/ Reports have revealed the extent to which a US – Ukraine coal supply deal has warmed relations between the two countries. Conversely, this deal may cause tension between the US and Russia and major players in the Middle East. In this issue, we consider how energy supply deals and technology cooperation agreements can build trust between nations, and explore key case studies where international diplomacy and energy have become intertwined.

With solar being the fastest growing source of new energy in 2016, we map out the emergence of major solar power projects worldwide, we find out about France’s approach to dealing with spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste as the country gets the nod of approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s team of experts, and ask if the golden age of gas may die out before it’s fully started, or if carbon capture technologies will manage to save the day.

Also, we hear about the pioneering concept of scavenging energy from moving objects such as Crossrail trains, and uncover National Grid’s changing attitude of valuing flexibility over power capacity following the UK’s T-4 auction.  /

Read on for all this and more, and join the conversation on Twitter. 

Ceri Jones, Editor