A Helping Hand:
¶ After the devastating typhoon, it may be months before power is restored to some parts of the Philippines. A Chicago-area non-profit called Watts of Love hopes to have 10,000 solar lights to the area by Christmas. [CBS2 Chicago]
World:
¶ The Scottish island of Gigha is to be the focus of a £2.5 million experiment aimed at solving a major technological problem: how to store energy generated by wind, tide and wave power plants. [The Guardian]
¶ Ethiopia is planning to multiply its power output by five over the next five years, increasing from 2,000 MW to 10,000 MW. Primary power sources will be wind, hydro, and geothermal. [Tadias Magazine]
¶ The European Commission’s energy chief says a proposal on mandatory disaster insurance for nuclear power plants will be presented in coming weeks. The proposal may be one of the first items on the European Parliament’s agenda after May elections. [Las Vegas Sun]
¶ TEPCO will begin implementing a plan early next month to freeze water in tunnel pipes where they connect with turbine buildings as part of a battle to remove highly radioactive water accumulated in the pipes at Fukushima Daiichi, according to sources.[The Japan News]
¶ Another leakage of water with excessive concentration of radioactive substances has taken place at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the power plant, says. [The Voice of Russia]
US:
¶ Consumers Energy has broken ground on the 105 MW Cross Winds Energy Park, located in Akron and Columbia townships of Tuscola County, Michigan. The project is scheduled to feature 62 General Electric 1.7 MW turbine units. [SmartMeters]
¶ The USDA has announced it is awarding nearly $10 million to a consortium of academic, industry and government organizations to research using insect-killed trees in the Rockies as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy. [Prairie Star]
¶ Now is the right time to purchase solar panels for your home or business according to a group of solar panel local experts in Colorado. They spoke in favor of alternative power and said it is time to ditch your local power company and invest in solar. [Daily Herald]
¶ In 2011 and 2013, Xcel spent more than $2 million telling the citizens of Boulder that the utility knows better than the community when it comes to power production. Now Boulder has voted 2 to 1 in favor of a municipal utility. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Three Rutland residents are forming a group they call “Vermonters for Responsible Solar” to oppose plans for a 2.3 MW solar power installation that would be built in part of a 15-acre field in the Vermont town. [Danbury News Times]
¶ The fire at Unit 1 at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station Tuesday night was caused by degraded electrical cable insulation, NRC officials said Friday. The insulation on the cables was found to have some cracking. [Timesonline.com]
¶ The owner of a North Texas nuclear power plant has tabled its request for federal permission to expand the plant. Luminant Generation had asked the NRC for a license to build two new reactors at Comanche Point, but is putting the request on hold. [CBS Local]
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