Is renewables trading The New New Thing? – part three
The excitement surrounding renewable energy trading and markets appears to have much in common with the dot-com bubble of the 1990s. This third instalment considers the markets for gas and nuclear power
The markets for power are expected to flourish while those for oil are set to continue for the foreseeable future. But what role will gas and nuclear have, respectively, as a pathway to net-zero carbon and as a stable baseload product for grid systems? There is an especially active gas market in the US dating back to the deregulation of the industry in the mid-1980s. The market in Europe is smaller but time-served and reasonably liquid, while connecting the global dots is the, as-yet, embryonic market in LNG, a fuel which some at okleast hope will provide the fossil fuel ‘lite’ pathway to a net-zero carbon future. While gas is already well-established from a markets perspective, regional and
Also in this section
28 November 2025
The launch of the bloc’s emissions trading system in 2005 was a pioneering step, but as the scheme hits 21 its impact as a driver of decarbonisation is still open to debate
18 November 2025
Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Dewhurst Award, the highest honour bestowed by WPC Energy. The Dewhurst Award celebrates exceptional leadership, groundbreaking innovation and a lifetime of significant achievements in sup-port of the development and advancement of the energy industry.
11 November 2025
Transition policies must recognise that significant industrial demand for carbon will continue even as economies hit net zero
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined







