World:
¶ The German electric utility E.ON is considering closing a European gas-fired power plant. According to the company, generation of electricity from coal and gas has become “largely uneconomic to operate”, because of the rapid growth in using renewable resources. [Energy Business Review]
¶ The Chinese government plans to increase its goal for solar-power installations in 2015 by 67 percent to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Emissions from coal-burning plants are blamed for smog in Beijing, which reached record levels this month. [Business Week]
¶ The Cumbria Council has rejected having a nuclear waste dump in their county. The vote overrides an earlier vote by Copeland in support. [Liverpool Daily Post]
… The Cumbria Council’s vote deals a blow to UK government hopes for a place to store waste. Without a site for waste storage, building new nuclear plants becomes much more difficult. [Telegraph.co.uk]
US:
¶ A report from the US DOE says wave power, tidal power, run-of-river hydroelectric power, and new hydroelectric dams could supply half the electrical power needed in the US. [PennEnergy]
¶ Proposals are being pushed that would allow the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to be increased. Unsurprisingly, some of the biggest polluters in the US are among those pushing them. [SustainableBusiness.com]
¶ Green energy groups are dropping out of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) because of its efforts to overturn renewable power standards in a number of states. [The Hill]
geoharvey 