Opinion:
¶ We can protect the environment and develop renewable energy at the same time in Vermont, and Senate Bill 30 will make that a more difficult goal. [vtdigger.org]
Science and Technology:
¶ Green energy produces more jobs than fossil fuels or nuclear. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ In a statement from GDV, the German insurance trade body, Germany’s insurers said they want politicians and regulators to ease rules restricting their ability to invest in renewable energy and infrastructure. [Business Spectator]
¶ If renewable energy grows at its current rate until 2020, Germany will have to struggle with “dramatic over-production of electricity”, according to the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ The global market for utility-scale renewable energy storage technologies is projected to reach $33.6 billion by 2018, primarily driven by the growing contribution of solar and wind energy. [Renew Grid]
¶ The power outage that stopped cooling for four spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi, a matter of grave concern possibly leading to much worse problems, was caused by a rat gnawing on a cable. [The Japan Times]
US:
¶ A San Antonio-based refiner has agreed to purchase algae-derived “green” crude oil from Sapphire Energy’s algae farm in Columbus, N.M. [San Antonio Express]
¶ The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory released a study saying the US can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector by over 80% by 2050. [Fuel Cell Today]
¶ The American Legislative Exchange Council has joined with other agenda-driven political groups to dismantle the Renewable Portfolio Standard in every state that has one. [Natural Resources Defense Council]
¶ The Vermont Senate has delayed a vote on Senate Bill 30, which would make it more difficult to build wind farms, apparently to allow absent supporters to return before the vote is taken. [Vermont Public Radio]
¶ Changes in the energy marketplace have forced Entergy Nuclear to write down the value of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant from $517 million to $162 million. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
¶ Vermont’s Governor Shumlin is confident the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant will be closed down, if not by courts then by economic necessity. [Vermont Public Radio]
geoharvey 