World:
¶ Analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance concludes that electricity from unsubsidised renewable energy is already cheaper than electricity from new coal and gas-fired power stations in Australia. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The French nuclear safety institute IRSN released a study saying a nuclear accident similar to the Fukushima Disaster would cost the country about €430 billion ($580 billion). This represents 20% of the French economic output. [Climate Spectator]
US:
¶ Ohio State University has contracted to buy 50 MW of electric power from the state’s biggest wind farm. The university will save about $1 million a year of the $35 million it spends on electricity. [SustainableBusiness.com]
¶ Diageo, manufacturer of Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, and Baileys, is going 100% renewable for its US offices, reducing the carbon footprint by 92%. [The Advocate]
¶ A decision by Duke Energy Corp to retire the Crystal River reactor may signal the shutdown of other older U.S. nuclear plants as weak natural gas prices make significant investment in them uneconomical. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ In a letter to NRC, Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Edward Markey said review of a document from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shows that the owner of the San Onofre nuclear plant was aware of problems with its new steam generators even before they were installed. [Los Angeles Times]
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