Japan:
¶ Japanese utilities have lost seven years’ worth of profit in the last year. Now they are having to separate transmission from generation and allow competition for the generating stations. [Bloomberg]
¶ Sharp differences of opinion within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan make it necessary for the party to set up a committee to evaluate public opinion. The committee will include advocates for both sides of the issue. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ The head nuclear regulator in Belgium says it is unlikely the Doel-3 reactor will be restarted because of anomalies in the reactor vessel. [UPI]
¶ The conservative Australian government, which had been committed to coal, is turning to renewable power because it is cheap. [ABC Australia]
¶ The Spirit of Ireland, an Irish energy project, has hopes to turn that country into a net exporter of electricity by combining wind power with pumped storage. [Power Engineering]
US:
¶ General Motors is investing in solar technology and equipment to provide it with power. It currently has 30 megawatts installed, and plans to double that capacity. [Examiner.com]
¶ The US army is poised to spend $7 billion on renewable energy projects. [TG Daily]
¶ The League of Conservation Voters says the Romney-Ryan ticket is not good for the renewable energy sector. [EcoSeed]
¶ Officials of Texas Brine company, owner of the cavern that may have caused the sinkhole in Louisiana, told residents of the area it will be at least 40 days before they get definitive answers about what is going on there. [WWNO]
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