Energy

Ghana officially commenced oil production in commercial quantities in 2010.

COP28: African nations resist fossil fuel phaseout, citing economic realities

At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, leaders from the US and EU have backed a phasedown of fossil fuels, with some qualifications.  But many African countries say they deserve to exploit their natural resources and develop just like richer countries. 

COP28: African nations resist fossil fuel phaseout, citing economic realities
Lower reservoir on El Hierro island

Spanish island dumps diesel for wind, water and sunshine

Spanish island dumps diesel for wind, water and sunshine
The traditional Iñupiaq village of Teller sits on a long spit of land separating two bodies of water off Western Alaska’s Seward Peninsula.

China cut graphite imports to the US, worrying EV carmakers. Can Canada come to the rescue?

China cut graphite imports to the US, worrying EV carmakers. Can Canada come to the rescue?
A person in all black walks past a logo at the media center ahead of the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit.

Confidence in UN climate talks at a low point ahead of COP28 in Dubai

Confidence in UN climate talks at a low point ahead of COP28 in Dubai
Aerial view of the village of Mutucal, Mãe Grande Curuçá Extractive Reserve.

Rural communities in the Amazon face a complex world of carbon credits

Rural communities in the Amazon face a complex world of carbon credits
Wind turbines turn behind a solar farm in Rapshagen, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. 

War in Ukraine spurs 'rapid deployment' for renewables, energy chief says

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent energy costs surging, European leaders scrambling for alternative suppliers of gas, and redirected flows of Russian oil toward Asia. Some European countries also burned more coal in response to the energy shock. But the most transformational long-term change will be in increased investments in renewable energy, according to International Energy Agency chief energy economist Tim Gould.

War in Ukraine spurs 'rapid deployment' for renewables, energy chief says
oil and gas platform surrounded by water

Norway becomes top gas supplier to Europe after Russia invasion

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine upended energy markets and sent prices through the roof. As Europe weaned itself off of Russian fuels, it turned to Norway. The country is now the largest exporter of natural gas to Europe.

Norway becomes top gas supplier to Europe after Russia invasion
An offshore gas terminal is lit up amid the Atlantic Ocean as houses lay on the beachfront between the sea and the Senegal River, bottom, in Saint-Louis, Senegal, Jan. 18, 2023.

Europe looks to Senegal for new energy supply. But what’s in it for the Senegalese?

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many European countries have been trying to find ways to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. One place they’re starting to look is West Africa, where Senegal and Mauritania are capitalizing on recent discoveries of natural gas. But many locals are wondering how much they will benefit from their own country’s resources.

Europe looks to Senegal for new energy supply. But what’s in it for the Senegalese?
Akureyri is one of the few places in Iceland with forest.

This small Icelandic city thinks big about going green

The small town of Akureyri, in Iceland, has set itself a big goal: to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2030. It hopes that going green can serve as a model for other places.

This small Icelandic city thinks big about going green
two white wind turbines outside

War in Ukraine speeding up Germany's transition to renewables

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year upended energy markets throughout Europe. No country was hit harder than Germany. At the time, more than half of Germany’s gas came from Russia.  In the short term, the country had to double down on fossil fuels: keeping coal-fired power plants open longer and building new liquefied natural gas terminals.  But in the long term, the war pushed a government falling behind on renewable energy goals to enact some ambitious new policies.

War in Ukraine speeding up Germany's transition to renewables
In this photo taken Wednesday Sept. 2015, a man buys kerosene at a road side stall in Harare, Zimbabwe. 

Zimbabwe struggles to keep the power on

Along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia sits Lake Kariba, where low water levels have interrupted power supply to both countries — profoundly impacting the economy. 

Zimbabwe struggles to keep the power on
Guyana faces risks from climate change that include rising sea levels that could eventually submerge the capital Georgetown.

Guyana’s discovery of oil reserves has the nation split between boosting the economy and preserving the environment

Guyana is hoping that newly discovered offshore crude reserves can help transform the country's economy and offset its ongoing poverty crisis. But some people are concerned about what this may mean for the environment.

Guyana’s discovery of oil reserves has the nation split between boosting the economy and preserving the environment
A coal-fired power station in Witbank, South Africa , Monday, Oct. 11, 2021.

Scheduled blackouts roll South Africa into electricity crisis

The lights may be off, but "crisis mode" is definitely switched on in South Africa. Despite a national state of disaster and a new minister of electricity, scheduled power outages, known as load-shedding, continue to heavily impact citizens.

Scheduled blackouts roll South Africa into electricity crisis
A general view of Mes Aynak valley is seen some 25 miles southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, March 2, 2022. Buildings on top are offices of Chinese mining company MCC that won the contract to exploit the world's second-largest copper mine.

A Chinese company strikes a deal with the Taliban to extract oil from Afghanistan

Beijing signs onto a deal with the Taliban to extract oil from the north of Afghanistan. ​Graeme Smith, a senior consultant for the International Crisis Group, discusses the implications of the agreement with The World's host Carol Hills.

A Chinese company strikes a deal with the Taliban to extract oil from Afghanistan
Shopkeepers and workers wait for electric power at a market following a power breakdown across the country, in Lahore, Pakistan, Jan. 23, 2023.

Lights out in Pakistan as energy-saving move backfires

Panic spread across Pakistan as many major cities, along with remote towns and villages across the country, were left in darkness as authorities struggled to make even partial restorations of the power supply, after an energy-saving measure by the government backfired.

Lights out in Pakistan as energy-saving move backfires