Science and Technology:
¶ Sol Voltaics has developed a process to make semiconductor nanowires of gallium arsenide that can boost the conversion efficiency of standard solar panels by as much as 25%. [Businessweek]
World:
¶ China increased its wind power production by 41% in 2012. The country generated 100.8 billion kWh of wind power last year, compared with 71.5 billion kWh in 2011. [Businessweek]
¶ A former NRC chairman says all 104 nuclear power reactors now in operation in the United States have a safety problem that cannot be fixed and they should be replaced with newer technology. [New York Times]
¶ German nuclear-power operators will have to pay an estimated 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) for identifying and building an atomic-waste depository, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier said. [Businessweek]
¶ The Japanese government will not ask people to save electricity this summer because utilities are expected to have sufficient supplies, sources said April 8. Supply is expected to exceed demand even if all idled nuclear reactors remain offline. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Experts who investigated the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the ongoing decommissioning process say the recently formed Nuclear Regulation Authority is being very lax with its oversight role in TEPCO’s post-disaster processes. [The Japan Daily Press]
US:
¶ Production of power from wind turbines in the California ISO grid hit 4196 MW, a new record, on April 7. [EON: Enhanced Online News]
¶ The head of U.S. forces in the Pacific says that climate change is a top concern for the military. The Army is proceeding with a “Net Zero Energy” initiative, aiming to produce as much energy and water as they use. Cost and reliability are primary reasons, but cutting carbon pollution is one of the outcomes. [Greentech Media]
¶ Town meeting members of Provincetown, Massachusetts voted 197-2 to call on Governor Deval Patrick to request the Nuclear Regulatory Commission close Entergy’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. [Cape Cod Today]
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