From the REV Conference:
¶ The Board of Directors of REV presented a near-term goal of “20 by 2020” at their conference and exposition Tuesday, calling it critical to address climate change, strengthen our local economy and meet the state’s clean energy goal of 90 percent by 2050 goal. [Vermont Biz]
Science and Technology:
¶ Nearly a third of the world’s economic output will come from countries facing “high” to “extreme” risks from the impacts of climate change within 12 years, according to a new report, the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, from UK-based risk analysis firm Maplecroft.[CNN]
¶ Temperature anomalies develop in the earth beneath cities. In the past decades, groundwater in conurbations heated up considerably. This heat can be utilized to produce electricity. [Daily Fusion]
World:
¶ Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd., a Dublin-based renewable-energy developer, will build three wind farms totaling 360 megawatts in South Africa. Mainstream is investing about 9 billion rand ($910 million) in the project. [Businessweek]
¶ Sunlabob Renewable Energy and Fondation Energies pour le Monde have announced the completion of a solar-powered mini-grid that is now delivering reliable, affordable electricity to nearly 500 people in a remote village in Luang Prabang Province, Laos. [pv magazine]
¶ Honda is aiming to be more proactive in using renewable energy to minimize the environmental footprint of its business activities. Honda Energy do Brasil will be the first automaker in Brazil to start wind power generation business. [4-traders]
¶ The £165 million Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant began burning straw on Tuesday, October 22, and is due to be fully operational from January next year. The plant will burn up to 50 bales of straw an hour creating enough electricity to power 65,000 homes [This is Lincolnshire]
¶ On September 1, 2013 Ukrainian renewables produced more than 1 billion kWh. The amount of energy from renewable sources for the first 8 months of this year in the Ukraine is 32% greater than what was produced in the whole entire year of 2012. [Ukrainian Biofuel Portal]
¶ Huge interest in large-scale solar PV and wind energy generation has delayed proceedings in the third round South Africa’s national renewable energy program. Final decisions have not been taken after a total of 93 bids were made. [RenewEconomy]
¶ While nuclear power advocates within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are unhappy about their former leader Koizumi repeatedly calling for abolishing all nuclear plants, opposition politicians woo him to counterattack the pro-nuclear Abe administration. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Switzerland’s state-controlled energy company BKW said its Muehleberg nuclear plant would go offline in 2019, as the country seeks to exit nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. [Straits Times]
US:
¶ Two US Senate Democrats, Mark Udall of Colorado and Tom Udall of New Mexico, have unveiled a bill requiring utilities to generate 25% of their electricity from renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, by 2025. [Platts]
¶ The Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, near Omaha, is being heated up to test its pressurized steam pipes for leaks after an outage that dates to April 2011, federal regulators said Tuesday. [DesMoinesRegister.com]
¶ Nuclear safety experts say there are problems with how employees are screened and trained at the Dresden nuclear plant. Two people are being charged with conspiracy to rob a bank at a time they were employees. Other employees have had troubles with police. [Nuclear Street – Nuclear Power Portal]
geoharvey 
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