Opinion:
¶ “We’ll see energy revolution to the end” Thomas Grigoleit director of renewable energies at the government-backed development agency, Germany Trade and Invest, argues that the Energiewende has already had several successes and will make Germany even stronger. [The Local.de]
¶ “Nuclear Energy Survives Only on the Basis of Faulty Risk Assessment” Nuclear power survives on empty promises and false hopes fed by our inability to effectively evaluate risk. We are lulled by long periods of stability and safe operation, and shocked by catastrophe that should be anticipated. [Huffington Post]
World:
¶ In the UK, community owned energy could grow by 89 times its current size if the right national and local policies are put in place, according to a report by the think-tank ResPublica. It could reach a capacity of 550 MW by 2020. [Utility Week]
¶ Using only one fifth of the wind energy available in the world, mankind can increase the amount of the consumed electricity seven-fold. Development of more efficient wind turbines and systems for accumulation and transfer of energy moves the world towards new electrification of the economy. [Pravda]
¶ Neste Oil Oyj, the best-performing major European energy stock, jumped to its highest since July 2008 in Helsinki trading after saying full-year earnings will exceed analyst estimates as renewable-fuel sales gain. [Businessweek]
¶ The 75 MW Kalkbult solar plant has become the first PV project under South Africa’s renewable energy programme to be connected to the grid. The project finished three months ahead of schedule, becoming the first of the 18 PV current projects to go online. [PV-Tech]
¶ The UK Government has been saying that because eight large nuclear stations are scheduled to close over the next ten years, they need urgently to build some new ones. Yet EDF, the French company that bought the eight nuclear stations in 2009, has no intention of closing any of them. [The Daily Climate]
¶ Russia is hiking the price of four nuclear reactors it is selling India under an agreement struck in 2008, worried that the liability regime Parliament approved in 2010 could mean Moscow has unlimited financial exposure in case of accidents. [Calcutta Telegraph]
¶ Japanese prosecutors have decided not to indict former officials of TEPCO over their roles in the accident at Fukushima Daiichi in March 2011, according to Japan’s public broadcaster. Naoto Kan, who was prime minister at the time, will also not be prosecuted. [New York Times]
US:
¶ National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp., along with Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange and the National Renewables Cooperative Organization launched a pilot program Sept. 5 to streamline solar energy project development in a cost-effective way. [Electric Co-op Today]
¶ The National Farmers Union Board of Directors has unanimously passed a resolution indicating the obligation of Congress to provide continuing to support Country-of-Origin Labeling and the Renewable Fuel Standard. [ThePigSite.com]
¶ Hawaii, which is currently generating nearly 14% of its electricity from renewable sources and well on its way to achieving 40% clean energy by 2030, is projecting to eclipse 40% and is looking to set a new goal. [Pacific Business News (Honolulu)]
¶ The Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) has announced steps to enable more rooftop solar systems to connect to the grid. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. commends HECO’s announcement and its path-charting model for renewable energy integration. [AltEnergyMag]
¶ The NRC will hold a series of 12 meetings this fall to discuss the fate of spent nuclear fuel that could be left behind after commercial power reactors are shut down and closed. The meetings are part of the process of dealing with what is called the “waste confidence rule.” [The Augusta Chronicle]
¶ A series of mechanical difficulties at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has kept the plant from operating at peak for more than two weeks. Now Pilgrim is completely off the electric grid, shut down Sunday evening because of a steam leak in a pipe supplying hot water to the nuclear reactor. [Capecodonline]
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