Technology:
¶ GE says a new blade design could reduce blade costs by 25 to 40 per cent, making wind energy as economical as fossil fuels without government subsidies. The design incorporates fabrics developed by GE and the University of Virginia. [DesignBuild Source]
Japan:
¶ The Japanese government could restart idle reactors next summer. A law requires all reactors to pass safety tests by July. [Japan Daily Press]
¶ A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 hit northeastern Japan. There was no indication of damage to the nuclear power plants. [Wall Street Journal]
World:
¶ Australian BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining company, admits that climate change is real, and is retrofitting at least one old coal facility at a seaport to withstand worse weather in the future. [Energy Collective]
¶ Investment in the Scottish renewable energy industry exceeded £900 million during the first half of 2012. The figure for the entire year of 2011 was £750 million. [ic Dumfries.co.uk]
¶ EON SE cut its earnings forecasts as an excess of electricity from wind turbines and solar PV’s makes its gas-fired generating plants unprofitable. [Businessweek]
US:
¶ California’s Little Hoover Commission, which has the task of seeing to it that the state is run efficiently, is warning that state agencies need to be reorganized to meet the needs of the rapid increase in renewable power. [Clean Energy Authority]
¶ Next semester, members of Harvard University’s highest governing body will meet with students who advocate for the University to divest its more than $30 billion endowment from fossil fuels. [Harvard Crimson]
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