Technology:
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, sees a future when solar power supplies the energy for automotive transportation. [TheGreenWebsite.co.uk]
Japan:
¶ Two components of the new Japanese energy policy are that no new nuclear reactors will be built there, and the reactors will not continue to run after they reach a retirement age of forty years. [publics.bg]
World:
¶ The Metsamor nuclear power plant, in Armenia, is of great concern to the country’s neighbors. It is rated as one of the oldest and least reliable reactors of Soviet design, and it sits in an active earthquake zone. [News.Az]
¶ With a large house, a heated pool, and a number of heated outbuildings, Scottish businessman Paul Basford was facing utility bills of £23,000 ($36,550) per year. Since he decided to use renewable resources, he has been selling power worth a multiple of that. [Brechin Advertiser]
US:
¶ As a new coal-fired generating plant comes online in Indiana, its customers can expect a rate hike of 40% to 100%. [Care2.com]
¶ A community solar bill, designed to add two gigawatts of renewable power in California, was killed in committee. The bill would have enabled cooperatives to buy power from shared solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and small hydro power systems. It was killed after intense lobbying by large utilities. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The Prairie Island Indian Community is petitioning the federal government for a deeper look at the risks of on-site storage because outdoor casks holding spent fuel rods likely will remain in place for decades longer than ever intended. Storage casks have leaked in the past, and long-term storage increases the chances of leakage. [Equities.com]
geoharvey 