geoharvey

World:

¶   A new report from the U.S. Center for Naval Analyses and the London-based Royal United Services Institute, two of the NATO alliance’s front-line strategy centers, recommends putting more effort into fighting global warming than securing reliable supplies of fossil fuels. [EV World]

¶   The Worldwatch Institute’s Climate and Energy Director met with the Philippine Climate Change Commission and other high-level representatives of the Philippine governments to work on a plan to shift the country’s current electricity system to 100% renewable energy within a decade. [CleanTechnica]

¶   This week, the effects of Britain’s chronic dithering over energy policy were thrown into sharp relief by the UK’s energy regulator, which issued its starkest warning yet over the risk of blackouts; a one-in-four chance by the winter of 2015-16 unless the country starts using a lot less electricity. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶   The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan separated itself from the nine parties that participated in a public debate on June 29, being the only one that supports the continued use of nuclear power far into the nation’s future. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   Japan and the United States have started to jointly research new technologies that could measure the amount of uranium and plutonium contained in melted nuclear fuel at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, officials involved in the project announced Saturday. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶   Massachusetts’ top energy official has announced an initiative to help developers install wind turbines and make it easier for communities to live with them. Increased support for communities could include technical expertise or help in offsetting the expense of meeting noise-level standards. [KRNV My News 4]

¶   New Mexico homeowners can now lease solar electric systems for 25 years with no upfront costs thanks to a new partnership between Albuquerque’s Affordable Solar Group and Texas-based solar leasing company Sunnova Energy Corp. [ABQ Journal]

¶   In an example of the simplest type of solar energy being put into large-scale practice, 2,400 square feet of a south-facing wall on Kingsbury Hall on the UNH Durham campus has been turned into a passive hot air system for the College of Engineering. [Nashua Telegraph]

¶   South Carolina may soon join the ranks of states that have reconsidered the wisdom of imposing restrictive caps on net metering for customer-sited solar power systems. The current 100-kilowatt cap has prevented users, including Furman University, from installing more solar power. [Forbes]

¶   Researchers analyzed 141 drinking water wells in Pennsylvania and New York. Methane was detected in 82% of drinking water samples for homes within a kilometer (0.62 miles or 1,093 yards) of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, wells. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶   The old top-down utility infrastructure model will increasingly come under pressure as new technologies become a disruptive force in electricity infrastructure. Renewable energy, microgrids, and distributed generation will change the way we manage our electricity. [energybiz]

World:

¶   Former Indian Army chief General V K Singh  will lead the ParmanuVirodhiMorcha, a group of non-government organisations, against the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited for developing a nuclear project at Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district. [Times of India]

US:

¶   Los Angeles officials inaugurated the nation’s largest rooftop solar Feed-in Tariff program, enabling hundreds of building owners to create solar power plants on their rooftops and sell solar power to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for grid distribution. [Your Renewable News]

¶   A recent poll of small business owners across the United States says a majority oppose public subsidies for oil, coal, and gas companies; support renewable energy; are concerned about carbon dioxide impacts; and support disclosure of chemicals used in “fracking.” [Sacramento Bee]

¶   An earthquake could collapse the building at Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M., where plutonium cores of nuclear bombs are produced, releasing deadly doses of radiation, the Department of Energy’s inspector general reported. [Nextgov]

¶   A bipartisan Senate bill introduced today seeks to break gridlock over a permanent nuclear waste repository by establishing a new nuclear waste administration and creating a consent-based process for siting nuclear waste facilities. [POWER magazine]

¶   A test of Three Mile Island nuclear power plant did not go as expected. Officials at the plant say none the 96 sirens in its new emergency notification siren system sounded during a scheduled test Thursday afternoon. In earlier testing, the original siren system worked. [York Dispatch]

Opinion:

¶   “100 Percent Renewable Energy And Beyond” While many countries still discuss whether or not a 100% renewable energy system is even theoretically possible, Germans seem no longer bothered by such unscientific doubts. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Wind power is set to lead Australia’s renewable energy growth for the next half-decade, rising by more than 5 GW from 2012-18. Meanwhile, solar PV capacity is also expected to rise by 5 GW from 2012-18, overtaking wind in 2018. [RenewEconomy]

¶   A drought has caused UK hydro power to produce 32% less in the 1st quarter of 2013, from the same quarter in 2012. Output from other renewable power sources increased, more than offsetting the loss of hydro, for an overall increase of 10%. [reNews]

¶   A new report by the IEA finds that worldwide renewable power generation will exceed that from gas and be twice that of nuclear by 2016 and make up almost a quarter of the global power mix by 2018. [pv magazine]

¶   The Niagara Tunnel, a massive 41-foot wide, 6.3-mile long tunnel that’s 460 feet below the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, made its official debut during opening ceremonies at the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Visitors’ Centre. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   The Takahama nuclear power station on the Sea of Japan coast in western Japan has received the first shipment of reprocessed reactor fuel to arrive in Japan since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, as the plant prepares to restart. [Victoria Times Colonist]

US:

¶   Wind energy and transmission developers got a boost from a recent court decision, which supports spreading out the costs of large power lines delivering remote renewable energy to population centers. [Electric Co-op Today]

¶   Once again New Hampshire legislators are raiding the state’s renewable energy funds, which are financed by increased electricity rates for green programs like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Renewable Portfolio Standards. [The Keene Sentinel]

¶   Exelon, the largest U.S. nuclear power producer, may begin to see a low-emissions strategy, built on nuclear and windpower, pay off — four years after it lost a fight for climate legislation it said would add $1.1 billion in annual earnings. [Bloomberg]

Opinion:

¶   “Obama’s Climate Plan to Ditch Coal Will Be Good for Business. Really.” [Businessweek]

¶   “Redesigning The Electricity Market For Wind And Solar” The world’s energy markets do need to be redesigned, otherwise they cannot cope with the impact of wind and solar. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   Water is essential to thermoelectric power generation, but drought and growing competition for water from myriad other uses can have major effects inside the power plant, impacting operations and, ultimately, reliability. [POWER magazine]

World:

¶   Farmers in Fukushima Prefecture are turning to “solar sharing,” a process in which they can generate solar power on the same land where they grow crops and sell the power to utilities. [The Japan News]

¶   A massive brawl erupted among lawmakers in the Taiwan Legislature yesterday, as members of different parties fought for control over the rostrum, ahead of a scheduled discussion on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant referendum. [AsiaOne]

¶   TEPCO shareholders rejected a proposal to look into pursuing claims for compensation against companies that supplied parts for the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, including General Electric Co. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   President Obama unveiled an aggressive new climate change strategy that would limit pollution from existing coal-fired power plants. He also said the Keystone XL pipeline would not be approved if it raises carbon emissions. [CNN]
… During the speech announcing the plan, he called for more solar and wind power projects to help curb the country’s appetite for fossil fuel and reduce the U.S.’s carbon pollution to 17 percent below 2005 levels. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   The NRC is interested in comments on a draft study examining if faster removal of spent reactor fuel from pools to dry cask storage significantly reduces risks to public health and safety. [Southern Maryland News Net]

¶   Even though Southern California Edison (SCE) decided to shut down the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) earlier this month, customers are still footing the bill for the plant. [89.3 KPCC]

¶   Vermont and New York are joining Friends of the Earth, a national environmental group, in criticizing the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s response to a nuclear plant closing in California. [News 12 Long Island]

¶   A new study released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the environmental impact of Indian Point’s nuclear power plant finds the plant is safe and there is no need for a shut down. [YNN Hudson Valley]

Economics and Finance:

¶   “How wind and solar broke the world’s electricity markets” The world’s energy markets do need to be redesigned, otherwise they cannot cope with the impact of wind and solar. [RenewEconomy]

¶   “The Dirty Truth About Coal” Robert Rapier of Investing Daily provides data on coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable electric generating. [Investing Daily]

Science and Technology:

¶   ENSO Plastics, a global leader of environmental plastics solutions, has introduced new biodegradable technologies for thermo polymers with a 75% lower carbon footprint than polyethylene. [Azom.com]

World:

¶   Communities across Scotland are now receiving £5 million a year from wind farm operators, industry leaders revealed. The amount paid out could become much higher as new green energy schemes get up and running. [ic Scotland.co.uk]

¶   For almost three decades the trees around Chernobyl have been absorbing  contamination. Now,climate change and lack of management present a troubling predicament: if they catch fire, that contamination would be spread in smoke. [Scientific American]

¶   TEPCO said radioactive water may still be leaking into the sea from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after enhanced levels of radioactive tritium were detected in the port area in front of the facility. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶    President Obama is preparing to announce new steps to combat climate change, including increased production of renewable energy on public lands and federally assisted housing, and work to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants. [CapitalGazette.com]

¶   The Supreme Court decided not to hear a challenge to higher ethanol blends of gasoline. The Supreme Court decision comes as fuelmakers struggle to meet federal renewable fuel standards. [Christian Science Monitor]

¶   The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says in a new report that spent fuel pools like the one at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant can withstand severe earthquakes without breaching. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
… The report says there may not be a substantial safety benefit to hastening the transport of spent nuclear fuel from pool to dry cask storage, according to an NRC spokesman. [Timesonline.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   A research team at Sharp Corporation has announced that it has created a solar cell capable of converting 44.4% of incoming sunlight into electricity. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The German Society for International Cooperation released a report saying once a Feed-in-Tariff becomes effective, renewable energy can help answer a growing energy demand  in the Philippines, with an affordable impact on household electricity bills. [Rappler]

¶   Six of Japan’s regional electricity monopolies have included plans to restart 20 reactors by September 2015 in applications for rate hikes. Industry observers say the assumptions are ambitious, as the NRA has said review period my be more than three years. [Chicago Tribune]

¶   A “climate bomb” of potent greenhouse gases far more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide is set to be released by some of the world’s leading producers of refrigerants following a ban on climate credits by the European Emissions Trading Scheme. [CNN]

¶   The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which oversees dismantling the UK’s atomic power and research stations will reveal on Monday that its estimates for the lifetime cost of the programme has risen by billions of pounds. [The Guardian]

US:

¶   The California Hydrogen Business Council has implemented a program to further the wider market adoption of hydrogen as a form of energy storage and advance  commercialization of hydrogen as fuel. [bestmag]

¶   As Congress considers scaling back or abolishing US rules that mandate the use of renewable fuels, it has full support of most of the petroleum industry. BP, one of the world’s biggest oil companies by revenue wants to continue the rules without change. [Washington Post]

¶   The US Army had a power problem, and the consequence was no small matter: Troops were left more vulnerable to sniper attacks. But now, the Army says, the use of solar and wind systems is keeping the power flowing and, as a result, helping reduce casualties. [EarthTechling]

¶   A new environmental group in Massachusetts will ask voters to be the first in the nation to adopt a carbon tax by imposing new levies on fossil fuels based on the amount of carbon dioxide they produce. The tax could generate $2.5 billion in revenues per year. [Boston Globe]

Science and Technology:

¶   Wind to hydrogen: In Falkenhagen, Germany, a little town about 45 miles east of Berlin, E.On is closing in on putting to work a system that uses power from a nearby wind farm to turn water into hydrogen, which is then shot straight into the area’s natural gas system. [EarthTechling]

World:

¶   Creating jobs a breeze if we use natural resources. Ireland’s resources in onshore, near-shore and offshore wind energy realizable in the coming decades have been calculated at 1,990 GW. The total US and Europe electricity generation capacity in 2010 was 1,971 GW. [Irish Independent]

¶   Mongolia has opened its first wind farm, a landmark $122 million project that aims to shift the country’s reliance on coal and tackle the pollution choking its capital Ulan Bator. A total of 31 turbines are expected to power 5% of electricity needs of the country. [CoalGuru.com]

US:

¶   After spending more than five years pursuing plans for a coal-burning power plant in Texas, Omaha-based Tenaska says it has dropped the plan and will focus on the development of natural gas-fueled and renewable facilities. [LubbockOnline.com]

¶   VW America’s manufacturing facility in Chattanooga embodies the sum total of Think Blue, the latest five-year (2012-2018) iteration of the automaker’s global sustainability initiative. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Large, community solar-power arrays are popping up across Colorado. Spurred by a pilot program by Xcel Energy, the state’s largest electricity provider, 22 “solar gardens” are being built from Aurora to Grand Junction, with more to come. [Denver Post]

¶   With little public notice, managers of the government-controlled landfill at the Nevada National Security Site have changed their rules to accept containers of nuclear waste that are five times more radioactive than now allowed. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
… Nevada’s governor is telling the federal government the state does not want highly radioactive waste of the type that could be used to build a “dirty bomb” buried in a shallow pit at the former national nuclear proving ground north of Las Vegas. [St. George Daily Spectrum]

Opinion:

¶   “What Solar Impulse’s under-the-radar flight says about the future of solar energy” The plane probably won’t change the way we fly — but it could impact the way we drive, build buildings, and power appliances. [The Week Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new project at the University of California San Diego is aimed at testing integration of ultracapacitors, “flash” storage for the grid, with concentrating solar power. [Greentech Media]

World:

¶   According to a recent report from Navigant Research, the worldwide market for small wind systems will reach $723 million by 2018, with $3.3 billion in cumulative sales from 2013 through 2018. [PCBDesign007]

¶   Japan is greatly expanding its solar energy capacity in 2013, according to a leading commodities analyst, buoying industrial demand for silver. Solar panels are now a major source of silver demand, accounting for 4.5% of total silver purchases in 2012. [BullionVault]

¶   Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman & Kuwait Targeting More Than 50 GW of Solar Capacity by 2032, as the Gulf Cooperation Council countries move away from carbon-based fuel for their economies. [DigitalJournal.com]

¶   Shareholders of eight of the nine utilities that operate nuclear power plants will present proposals at shareholders’ meetings next week urging the companies to abandon nuclear power. All of Japan’s utilities hold their annual shareholders’ meetings on June 26. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   A growing number of Vermont towns are taking a look at powering municipal buildings via solar arrays. [Vermont Public Radio]

¶   New York state legislators have given their resounding approval to a solar bill that could see 2,200 MW of new installations by 2023. The bill was passed by the state Assembly by 76 to 16 votes. [PV-Tech]

¶   Hawaiian Electric Company has asked the Public Utilities Commission for permission to negotiate with five proposed projects that could quickly provide low-cost electricity for Oahu. The five projects include a mix of solar and wind capacity totaling 64 MW. [Fierce Energy]

¶   Dominion Virginia Power is accepting applications for a program that allows customers to sell solar power back to the energy provider. The Richmond-based company says participation is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is limited to a total of 3 megawatts. [The Daily Progress]

¶   Rhode Island’s capital city has joined a growing movement to fight climate change with a City Council vote to withdraw all investments in fossil-fuel companies. The council voted 11-1 in favor of the resolution. [The Providence Journal]

¶   A double-shelled tank holding more than 850,000 gallons of highly radioactive wastes may be leaking through both of its protective layers at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington. [The Seattle Times]

¶   The Vermont Public Service Board is allowing critics of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to examine the plant’s impact on water quality as it considers the plant’s Certificate of Public Good. The ruling was a reversal for Entergy Vermont Yankee. [Vermont Public Radio]

Opinion:

¶   “What’s Going on With Exelon Stock?” Motley Fool’s market analysts explain why Exelon’s slipping stock price is probably not short-term – and the explanation reveals troubles for those too heavily invested in nuclear power. [Motley Fool]

Science and Technology:

¶   Silevo Inc, of Fremont, California, has announced the production of a new 355 watt, 72-cell solar PV module, comprised of 156 mm PV cells based on the company’s novel Triex cell architecture. [solarserver.com]

World:

¶   According to Ernst & Young, which has been keeping up monthly tracking since 2003, the best place to invest in renewable power generation is the US, followed by China, Germany, Australia, and the UK. [Power Engineering International]

¶   In a draft assessment, Japanese nuclear industry regulators say the country’s two operating nuclear reactors have no serious safety problems. If the assessment receives final approval it will mean reactors 3 and 4 at Ohi can remain online through September. [United Press International, Asia]

¶   Two more leaks of radioactive water found at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant suspended desalination operations and will likely further delay the full-scale use of a decontamination system, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   NRG, the largest electric supplier in the US and largest solar developer, has added a 720 MW gas-fired plant near San Francisco. The turbines have a quick-start technology, can ramp up to full power in 12 minutes, and are considered a good backup to solar power. [Gas to Power Journal]

¶   A new investigation by AP has found that the vast majority of counties where fracking is occurring in seven states are also suffering from drought. The AP found that fracking is presenting new strains on water supplies in some drought-stricken areas of the country. [theenergycollective.com]

¶   The city of Houston signed an agreement with Reliant Energy to purchase more than 140 MW of wind energy output over the next two years. The purchase of renewable credits will account for half of the city’s annual electricity demand. [PennEnergy]

¶   The federal government’s Tax Code has done little overall to cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to a National Research Council report out Thursday, which concludes that a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system would be much more effective. [Politico]

¶   The U.S. House of Representatives has unexpectedly failed to pass its version of the farm bill, dashing the hopes of those pushing for funding for renewable energy programs. The vote was 195-234, with opposition over agriculture subsidies and food stamps. [Solar Industry]

Environmental Spy Thriller:

¶   The Australian Climate Commission released a report urging a slowdown to extraction of fossil fuels due to negative impact on the environment and climate. The response from  the Queensland premier is that a clandestine group is out to kill the state’s coal industry. [International Business Times AU]

Science, Technology, and Finance:

¶   The cost of photovoltaic solar panels is expected to drop to 36 cents per watt by 2017, according to new research by cleantech market research firm GTM Research. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Alta Devices have jointly demonstrated that Alta’s solar material retains its high efficiency in real-world conditions, particularly on hot days. [Wall Street Journal]

World:

¶   Japan is turning to renewable energy, and especially solar power, in a big way. By the end of 2012, Japan had already installed 7.4 gigawatts of solar power capacity, but that’s set to double this year, according to analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [The9Billion]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power has been granted planning consent by East Lothian Council for the onshore cable works to connect its 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm, set to be located off the Scottish coast, to the National Grid. [NewNet]

¶   Africa is undergoing a renewable energy boom, led by South Africa and Morocco, and renewables are offering the least-cost option to reduce a chronic power shortage and lack of access to electricity across the continent. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Four utilities are planning to apply for permission to restart 12 reactors at six nuclear power plants across Japan as soon as a set of new safety requirements, approved June 19 by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, enter into force on July 8. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   President Obama will target carbon emissions from power plants as part of a second-term climate change agenda expected to be rolled out in the next few weeks, according to his top energy and climate adviser. [Huffington Post]

¶   For the latest Energy and Water appropriations bill, Republicans have proposed 50% cut to spending on renewable energy. Renewable energy research and development would be cut  by $911 million, and the total cut to $2.81 billion less than the 2013 budget. [OilPrice.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   Samsung Heavy Industries’ next-generation 7 MW offshore wind turbine is to take a major step toward commercialisation with performance trials of its drive-train at the new high-capacity test bench at the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre. [Recharge]

World:

¶   According to the latest update from the US Energy Information Administration, many countries can meet 100% of their energy need through the use of renewable energy systems. Two countries that are doing so are Norway and Iceland. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   In Australia, a much-hyped anti-wind rally held outside Parliament House in Canberra could only rally 150 people to its cause. By comparison the pro-wind rally hastily organised to provide a counter picture managed between 600 to 700 people. [Business Spectator]

¶   A £3 billion development to build an offshore wind farm in Scotland has won the backing of Highland Council. The 277-turbine development in the Outer Moray Firth could inject £125 million into the region’s economy and bring up to 950 jobs. [Ross-Shire Journal]

¶   GE is supplying UK developer Clarke Energy with two of its Jenbacher J420 biogas engines for a new 2.8 MW agricultural biogas power project at a large vegetable farm near Lake Naivasha in Kenya, the first biogas project in Sub-Saharan Africa. [PennEnergy]

¶   Warsaw may postpone the planned construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plants, the prime minister announced on June 18, claiming that the facilities may not be needed thanks to increased use of gas as an energy source.  [Business New Europe]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority finalized safety guidelines for nuclear power plants that reflect the lessons learned from the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. But the watchdog said that any restart of the country’s idled reactors will likely take months. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Tokyo Electric Power Company said tests of ground water at Fukushima showed Strontium-90 was present at 30 times the legal rate. The radioactive isotope tritium has also been detected at elevated levels. [BBC News]

US:

¶   House Republicans have proposed legislation to push the Government to provide surge protectors and grid-saving devices that would offer protection in case of a massive electromagnetic pulse from either a flare or nuclear weapon. [Daily Mail]

¶   A report released by the EPA faults Washington state for lax oversight at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site, saying the state employs too few inspectors and gives advance notice of inspections to the federal agency charged with managing the cleanup. [OregonLive.com]

Graph of the day:

¶   “Why the fossil fuel industry hates renewables”  With a series of graphs, REneweconomy shows how solar and wind power are depressing the coal generating industry in Germany. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   Around $1.3 trillion have been invested in the renewable energy sector since 2006 and the growth trend is set to continue, according to a new report by Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century. There were 5.7 million people employed in the sector in 2012. [EarthTechling]

¶   Nearly 22% of the world’s electricity is now supplied by renewable energy, and Central America is part of this global transition. The region is a worldwide leader in hydropower and geothermal energy, and most Central American countries are developing wind power. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Hydrogenics Corporation has announced that the largest Power to Gas facility in the world went “live” this week with the first direct injection of hydrogen into a gas pipeline using Hydrogenics technology. [Gasworld.com]

¶   The UK Shadow Energy Minister [energy spokesman for the opposition] has announced that the next Labour Manifesto will deliver a commitment to decarbonize the UK economy by 2030. The party will also drive forward the offshore wind industry. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   At the same time that a rally brought an anti-wind campaign to the grounds before Parliament House, and pro-renewable groups held a rival get-together in the same city, the world’s biggest wind turbine manufacturer has entered the debate with an “Act of Facts”. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶   The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has outlined its emergency regulation for applications for the state’s Solar Carve-Out, scrapping the original 400 MW cap. All existing  applications with an Interconnection Service Agreement by June 7, 2013 qualify. [The National Law Review]

¶   Four dozen elected officials, from localities as diverse as Washington DC, Des Moines, Iowa and Santa Barbara County, California, released a one-page plan which laid out actions such as using more renewable energy and making buildings and infrastructure more energy-efficient. [Business Spectator]

¶   Former President Bill Clinton and leaders from six Sioux Indian Tribes announced a new wind power initiative that will harness South Dakota’s greatest natural resource and spur long-term development in the economically depressed region. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Running counter to a trend among US utilities to avoid expenses on nuclear power, Xcel Energy says it’s investing $1.8 billion to extend the life of its 40-year-old Minnesota reactors. [St. Cloud Times]

¶   Florida Governor Rick Scott signed SB 1472 into law. The new law attempts to clamp down on the state’s controversial nuclear cost recovery payment scheme that allows utilities to charge customers in advance for proposed new nuclear power generation. [PR Newswire]

¶   A new government report says it may take six years to start emptying a leaking tank of waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, mostly because it will take about six years to secure appropriate tank space to put all that sludge. [Northwest Public Radio]

¶   The Vermont Public Service Board on Monday began what is expected to be the final two weeks of hearings on whether it’s in the public’s best interest for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to obtain a new state operating permit. Decommissioning is first on the agenda. [vtdigger.org]

Opinion:

¶   Entergy CEO Hugh McDonald spoke to the Rotary Club of Little Rock on May 7 about the issues of choosing a sensible fuel source for a power plant. He provides some insight into Entergy’s internal guidance. [Daily Record]

Investing and Finance:

¶   An increase in nuclear decommissioning has investors guessing about costs and the effects on the market. There are lots of numbers, but no clear answers. [Businessweek]

World:

¶   A report from the Australian Climate Commission says that much of Australia’s coal needs to be left in the ground to avoid disastrous climate change. Big investors are increasingly aware of this, according to a top bank executive. [The Australian Financial Review]

¶   Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority has begun accepting applications f0r 600 MW of solar capacity it will permit. In five days, 496 companies submitted applications for 9000 MW. There are complaints over the 600 MW limit. [Journal of Turkish Weekly]

¶   Lithuania’s largest wind farm has been opened at Ciuteliai, 19km east of the Baltic Sea coast. The facility has a capacity of 39.1 MW and is expected to generate 108 GWh of electricity annually, enough for 27,000 households. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Around 60% of Japanese oppose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to export nuclear technologies and expertise, according to a recent poll. Only 24% support the government’s policy. [The Tokyo Times]

US:

¶   A three-decade-old concentrating solar plant in California is selling electricity for 5.57¢ per kWh and making money. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Cheap natural gas has not only made new nuclear plants unfeasible, an Exelon executive said in Chicago Thursday, but has undermined Exelon’s plans to upgrade its existing fleet. [Forbes]

Economics:

¶   Nuclear plants, old and uncompetitive, are closing earlier than expected. This year, utilities have announced the retirement of four reactors, bringing the number remaining in the United States to 100. [New York Times]

¶   If you’ve perceived a hint of desperation in anti-renewable energy arguments lately, there’s a reason. Renewable energy is a threat to the fracking boom. [TheStreet.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   Solar Impulse pilot André Borschberg has landed in Cincinnati as part of a quest to cross the country in a solar-powered airplane. The plane’s lithium-ion batteries allow it to fly at night. [AOPA Pilot]

World:

¶   A power-to-gas plant that converts surplus power from wind turbines into energy-dense hydrogen gas started operating in Germany for the first time this week. The system is intended to store power from renewable resources. [FuelFix]

¶   Nuclear firm Sellafield has been fined £700,000 and ordered to pay more than £72,000 costs for sending bags of low-level radioactive waste to a landfill site. [The Guardian]

¶   Oil, gas, coal, and nuclear power have all fallen victim to sluggish economic growth and dwindling global demand. Solar power generation increased over 58%, and wind energy grew at 18.9%. [NASDAQ]

¶   In further delay, Nuclear Power Corporation of India has postponed the expected date of commissioning of the first unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant to July. [Economic Times]

US:

¶   A carbon dioxide release forced workers to evacuate the turbine building Friday morning at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station. [Timesonline.com]

¶   The TVA’s top nuclear building director said he expects the Watts Bar Unit 2 reactor to generate power by 2015. The reactor has been under construction for four decades. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Opinion:

¶   Two big announcements show wind and energy efficiency are financeable and attractive, and new small nuclear reactors are not.  MidAmerican Energy is adding wind capacity, while turning down nuclear and natural gas. [RenewEconomy]

Finance and Economics:

¶   Venture Capitalists, driven by their appetite for quick results, are poorly positioned to take advantage of enormous opportunities in renewable energy. The investors who will profit are those who can be patient. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The IEA once voiced doubt about Germany’s decision to end its use of nuclear power. Now it says though major work remains, Germany is exceeding even its own ambitious targets without damage to its economy. [Bloomberg]

¶   New figures indicate that renewable energy projects in Cornwall now generate about £11.5 million worth of electricity per year. Along with big businesses, there are 85 large independent projects involved. [This is Cornwall]

¶   China Ming Yang Wind Power will form a joint venture with a subsidiary of China National Nuclear to develop wind and solar power projects in China. The first project will be 300 MW of wind in Henan province. [EcoSeed]

¶   The European Commission has published a draft nuclear safety law that includes mandatory EU-wide reviews every six years in response to lessons learnt from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. [Chicago Tribune]

US:

¶   Proponents of Renewable Portfolio Standards that drive adoption of wind energy can be heartened by results so far of the 2013 legislative session. Bills to weaken state renewable energy policies have had little success in 20 states. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   As a result of a lawsuit brought by Earthjustice on behalf of environmental groups, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection updated and strengthened air quality permits for coal plants across the state. [InvestorIdeas.com]

¶   Less than a week after another utility announced it will give up trying to restart a pair of nuclear reactors, the Tennessee Valley Authority said it will shelve a project in northeastern Alabama and eliminate 530 jobs. [Bloomberg]

¶   Southern California Edison has made it official: the utility informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it has closed down the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station — forever. [KCET]

Not Energy, but Noteworthy:

¶   The world quietly reached a milestone in the evolution of the human diet in 2011. For the first time in modern history, world farmed fish production topped beef production. [InvestorIdeas.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   A professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has proposed a design for a new type of solar panel that can simultaneously generate power from the sun and store reserves for later use. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   A wood-boring pest, a bane to the shipping and lumber industries, could prove to be a boon to the cellulosic biofuel industry. The Limnoria quadripunctata, may make enzymes that can be used to breakdown biomass for biofuel. [EcoSeed]

World:

¶   German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised to scale back Germany’s generous system of subsidies to the renewables sector if she is re-elected in September, a move that would reduce the costs of her green revolution on consumers. [Business Spectator]

¶   “Horrendous” and inconsistent grid connection fees are a major obstacle to major electricity users developing their own renewable projects, according to members of the Major Energy Users’ Council at a recent meeting in London. [Utility Week]

¶   Goldman Sachs, the  bank planning as much as 300 billion yen ($3.19 billion) in renewable energy investments in Japan, is eyeing offshore wind power after building up holdings in more established clean energy sources such as solar. [Businessweek]

¶   A dramatic drop in the price of solar power technology last year helped the continued growth of renewable energy, according to a UN-backed report. Global renewable capacity rose by 115 GW, compared with 105 the year before. [Post-Bulletin]

US:

¶   Two of the Vermont’s smallest electric utilities have surpassed a threshold that no longer compels them to subsidize power generated by renewable energy systems. [vtdigger.org]

¶   American Electric Power is buying more renewables as federal regulators crack down on emissions from coal-fired power plants and states and consumers demand utilities buy more power from renewable sources like wind and solar. [Longview News-Journal]

¶   A ruling by a federal court in the Midwest may force California to buy renewable energy from out of state whether it wants to or not, potentially spurring energy development in the desert areas east of the California state line. [KCET]

¶   For more than four decades, the Palisades Nuclear plant’s water tank was believed to be sitting on a large bed of sand, for safety reasons. But this week, investigators found that that’s not the case. [WNDU-TV]

World:

¶   According to the Center for Science and Environment in Delhi, solar energy has finally “arrived.” Today, solar energy is positioned to become a new source of power to lead the world to a low-carbon future. [DAWN.com]

¶   A report by Renewable UK says the UK will need to build around 32 factories if the country is to meet its targets for offshore wind farm development. Additionally, tens of thousands of jobs can be created. [Power Engineering International]

¶   Brazil has some of the largest offshore oil reserves in the word. However, rather than relying on that oil to fuel its economic growth it has decided to focus on renewable energies and biofuel. [Stockhouse]

¶   The European economy lost five million working days in 2010 because of illnesses, such as asthma and heart attacks, linked to pollution from coal-fired power plants, according to a new report by Stuttgart University. [Business Green]

US:

¶   A federal appeals court found it unconstitutional for Michigan to discriminate against out-of-state renewable electricity. The decision is said to give a major edge to clean power in the legal fight over the future of the U.S. grid. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶   Shareholders representing nearly a quarter of the shares in Dominion Resources, a major utility in Virginia, voted to require reports to investors on the financial risks that climate change poses to its business. [Businessweek]

¶   The Jubitz Family Foundation, which built its wealth partly on a group of truck stops in Oregon, has sold off its fossil fuel stock holdings. Its investment advisor, found the action would have an insignificant impact on its return. [Portland Tribune]

¶   Exelon says it has abandoned plans to expand production the La Salle nuclear power plant in Illinois and the Limerick nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, amid low power prices and tepid electricity demand growth. [NASDAQ]

Notable:

You know the times are changing when the wife of a Japanese Prime Minister says he is wrong:
¶   Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akie Abe, said in a speech she is opposed to nuclear power. She described herself as “an opposition party within the family.” Speaking of her husband, she said, “He had better hear something he does not want to hear.” [Asahi Shimbun]

World:

¶   Canada will make operators of nuclear power plants liable for the first C$1 billion ($980 million) of damages in the event of an accident, up from C$75 million under existing rules, according to Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver. [Reuters]

¶   Solar developer Canadian Solar has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Grand Renewable Solar, a project developed by Samsung Renewable Energy, for the construction of a 130 MW utility-scale solar plant. [NewNet]

¶   Cuba is developing renewable energy in an effort to stop dependence on fossil fuels. Wind farms, solar energy facilities, biomass and biogas plants as well as a large number of windmills are part of the Cuban renewable energy strategy. [Cuba News]

¶   The Japanese government and TEPCO say that they may be able to start removing the melted fuel from inside the Fukushima nuclear reactors within the first half of 2020 provided that work efficiency is improved. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   Biofuels developed from plant biomass and purpose-grown crops can substantially move California toward its ambitious energy goals, a new report says, provided there are wise allocations of feedstocks and successful energy efficiency strategies are in place. [Phys.Org]

¶   By a vote of 66 to 27 on Monday evening, the full Senate passed its version of a 2013 Farm Bill which includes mandatory funding for renewable energy programs. [Valley News Live]

¶   Edison International’s decision to abandon its San Onofre nuclear plant in California is the latest blow for an industry already facing questions about its long-term survival. [Businessweek] 

Science and Technology:

¶   A new type of small wind turbine for home and urban use is quieter and more efficient than older models. In addition, it operates with winds of lower speeds. [ENGINEERING.com]

World:

¶   China is increasingly becoming a global force in international clean energy investment, too. In fact, the country has provided nearly $40 billion to other countries’ solar and wind industries over the past decade. [eco-business.com]

¶   The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has launched an AUD$400 million (US$377 million) fund to displace diesel use in remote areas of the country. The fund will generate 150 MW of new renewables capacity. [pv magazine]

¶   The Cook Islands government says it is ready to start renewable energy project. The project will provide a 24-hour electric supply powered by PVs to community mini-grids on the most vulnerable and isolated islands. [Radio New Zealand International]

¶   Keeping the meltdown-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in north-eastern Japan in stable condition requires a cast of thousands. Increasingly the plant’s operator is struggling to find enough workers. [Yahoo!7 News]

¶   Nearly 60% of voters oppose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to use nuclear energy to fuel economic growth, but 51% expect his policies to improve the economy, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   The U.S. Defense Department announced 240 new contracts for its renewable energy in May totaling $19.4 billion, a 2.1% increase from April’s total.[Washington Post]

¶   A just-proposed California law would drop the state’s 33% renewables mandate in favor of a cost-effective, coherently procured greentech future. The plan is backed by renewables advocates and approved by grid operator leadership. [Energy Collective]

¶   After over a year of preparations and near-shore testing, the Fishermen’s Energy Wind Sentinel buoy was relocated to an offshore area, eleven miles east of Ocean City, NJ, proposed by Fishermen’s Energy for a 350 MW windfarm. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Reactions to the news that San Onofre is closing range from celebration among activists to concerns over stored nuclear fuel, job losses, and a new bill that could ramp up pressure for approval of large-scale renewable energy projects. [East County Magazine]

Investing:

¶   “The Winds of Change Are Upon Us” Investment advisor Motley Fool assesses the potential of windpower and the companies who are in that sector. [Motley Fool]

World:

¶   The renewable energy world was abuzz last week with news that Google has just nailed down an exclusive agreement with a Swedish wind farm developer to provide its Finnish data center with wind power for the next ten years, from the new Maevaara wind farm to be built in Sweden. [Energy Collective]

¶   Philippine proponents of renewable energy say solar PVs pose a viable solution to the decades-old problem of electrification in far-flung rural communities that belong to the off-grid market, meaning areas which are not connected to the main transmission grid that powers the country’s main islands. [Manila Standard Today]

¶   President Obama and Chines President Xi agreed their governments would work together to find ways to phase down the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons as a way to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. [Huffington Post]

US:

¶   The world is changing. NRG is the largest power provider to U.S. utilities. It has become one of the largest equity owners of solar power. Now the company is going into a partnership with Nest, a company that provides solar home energy solutions with an emphasis on elegant design. [Motley Fool]

¶   For better and worse, San Onofre, Southern California’s only nuclear power, plant is being scrapped. Now begins an epic struggle over who gets stuck with the unpaid bill for nearly $4.3 billion. And Edison estimates that decommissioning the plant will cost another $4.12 billion. [U-T San Diego]

Interview:

¶   “The Energiewende – the Result of a Powerful Mass Movement from Below” Josef Goeppel, a German parliamentarian, was the first in his traditionally arch-conservative party to grasp the relevance of the Energiewende, or clean energy transition, for his constituents and party. [Heinrich Böll Stiftung] (Thanks to Roric McCorristin for bringing this to my attention.)

Economics:

¶   The Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) is used to estimate the damages from carbon emissions for the purposes of regulatory benefit-cost analyses. The central estimate for the SCC is now around $35 per ton of carbon dioxide pollution emitted today. Even that may be too low. [Energy Collective]

¶   Three out of four small businesses responding to a recent survey reported that, unlike much of the economy, sales for green products and services actually increased over the course of the recent economic downturn. [InvestorIdeas.com]

World:

¶   Irish Renewables developer Mainstream Renewable Power has announced the formation of a joint venture to deliver 600 MW of wind and solar energy in Chile by 2016. [pv magazine]

¶   The renewable chemicals industry will grow at 7.7% annually from 2013 to 2018, mainly due to rise in oil prices, requirement for environmentally friendly feedstock, and low production cost of bio-based chemicals, according to a new report. [European Coatings]

¶   Arab Gulf states sought reassurances from Iran at a U.N. nuclear agency meeting this week over the safety of its only atomic energy plant, which is located in an earthquake-prone coastal area, diplomats said on Thursday. [The Star Online]

US:

¶   The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) says that residential and commercial consumers are choosing to buy power from such renewable sources as wind and solar. [energybiz]

¶   NREL is partnering with the U.S. Navy and others to showcase how renewable biomass sources, like switchgrass, can be used to make large volumes of biofuel more economically. [EP Magazine]

¶   Ski areas from 24 states have signed the Climate Declaration, which calls on U.S. federal policymakers and legislators to seize the economic opportunity of addressing climate change. [Environment News Service]

¶   An environmental group released a study showing serious health hazards for those living near the Browns Ferry nuclear plant. Since it started operating in the 1970s, the local mortality rate steadily rose from 1.7% to 20.5% above the US rate. [The Chattanoogan]

¶   The NRC has directed that operators of the 31 nuclear reactors, including some of the oldest in the US reactors, to overhaul vent systems to prevent build-up of hydrogen. The order replaced a 2012 order that would have required a potentially more costly remedy. [Businessweek]

¶   FirstEnergy and federal regulators spent a month investigating how a pitcher with two goldfish got left in a secure area of the Perry nuclear plant. Now, the mystery is solved: two contractors confessed they did it as a prank. [Tribune-Review]

Opinion:

¶   “New Technologies and Approaches Will Change the Electric Grid Forever” The old top-down utility infrastructure model will increasingly come under pressure… Renewable energy, microgrids, and distributed generation will change the way we manage our electricity forever. [energybiz]

World:

¶   Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser said Europe needs to extend its targets for curbing greenhouse gases and promoting renewable energy by a decade through 2030. Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, is working on carbon capture and storage and biofuel projects in Europe. [Businessweek]

¶   Juliet Davenport, founder and CEO of Good Energy, has been made a member of the Order of the British Empire. She was presented with the accolade by the Queen at Windsor Castle in recognition of her services to renewable electricity supplies. [The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald]

¶   Oil-rich Kazakhstan will spend 1 per cent of annual output every year until 2050 to increase power generation from greener sources, a senior official said, cutting its dependence on coal far faster than some of the world’s big polluters. [Business Spectator]

¶   The operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant said Wednesday that it had found a leak in one of the hundreds of steel tanks used to store radioactive water at the plant, raising renewed questions about the company’s ability to handle the plant’s cleanup. [New York Times]

US:

¶   After talking of vetoing the bill, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has signed a bill providing sales tax exemptions for the purchase of wind turbines, towers and other wind farm components. [North American Windpower]

¶   The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory released its assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources — such as wind and solar energy. [Power Engineering Magazine]

¶   The governor of Colorado has signed a controversial bill doubling the renewable-energy target for rural electric cooperatives. At the same time, he issued an executive order to review its most contentious issues: the compliance deadline and the cost. [Denver Post]

¶   Power company Scana Corp has told energy analysts a reactor under construction at the Summer nuclear power plant in South Carolina will likely enter service several months later than expected. The expected date of completion is now early 2018. [Reuters]

¶   Animals are spreading radioactive materials around at the Hanford vitrification plant in Washington state. Work stopped Wednesday morning at parts of the plant after radioactive contamination was detected under a bird’s nest, according to Bechtel National. [Mid Columbia Tri City Herald]

Science and Technology:

¶   Two processes that turn woody biomass into transportation fuels have the potential to exceed current US Environmental Protection Agency requirements for renewable fuels, according to research published in the Forest Products Journal. [ScienceBlog.com]

World:

¶   German solar energy plants produced at a world record 22 GW  – equal to 20 nuclear power plants at full capacity – through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, according to the head of a renewable energy think tank. [Energy Tribune]

¶   The wind industry received another boost today with a peer-reviewed paper debunking claims that living near wind turbines can make you sick. The paper is published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. [ABC Online]

¶   Mongolia, which is banking on a mining-led investment boom to develop its economy, is aiming to turn itself into a regional renewable energy hub as it tries to fight off the pressures of global warming, according to the country’s president. [The Canberra Times]

¶   After years of neglecting renewable energy for atomic power, Japan has been installing solar PVs so furiously that the small nation is quickly becoming the largest solar market in the world. It should have 13.5 to 16.8 GW of capacity by the end of this year. [The Week Magazine]

¶   Nine more young people have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer since Japan’s worst nuclear accident two years ago, bringing the total number of cancer cases among residents who were 18 or younger at the time of the Fukushima Disaster to 12. [SBS]

¶   South Korean regulators said on Wednesday that they have identified two more nuclear power plants that used parts with forged test certificates. The two reactors are under construction, and the findings won’t immediately affect current power supply. [Reuters]

US:

¶   The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold its first lease auction for renewable energy in federal waters. The area, south of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, will be auctioned as two leases, one with a potential for 1,955 MW, and the other for 1,440 MW. [Business Spectator]

¶   The Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center South has become the Imperial Valley’s first large-scale solar energy facility to deliver power to the Sunrise Powerlink. [SmartMeters]

¶   United Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with AltAir Fuels for 15 million gallons of biofuel. The airline said the biofuel will be used on flights leaving its Los Angeles LAX hub in 2014. [Businessandleadership.com]

¶   A team of international nuclear safety experts is at the Seabrook nuclear plant to follow up on issues they found in 2011. That review concluded that the reporting of “perceived abnormalities” was not being done at a sufficiently high level by plant personnel. [Exeter News-Letter]

¶   Assistant Attorney General Bridget Asay and her legal team asserted the state of Vermont’s authority over the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant on Tuesday in U.S. District Court. [vtdigger.org]

Opinion:

¶  “Fossil fuels wouldn’t last one day in a free market” If everybody had to pay the true cost of bringing their product to market, wind and solar would demolish the incumbents. [Business Green]

World:

¶   Scotland needs to embrace more wave and tidal energy projects to cut dependence on imported forms of fossil fuels, according to the Scottish Energy Minister. He said a $27.3 million renewable energy fund would be dedicated to marine energy projects. [iStockAnalyst]

¶   Tokyo Electric Power Co said on Tuesday it had detected radioactive caesium in groundwater flowing into its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi plant, reversing an earlier finding that any contamination was negligible. [Reuters UK]

US:

¶   Demand for solar PVs in the US is forecast to grow significantly during 2013 and post another record high of 4.3 gigawatts (GW), an increase of almost 20% compared to 2012. The US PV market is now over 12% of global demand, up from just 5% three years ago. [Albany Times Union]

¶   Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, whose subsidiary MidAmerican Energy is already a huge wind power player and owner of big solar projects, is making a $10 billion acquisition in Nevada. [EarthTechling]

¶   The United States could have a hard time meetings its biofuels goals if the earth’s climate continues to evolve as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A hotter planet will mean less corn needing more irrigation. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

¶   The Department of Interior announced the approval of three renewable energy projects Monday, including two in Nevada. Combined, the projects will deliver up to 520 megawatts. Two of the projects are solar, and one is geothermal. [Reno Gazette Journal]

¶   FEMA announced that a public briefing will be held on June 7, 2013, to present initial observa­tions of participant actions taken during a full-scale exercise at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant located in Vernon, VT. [vtdigger.org]

¶   MidAmerican Energy has scrapped plans for a nuclear plant in Iowa and will refund $8.8 million ratepayers paid for a now-finished feasibility study, according to utility officials. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

Opinion:

¶   “Cutting our carbon would help UK business” Renewable energy is not just good for ruffling the perfectly coiffed feathers of the likes of Donald Trump; the sector is also good for UK industry, consumers and economy. [Financial Times]

¶   “Australia’s wind energy debate spinning out of control” Anti-wind farm activists are blaming turbines for everything from herpes to doubling power prices. [The Guardian]

Economics:

¶   Over the past 5 years, solar power has been growing at 63.2% per year, a pace that could easily continue until 2020. For the past 15 years, nuclear power has not grown, but electric output has grown at 3.4%, so nuclear is losing market share. [Business Insider]

Science and Technology:

¶   The Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane that can fly at night, is on the next leg of its journey, flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to  St. Louis. The 20-hour flight from Texas started around 4:00 AM on Monday. [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

World:

¶   Municipal leaders in the Ontario region that is home to one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants are facing allegations they discussed proposed storage facilities for radioactive waste in secret because they feared damaging their electoral fortunes. [Regina Leader-Post]

¶   Anti-nuclear organizations turned out in force in major protests in Tokyo on June 2, looking to have an impact on the Upper House election in July and protest the planned restart of nuclear reactors. Organizers say there were 85,000 demonstrators. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   A solar-powered robotic boat will be sailing from Rhode Island to Spain. It is a product of the creative minds of college students, who somehow could not all the project to drop as they went on in life. [The Providence Journal]

¶   Leaders of the Atlanta Tea Party are challenging Georgia Power over the monopoly’s reluctance to increase its use of solar power, the ballooning costs of building a new nuclear power plant and even its legal right to monopoly status. [Worcester Telegram]

World:

¶   Brazil, which has been a wind energy leader for a long time, has started to get going in the solar energy arena. In one recent week, it saw a tremendous surge of applications for solar power projects that totaled 392.4 MW. [Energy Collective]

¶   Analysts at Deutsche Bank suggest that Japan will become the biggest market for solar within two years, while industry consultant IHS suggested that in revenue terms, Japan will overtake Germany in 2013 with sales of $20 billion of solar modules. [RenewEconomy]

¶   On the invitation of the German Environment Minister, high-level representatives from 10 countries have gathered in Berlin to establish the Renewables Club on June 1st, 2013. Their common goal is to scale up the deployment of renewable energy worldwide. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The UK Energy Secretary urged lawmakers to back away from immediately imposing targets for carbon emission from U.K. power plants, saying legislation being considered now will make a “massive” reduction. Not everyone agrees. [Businessweek]

¶   Germany’s power companies are closing power plants and scrapping plans for new ones. By decentralizing power generation, the renewables boom could do to the power industry what the internet did to the media: put power in the hands of the little guy. [Off-Grid]

¶   A Japanese project called Forward will install floating wind turbines for deep-water areas. The pilot project will start with three floating wind turbines and one floating power substation off the coast of Fukushima. [High Performance Composites]

¶   South Korea is facing a shortage of power over the summer. Two nuclear reactors have been shut down because they have fake quality certificates for faulty control cables, and two additional reactors have had their starting dates delayed. [Yonhap News]

US:

¶   The Energy Information Administration recently released a report outlining its revised projections for wind production over the next few years. It projects a 34% wind-power production increase in the next three years. [DailyFinance]

¶   Wastewater from natural gas fracking has naturally occurring radioactive material in it. While the quantities are small, they do set off radiation monitors in landfills. Government bodies from local level to the NRC have different things to say about what to do. [Wheeling Intelligencer]

World:

¶   A UN report says the world has made important progress towards energy efficiency, using renewable power, and providing basic electricity to every household. But the gains have barely been enough to keep up with population growth and surging demand. [Reuters AlertNet]

¶   The U.K. government proposed increasing payments made to commercial premises that generate heat from renewable sources, while cutting tariffs for medium-sized biomass boilers. [Businessweek]

¶   A senior fund manager at Aquila Capital says that a combination of wind, water and sun can have a balancing effect on an investment portfolio’s return. An estimated $7 trillion is set for investment in renewable energies worldwide between 2010 to 2030. [Investment Europe]

¶   South Africa’s government has made renewable energy a top priority for the coming years. Now, Google is investing in South African renewable energy in the amount of $12 million. The country’s Department of Energy aims for 18 GW capacity by 2030. [BET]

¶   According to a UN report, radiation leaked after Japan’s Fukushima Disaster is unlikely to make the general public and the majority of workers sick. The report point out that evacuations significantly reduced the radiation exposures. [UN News Centre]

US:

¶   The first grid-connected offshore turbine in North America, VolturnUS, is a sign of good industry taking hold in the Americas. In Maine, near Monhegan Island, a test of an offshore wind turbine will be launched as a small beginning of a full-scale wind project. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The California Senate voted to approve legislation to establish a program that provides utility customers the opportunity to buy a portion of the energy generated on an off-site renewable energy facility and get credit for that energy on their utility bill. [Daily Democrat]

¶   Gov. Rick Snyder says he favors boosting the portion of electricity in Michigan that’s generated from renewable sources but hasn’t decided how much the increase should be. [WILX]

¶   The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, announced it has received more than 550 MW of applications for solar projects seeking to qualify as a Solar Carve-Out Generation Unit capable of creating Massachusetts solar renewable energy credits. [Mondaq News Alerts]