World:
¶ Western Australia is about to get its first solar powered mine site, with work starting next week on a $40 million solar array to supply Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa copper mine with a substantial portion of its power. Under a deal with Juwi, the builder, Sandfire will buy power for at least six years, with further agreements if Sandfire keeps the mine going. [The West Australian]
A Juwi Energy project in East Africa similar to the one proposed for Western Australia.
¶ It appears people power may have won the day for villagers in Dudleston Heath, Shropshire, who are claiming victory in their campaign to stop developers digging up the countryside hunting for gas. IGas Energy, which acquired Dart Energy last year, confirmed it is no longer interested in operating an exploratory borehole to drill for coal-bed methane on the site. [shropshirestar.com]
¶ Eku, a town located in southern Nigeria, is an impoverished area that faces poor service from the local utility daily. Power is intermittent or restricted for periods lasting days, or sometimes weeks. A church, in the US city of Athens, Georgia, looks to change an Eku orphanage’s power problems by donating $25,000 to help build it a system providing solar power. [Online Athens]
¶ Plans for Britain’s first nuclear reactor in almost 30 years have come under sustained attack from politicians and City bankers. A report from a top bank this weekend warned that the cost of the £25 billion Hinkley Point C plant was “becoming harder to justify.” HSBC concluded: “We see ample reason for the UK Government to delay or cancel the project.” [This is Money]
¶ Several power generation companies have committed to establishing renewable energy power plants to supply electricity and water for the Philippine province of Aklan and other nearby provinces. These companies will build a 50-MW wind power project in Aklan, a 18-MW hydropower project in Aklan , a water project on Boracay Island, and a solar power project. [Philippine Star]
Boracay island is considered as one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines.
¶ TEPCO has removed a 20-ton piece of debris from a nuclear fuel storage pool, a small but critical step in decommissioning the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It was the largest piece of debris left in the No. 3 reactor building’s storage pool, which is holding 566 nuclear fuel assemblies. The reactor building was heavily damaged by a hydrogen explosion. [Asahi Shimbun]
US:
¶ In its initial version, the Clean Power Plan called for cutting the country’s power plant emissions 30% from 2005 levels by 2030, with different targets for each state. The current plan accommodates many of the objections raised initially, but White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said this week that the final rule will be “stronger in many ways than the proposed rule.” [Yahoo! Maktoob News]
¶ The Obama administration will reduce the differences among state goals in its climate change rule, addressing complaints from states such as Arizona and Florida. The EPA’s initial proposal would have forced states like Arizona, which have a lot of natural-gas plants and scope for renewable power growth, to make cuts in emissions of more than 50 percent by 2030. [Bloomberg]
A bottle and frosty mug of Magic Hat No. 9. Photo by George Chriss. GNU Free Documentation License. Wikimedia Commons.
¶ Purpose Energy is a company on a mission: “Changing the world, one beer at a time.” Eric Fitch, co-founder and CEO of Purpose Energy, has made a breakthrough in waste remediation, renewable energy, and beer brewing. The company’s patented “tribrid bioreactor,”installed at Magic Hat Brewery in South Burlington, Vermont, has changed the game. [Wicked Local Woburn]
¶ One opportunity for the governor of California to meet his goal for renewable energy is to partner with other Western states to coordinate of electricity systems across the West. According to a study by the California ISO, a functional Western grid using the state’s renewable requirement could lower pollution levels by nearly 2.6 million metric tons annually. [Sacramento Bee]
¶ Several Arizona utilities are set to meet a goal of 6% of renewable energy use next year thanks to utility-scale and rooftop solar projects. Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric Power and UNS Electric all expect to reach or surpass their annual benchmarks. The state-regulated utilities must get 15% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025, through annual 1% increases. [SFGate]
¶ The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Green (NASCAR Green) is an innovative and holistic environmental awareness platform in the US. Its mission is to reduce the sport’s environmental footprint by championing sustainable behavior to millions of fans. Clean energy company SunEdison is now NASCAR Green’s official solar energy partner. [Greentech Lead]
¶ Plant Vogtle’s proposed nuclear expansion with new units 3 and 4 will cost an estimated $65 billion, former Georgia Public Service Commissioner Bobbie Baker says, based on his analysis of information he received when cross-examining the PSC staff witness at the June 23, 2015 PSC hearing. The hearing was for the 12th Vogtle Construction Monitoring Review. [Atlanta Progressive News]
geoharvey 
Leave a comment