Japan:
¶ Officials in the government of Japan say that the new energy plan due out this month will initially aim to reduce dependence on nuclear power to 15%, with review every five years, and an ultimate target of eliminating nuclear power altogether. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Energy storage is an important issue for heavy reliance on renewable power. Since excess energy can be used to make hydrogen, which can be stored and used as fuel, Germany is doing a lot of research in hydrogen technology. [Hydrogen Fuel News]
¶ The Indian government may auction a third of the solar projects planned by 2017 during the current financial year. The hope is find sufficient investments to double the nation’s sun-powered capacity while reducing government subsidies. Solar power is important as an environmentally clean answer for power shortages. [Chicago Daily Herald]
¶ Greenpeace is urging Indian telephone companies to use solar power for cell towers, rather than diesel. [Utility Products]
¶ The Indian State of Odisha state has stopped operations at six mines belonging to Coal India, the world’s largest coal mining company, after their environmental clearances expired. [Reuters]
¶ Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being accused of being directly responsible for a recent coal allocation scam. In the scam, five blocks of coal, worth $3.3 billion, were allocated without auction. [Oneindia]
US:
¶ After a long environmental fight, two coal-burning generating plants in Chicago were shut down in the last week. [Chicago Tribune]
… Three more coal plants will be closed this week in West Virginia. First Energy, which owns them, will also close coal plants soon in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The closures are happening because of emissions, particularly of mercury. [WTRF]
¶ A biomass plant being built in Gainsville, Georgia, will produce 100 MW of electricity, enough for 70,000 local homes. It will be fueled by $30 million worth of locally purchased wood scraps each year. It will provide 700 jobs, and $5.5 million each year in tax revenues. [Gainsville Sun]
Not Energy, but Interesting:
Lamboo, Inc., a company based in Illinois that manufactures engineered bamboo for structural and industrial applications, has designed a ship tender built of renewable material, the world’s first to be made of laminated bamboo. [Galesburg Register-Mail]
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