Trump administration. Read more here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Biggest US Wind Project Is Due to Come Online Next Month
A wind project billed as the largest clean energy installation in the US is due to come online next month, even as the pipeline of new large-scale renewables dries up amid pressure from the Trump admi...
bloomberg.com
Europe is stepping up protection of key energy infrastructure as physical and cyber threats increase. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one to go in the chopper, but it was a fun story to work on nonetheless. Read more 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Sabotage Threats Have Put Europe's Power Networks on Alert
Grid operators are building new defenses against sabotage and cyberattacks
bloomberg.com
First story from New York is out: Data centers are driving a surge in carbon prices in the US Northeast. That's raising the prospect of even higher energy costs for consumers, on top of what they're already feeling due to the boom in AI. Read more here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Boom to Add Hidden Extra Cost to Northeast US Power Bills
Data centers are driving a surge in carbon prices in the US Northeast, helping push CO2 costs in the region past California and raising the prospect of higher energy costs for consumers.
bloomberg.com
🚨 Job Klaxon 🚨 I’ve moved to the Bloomberg HQ in NYC to start a three-month job posting covering US grids, AI, data centers and more. Let me know if you're in town and want to grab a coffee, or simply to give me your best pizza/bagel/jazz bar recommendation. Back in Brussels in August.
NEW: The EU will announce a big bet on electrification next week to help it whether future energy crises. The draft includes floating targeted amendments to ensure electricity is taxed less than fossil fuels, and doubling down on heatpumps. Read more here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
EU to Bet on Electricification to Avert Recurring Energy Crises
The European Union will float a series of measures next week to help the continent deal with the Iran war’s energy price fallout, as well as electrify the economy to avert future fossil fuel shocks.
bloomberg.com
The EU introduced a gas price cap that was never triggered during the energy crisis. Now Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is looking to bring it back amid the Iran war and the growing calls to lower power bills. Read more 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
EU Weighs Measures to Cut Power Costs Including Gas Price Cap
The European Union is considering a gas price cap as part of a broader effort to curb the fuel’s influence on regional power prices and shield consumers from extreme volatility.
bloomberg.com
The EU made a “strategic mistake” in turning its back on nuclear, Ursula von der Leyen said in thinly-veiled criticism of Germany’s decision to close its reactors. When that decision was made after Fukushima in 2011, VDL was German labour minister. Read more 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
EU Made a ‘Mistake’ in Phasing Out Nuclear, Von Der Leyen Says
The European Union made a “strategic mistake” in turning its back on nuclear energy, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in thinly-veiled criticism of Germany’s decision to close its reacto...
bloomberg.com
It's been one hell of a week for EU energy markets. Even before the Iran war, energy was a major concern in Europe and now that weakness has been brutally exposed once again. Read the weekend story from myself and @albertonardelli.bsky.social 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Energy Price Shock From Iran War Exposes Europe’s Weakness
Underneath the glass and wrought iron ceiling of Antwerp’s stock exchange last month, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed a hall full of executives from heavy industries. He wasted no time in d...
bloomberg.com
NEW: The IEA is ready to help stabilize the global oil market in the wake of the Iran conflict, noting that member countries hold over a billion barrels in emergency stockpiles, according to a document prepared by the agency and seen by Bloomberg News www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
IEA Ready to Stabilize Oil Market Hit by Iran War, Document Says
The International Energy Agency is ready to help stabilize the global oil market in the wake of the Iran conflict, noting that member countries hold over a billion barrels in emergency stockpiles, acc...
bloomberg.com
Is there some hope on the horizon for open-air swimming in Brussels with the formation of the new Brussels government? It gets a mention in the deal, at least: Brussels will continue deliberations on "several" projects. www.lesoir.be/728689/artic...
Une deuxième journée sans voiture, un nouveau stade pour l’Union… les mesures insolites de l’accord bruxellois
Alors que le gouvernement bruxellois devrait être définitivement intronisé samedi, les premiers éléments de l’accord commencent à être détaillés. Et certains surprennent…
lesoir.be
The EU must resist China’s pull in clean technologies, even as it confronts the reality that deteriorating relations with the US may be “permanent,” @wopkehoekstra.ec.europa.eu told Bloomberg 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump’s Trade Barbs Won’t Push EU Closer to China, Hoekstra Says
The European Union must resist China’s pull in clean technologies, even as it confronts the reality that deteriorating relations with the US may be “permanent,” according to the bloc’s climate chief.
bloomberg.com
This feels like a tipping point: European EV sales overtake petrol for the first time www.ft.com/content/1d3b...
European EV sales overtake petrol for first time in December
Sales reached record high last year despite fall at Tesla and pressure to soften EU targets
ft.com
The EU is set to propose softening emissions rules for new cars, scrapping an effective ban on combustion engines following months of pressure from the automotive industry. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
EU to Abandon Combustion Engine Ban in Win For Carmakers
The European Union is set to propose softening emissions rules for new cars, scrapping an effective ban on combustion engines following months of pressure from the automotive industry.
bloomberg.com
NEW: The EU will propose measures to extend its carbon border levy, known as CBAM, to some assembled goods such as cars and washing machines to help close loopholes, according to a draft we've seen. It will also create a new fund to help exporters. More below 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Europe to Bolster Carbon Border Levy Criticized by US and China
The European Union plans to expand an incoming emissions charge on imported goods as part of efforts to strengthen a flagship climate policy that’s aimed at protecting the bloc’s industries during the...
bloomberg.com
NEW: The EU is weighing a five-year delay to its effective ban on the combustion engine after heavy pressure from some of the region’s biggest automotive countries. More here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
EU Mulls Five-Year Reprieve for Hybrid Cars From Combustion Ban
The European Union is weighing a five-year delay to its effective ban on the combustion engine after heavy pressure from some of the region’s biggest automotive countries.
bloomberg.com
And so #COP30 has wrapped and so has our coverage. Here's our last story all about how two weeks of frenzied negotiations over the planet’s faltering fight against climate change had come down to this: a pre-dawn battle over shifting away from fossil fuels. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
A Decade After Paris, Climate Diplomacy Is About Saving Itself
The outcome of the COP30 summit in Brazil kept multilateralism alive while barely pushing forward the promise of combatting global warming.
bloomberg.com
🚨 SCOOP After overnight talks, it seems a deal at COP30 is close By @johnainger.bsky.social @jendlouhy.bsky.social 🎁🔗 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
UK’s Miliband ‘Optimistic’ on COP30 Deal After Talks Drag On
Ed Miliband, UK secretary of state for energy security and net zero, said he was “optimistic” that a United Nations climate deal was in reach that would strengthen ambition in the fight against global...
bloomberg.com
Brazil presented the #COP30 climate summit with a draft deal early Friday that omits any reference to exiting fossil fuels amid stiff resistance from producing countries, setting the stage for frantic final round of negotiations More here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Brazil Draft COP30 Climate Deal Omits Plan to Exit Fossil Fuels
Brazil presented the COP30 climate summit with a draft deal early Friday that omits any reference to exiting fossil fuels amid stiff resistance from producing countries, setting the stage for frantic ...
bloomberg.com
A fire erupted inside the packed United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil forcing a panicked evacuation of thousands of delegates just as negotiations reached their final hours www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Fire Breaks Out at COP30 Climate Summit Venue in Brazil
A fire erupted inside the packed United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil, on Thursday, forcing a panicked evacuation of thousands of delegates just as negotiations reached their final hours.
bloomberg.com
Nations among the most vulnerable to the damage wrought by global warming have decried the recent memo by Bill Gates criticizing a “doomsday view of climate change” More here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Bill Gates Rebuked by Island States for Downplaying Climate Risk
Nations among the most vulnerable to the damage wrought by global warming have decried the recent memo by Bill Gates criticizing a “doomsday view of climate change.”
bloomberg.com
NEW: Turkey is set to host the flagship United Nations climate change conference next year, beating a rival proposal from Australia following a protracted contest between the two countries We report the details here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Turkey Beats Australia in Race to Host UN Climate Talks in 2026
Turkey is set to host the flagship United Nations climate change conference next year, beating a rival proposal from Australia following a protracted contest between the two countries.
bloomberg.com
We're into week 2 at #COP30. Over the next few days we'll see whether support for a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels can get enough support from countries, or be blocked by producer nations: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Fossil Fuel Transition Emerges as Key Climate Fight in Brazil
The thousands of protesters who brought traffic to a halt Saturday in the Brazilian city of Belém implored leaders to act faster to tackle global warming. As United Nations climate talks enter their c...
bloomberg.com
UNFCCC's Simon Stiell demanded, in a letter seen by Bloomberg, that Brazilian authorities immediately develop a plan for addressing security lapses, soaring temperatures, flooding and other poor conditions at the #COP30 conference in the city of Belém www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
UN Orders Brazil to Improve Security, Poor Conditions at COP30
A top UN climate official demanded Brazilian authorities immediately develop a plan for addressing security lapses, soaring temperatures, flooding and other poor conditions at the COP30 conference in ...
bloomberg.com
#COP30 has begun in earnest and negotiators will now spend the next two weeks of climate talks in a game of chess. Here are the key players: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Who’s Who Inside Negotiating Rooms at the COP30 Climate Summit
Delegates from nearly 200 countries have gathered in Belém in the Brazilian Amazon for the United Nations’ COP30 climate conference, running through Nov. 21.
bloomberg.com
Brazilian President Lula foreshadowed a potential effort to move beyond the commitment countries made two years ago to “transition away from fossil fuels.” "We need road maps," he told world leaders at the #COP30 leaders summit. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
COP30: Trump, Xi, Modi Skip Climate Change Talks
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said overshooting 1.5C of warming, even temporarily, will result in more hunger and loss.
bloomberg.com
In Dubai two years ago, countries reached a first-of-a-kind agreement to transition away from fossil fuels. Yet none of the roughly 60 countries that have submitted an updated climate pledge since then have put in place targets to reduce oil and gas production. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The World Is Ignoring Its Pledge to Shift Away From Fossil Fuels
At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai two years ago, countries reached a first-of-a-kind agreement to transition their economies away from fossil fuels.
bloomberg.com
Join myself and key members of the Bloomberg News team covering #COP30 at the top of the hour 👇
Bloomberg News@bloomberg.com · 9mo agoJOIN THE CONVERSATION: Around 150 countries will gather in Brazil for the COP30 climate summit. What are the key results negotiators are aiming for — and how could talks break down? Bloomberg journalists answer your questions today at 1 p.m. EST. Stream: bloom.bg/3Ji78rn
