Science and Technology:
¶ The largest battery in the world has been sitting quietly in George Washington National Forest along the Virginia-West Virginia border providing peak power for nearly 30 years. It is a pumped-storage facility with a capacity of 3003 MW. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ Carbon emissions in China could peak as soon as 2023 if a carbon pricing mechanism is introduced, according to new research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [4-traders]
… The report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance also predicts that China will invest $362 billion in new solar PV capacity by 2030, and could invest as much as $649 billion. [solarserver.com]
¶ Germany’s wind power sector will expand faster in the second half of the year, ahead of an expected reduction in government incentives. The country’s wind association said it expected about 2,900 MW of new capacity, up from 1,143 MW in the first six months. [Reuters UK]
US:
¶ The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has dedicated the entire $7 billion in its renewable energy purchase program to solar technology. The agency has additionally published a list of 22 companies that qualify for the work, which will span the next ten years. [solarserver.com]
¶ Google announced it decreased total carbon emissions 9% to 1.5 million tons of CO2 in 2012 in its Green Blog this week. It emitted 30 metric tons of carbon per million dollars of revenue compared to 44 tons in 2011, but revenue increased. [EarthTechling]
¶ Almost 4,500 people have signed up on the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation website since April, with a promise to pay a little more for electricity from wind turbines on Lake Erie. [freshwatercleveland]
¶ A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, looked at more than 50,000 home sales near 67 wind farms in nine states. Researchers found no statistical evidence that wind turbines negatively affected property values. [ThinkProgress]
¶ Duke Energy has publicly shared new proposals to divert rushing waters away from the Oconee nuclear plant in case the 385-foot-high Jocassee Dam were to ever fail. The fixes would be made to the Keowee Dam and areas of the station. [Greenville News]
¶ Entergy Nuclear has filed an amended petition with the Public Service Board seeking to operate Vermont Yankee until Dec. 31, 2014. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
¶ The president of the Tennessee Valley Authority said a drop in demand is putting Bellefonte Nuclear Plant workers on the chopping block. More energy-efficient consumers and increased hydroelectric production are reducing demand for the plant’s power. [whnt.com]
geoharvey 
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