geoharvey

Science and Technology:

¶   Spanish researchers have developed a new renewable energy system to produce electrical energy from ocean currents. The system is smaller, less expensive to produce, can operate in relatively deep waters, and can be controlled by a remote. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

World:

¶   A runaway train carrying crude oil in Quebec derailed, causing explosions, fire, and a number of deaths. Resilience.org compiled a list of headlines. [resilience.org]

¶   According to the IPA in South Australia, where wind energy accounts for around 25 per cent of both capacity and demand, coal-fired generation has fallen dramatically, and there has been no need for new peaking power stations. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Clenergy, a solar park solution provider, and its strategic partner CGN Solar Energy, signed an investment and development agreement with the city of Lijiang to provide the city with 100 MW of photovoltaic capacity. [EcoSeed]

¶   The 42-year-old Santa Maria de Garoña nuclear power in Spain has been shut down. The power plant continues to be the target of criticism from the opposition and non-governmental organizations, such as Greenpeace. [Energy Tribune]

¶   Radioactive cesium levels in one of the observation wells at Fukushima Daiichi have jumped up 90 times over the past 3 days. TEPCO experts have been unable so far to determine the cause or assess the impact on the nearby ocean. [www.worldbulletin.net]

¶   Masao Yoshida, the plant manager of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant at the time of the 2011 nuclear disaster, has died of esophageal cancer. He was 58. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   The San Diego County Water Authority and the City of San Diego are mulling building a 500 MW hydroelectric power plant to compensate for the power deficit caused by the shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. [Energy Business Review]

¶   Oregon Institute of Technology has broken ground on renewable energy projects designed to make the campus almost 100% carbon neutral, and it’s being done at virtually no cost to the university. [Herald and News]

World:

¶   Recent achievements in Sweden show how cities could adopt low-carbon initiatives. Three Swedish cities offer insights into how local government can approach low-carbon policies: through energy and electricity, public transport, and urban planning. [Business Spectator]

¶   The government of Pakistan, aiming to supply part of the national energy requirement through renewable energy technologies, plans to get up to 2,500 MW from wind energy by the end of 2015. The country had a capacity of 50 MW in December 2012. [The Nation]

¶   Genesis Energy has received consents for their Castle Hill wind farm, an 860 megawatt wind power project in New Zealand from the country’s Environment Court. New Zealand has set a target to generate over 90 percent of their electricity from renewables by 2025. [EcoSeed]

¶   The Shanghai Securities News reported that China is proposing restrictions to the solar panels exports to European Union to 10 gigawatts per year in order to avoid anti-dumping tariffs. [PR Carbon]

¶   The 42-year-old Santa Maria de Garoña nuclear power plant in the province of Burgos, one of the eight nuclear reactors operating in Spain, has been shut down. It has been a target of criticism from the opposition and NGOs, such as Greenpeace. [Latin American Herald Tribune]

¶   China’s thinking has shifted increasingly towards renewable energy, which is reaching the market faster than nuclear power, a German environment official says. He says the country understood it could deliver power without air pollution, and create jobs in remote areas. [South China Morning Post]

¶   Energy expert Alan Simpson has rubbished claims that Britain will get a good deal on a new nuclear energy plant as a “complete dishonesty”. The government is desperate for French state energy firm EDF to deliver Somerset’s Hinkley Point plant. [Morning Star Online]

¶   Japanese nuclear operators have applied to restart reactors under new rules drawn up following the Fukushima Disaster, but early approval is unlikely as a more independent regulator strives to show a sceptical public it is serious about safety. [Reuters]

US:

¶   Georgia’s utility regulators are getting ready to vote on Georgia Power’s long-range plans, including whether to require the company to incorporate more solar power. Georgia Power wants to shut down 16 coal- and oil-fired power plants. [GPB]

¶   For more than two years, the largest nuclear plant in Alabama operated without a fully functioning failsafe system. A whistleblower is talking about the plant and a lack of safety culture that earned it a red finding from the NRC. [The Birmingham News – al.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   The experimental Solar Impulse plane, powered by the sun, has completed a transcontinental trip across the United States, touching down in New York despite a rip in the fabric of one wing. [Courier Mail]

World:

¶   The world’s largest biomass plant is being built in Pakistan. It will convert 4,200 tons of cattle waste and 700 tons of food waste per day to bio-gas, which will be used for power generation at a facility with an installed capacity of up to 30 MW. [The Express Tribune]

¶   In India, Ahuja Engineering Services has come up with green energy technology solutions to help the poultry and food processing industry deal with waste management and renewable energy generation. The technology is High Rate Biomethanation. [Postnoon]

¶   In the face of an understanding that nuclear power plants will be turned on again in Japan, renewable power projects are being cut back. In some cases, grid operators will not allow the new projects to be connected to the grid. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   Japanese and Korean companies are willing to build nuclear reactors in Britain for a level of subsidy lower than France’s EDF has so far accepted, Ed Davey, the energy secretary, has said. [Telegraph.co.uk]

US:

¶   The federal government will auction leases for wind farms off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts on July 31, marking the first time it has sold competitive leases for wind energy on the outer continental shelf, the U.S. Department of Interior said. [Foster’s Daily Democrat]

¶   In a recent interview, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder expressed his support for increasing Michigan’s renewable energy standard and praised the benefits of energy efficiency. Clean energy is creating jobs and building new businesses across the state. [Southgate News Herald]

¶   A 110 MW concentrating solar project is being built in Nevada. It may change the way people think about solar power, as it delivers power to the grid 12 hours each day. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Before they adjourned this week, Rhode Island legislators passed a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bill that aims to bolster investment in renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. [The Providence Journal]

World:

¶   In the UK, it is now possible to buy gas from two suppliers that is 100% renewable under the Green Gas Certification Scheme. Most of the gas is generated from anaerobic digestion. [Energy Live News]

¶   Desertec Foundation and the Desertec Industrial Initiative, the two main advocates of driving the European renewable energy revolution with desert solar power, have split. They both say their plans for desert solar power have not changed. [The Guardian]

¶   The Japanese utility still battling leaks of radiated water at the nuclear plant sent into meltdown by the 2011 tsunami thinks it has found the perfect person to oversee its safety campaign — a foreign woman. [Asian Correspondent]

¶   TEPCO is postponing an application for restarting two reactors in Niigata Prefecture due to staunch opposition from the prefectural governor. He refused to approve the plans and criticized TEPCO for failing to consult with the local community. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   Germany’s boom in green power, coupled with the lowest demand in 10 years, cut production at nuclear reactors and sent the average operating margin at 15 European utilities to the lowest since 2002, company data compiled by Bloomberg show. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   Legislation to expand access to clean and affordable renewable energy to millions of Californians who currently can’t take advantage of the state’s renewable programs has taken another step toward the Governor’s desk. [The Reporter]

¶   The New Mexico State Land Office is seeking lease bids for the El Cabo wind farm, a proposed 1 GW project that would be built on state trust land. According to the office, the project would be located on 33,600 acres and built in several phases. [North American Windpower]

¶   With the completion last month of a solar project at the Charlotte, N.C., IKEA store, the company now has solar on 39 of its 44 U.S. facilities, totaling up to close to 38 MW of generation. [GreenBiz.com]

¶   The Public Service Board last week held its final day of hearings on whether the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant’s continued operation is in the best interest of the public and therefore merits a new license. [vtdigger.org]

Opinion:

¶   There are fundamental factors at work that ultimately will make fossil fuel subsidies unsustainable worldwide, leading to their decline and allowing other forms of energy to compete more easily. [Forbes]

Science and Technology:

¶   The Solar Impulse leaves from Washington on a journey to New York City planned for Saturday, depending on the weather. It will take hours for the journey — top speed is 45 mph (73 kph). It is the last leg of a transcontinental crossing. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶   Plans have been submitted to Marine Scotland for a proposed 213-turbine wind farm in the Firth of Tay. The proposed Inch Cape wind farm development  would have installed capacity of more than 1,000 megawatts (MW). [Business7]

¶   According to a survey by Nottingham Trent University, Forum for the Future and Farmers Weekly, 40% out of 700 responding farmers are now using renewables, compared to 5% in 2010. Of the others, 61% say they are likely to within five years. [Energy and Environmental Management Magazine]

¶   Former French Environment Minister Delphine Batho said her support for a ban on shale drilling and reducing dependence on nuclear power cost her her job. [Businessweek]

¶   China expects to resolve a muli-billion dollar solar trade spat with the European Union by next month, a senior Chinese industry official said on Friday, after a newspaper reported that Beijing has made a new offer with EU to settle the dispute. [WA today]

¶   TEPCO notivied Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) they intend to apply to restart reactors idled after the Fukushima Disaster, and four additional regional utilities also have notified the authority of similar plans. [Bloomberg]
… The mayor of the city that hosts the biggest nuclear power plant in the world had some harsh criticism for TEPCO for announcing it will apply for a government safety assessment of two reactors before informing local authorities. [The Japan Times]
… The NRA says that it will take a “long time” to uphold safety culture, which the it is convinced not to be the current priority in nuclear industry. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   The Energy Information Administration has released a new infographic on the history of energy in the US, starting in 1776, showing the rise of coal, hydro, oil, nuclear, and now renewables. [EIA.gov]

Science and Technology:

¶   The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has built flexible solar cells out of Corning’s Willow Glass. They are strong enough to function as roofing shingles, significantly shrinking the biggest barrier to mass adoption of solar power: the cost of installation. [ExtremeTech]

¶   New research in Finland indicates that lignocellulosic biomass from forest product residue can be used in the production of high-quality biofuels at moderate cost. The technology is considered ready for commercial-scale production in Europe. [Science Codex]

World:

¶   Prime Minister David Cameron has hailed the 630 MW London Array as a “big win for renewable energy” at the offshore wind farm’s official opening. The project is in the outer Thames Estuary, 20 km from the coasts of Kent and Essex, and has 175 turbines. [reNews]

¶   Advanced biofuels, biomethane and electric vehicles could out-compete conventional transport options like gasoline by 2020 if support policies are enhanced and expanded, said a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Wednesday. [Xinhua]

¶   Solar energy is set to emerge as one of the Gulf region’s main sources of energy by 2017 with approximately 155 billion worth of solar power installation projects in the pipeline to generate more than 84 GW of power. [MENAFN.COM]

¶   The latest forecast from Navigant Research (formerly known as Pike Research) is that 241,000 MW of new wind power capacity will be installed worldwide from 2012 to 2017. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A report by renewable firm Regen SW reveals that the renewable energy capacity in the UK’s South West has grown by almost 50% in the past 12 months. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Security analysts present at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna believe that the Fukushima meltdown in 2011 may inspire terrorists. With actual experience of nuclear disaster, the Atomic Energy Agency of Japan has been scheduled for a presentation. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   A bill signed into law in Hawaii allows landlords to install renewable energy systems on their property and sell the electricity to their tenants or lessees. It requires the rate charged for the electricity to be lower than that charged by the utility and be part of the lease. [Big Island Now]

¶   New Mexico utility PNM announced a plan to increase the solar PV it owns by 30 percent next year and to increase the wind on its system by 50 percent in 2015. The proposal meets the state’s energy portfolio requirement for 2015, while keeping costs below the state’s 3% cost cap. [Deming Headlight]

¶   The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved two crops to use in a renewable fuel program that environmentalists have warned are invasive species. The crops in question are giant reed and napier grass. The agency is putting restrictions on production to avoid spreading. [The Hill]

¶   The California power grid operator passed its first heat wave test of 2013 without the San Onofre nuclear plant and another reactor at the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant without much trouble. [Reuters]

Opinion:

¶   “Coal’s future dims under Obama’s climate plan” If new EPA standards for existing plants are similar to those that have been proposed for new plants so far, they would likely spell the end of coal-fired generation in the US. [The Age]

World:

¶   GE has opened a new wind energy services center in Bahia, Brazil. Its first facility there will enable it to more quickly and efficiently put local expertise to work in meeting the country’s growing demand for advanced wind energy services. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Mongolia’s first wind farm, located deep in the Mongolian Steppe, 70 km. from its capital, Ulaanbaatar, was officially opened by the Mongolian Minister of Energy, Mishig Sonompil. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   The U.K. may take “a few months” to agree the price that Electricite de France SA (EDF) will get for power from Britain’s first new nuclear power station in two decades, Energy Secretary Ed Davey suggested. [Bloomberg]

¶   Electricity saving began Monday in large parts of Japan for the high demand season. For the first time, the government had no specific power-saving targets, as people have become accustomed to conserving electricity, ensuring sufficiency. [SteelGuru]

¶   The Nuclear Regulation Authority decided to allow Japan’s only two reactors currently online to continue operating until they shut down for inspection in September. They will need approval under new safety requirements for restart. [GlobalPost]

US:

¶   Already having two 20 MW solar farms in North Carolina, Apple is taking on a big photovoltaic project in Nevada to help power a new Reno-area data center. A 137 acre solar array will produce about 43.5 million kWh per year. [EarthTechling]

¶   June 30th was the latest proposed restart date for the troubled Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station. Now that the day has come and gone, and there are still questions as to when all necessary conditions are to be met. [KVNO News]

Opinion:

¶   “‘Intermittent & unpredictable’: Nuclear reactor fails during heat wave” Nuclear plants have proven unreliable during heat waves, just when power is most needed. In comparison, solar and wind are called “variable and predictable.” [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶   In Australia, Algae Tec plans to take carbon dioxide a year from Macquarie Generation’s Bayswater power station in the Upper Hunter, using it to feed algae, which will be used to make biofuel. [ABC Online]

World:

¶   The UK is not meeting its 2020 Renewable Energy Target. Renewable Energy Association data showed that the UK was the only EU member state that did not meet its 2011 renewable energy target, and things just get worse for 2012. [OilPrice.com]

¶   Donald Trump is suing the government of Scotland over eleven wind turbines that will be visible from his resort golf course. Trump argues that wind turbines are ugly and dangerous, kill birds, are made in China, and are too expensive. [Triple Pundit]

¶   Speaking at a meeting in Vienna, Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned against a “false sense of security” over the danger of nuclear terrorism. [Times LIVE]

US:

¶   Six Sioux tribes, the Cheyenne River Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux, Oglala Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and Yankton Sioux have united to develop the Sioux Wind Project in South Dakota. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   A new coalition in Massachusetts has formed to advocate for renewable heat policies within the state. It includes biomass-focused organizations and is called the new Massachusetts Renewable Thermal Coalition. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   The city council of Austin, Texas has approved its energy contract. Duke Energy Renewables will build two 200-megawatt wind farms in Texas to provide power for Austin Energy under a 25-year contract that could be worth up to $1 billion. [Charlotte Business Journal]

¶   Legislation before the Pennsylvania state could open treeless land, nominally a state forest but actually an infertile former strip mine, for construction of a wind farm. [MassLive.com]

¶   It has not been a good 2013 for nuclear power in the US. Only six months in, the U.S. nuclear fleet has had one of its worst years ever, arguably worse than 2011, with the impact of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan. [POWER magazine]

¶   An oppressive heat wave is testing the California grid, and so far it seems to be passing, despite loss of three nuclear reactors. Improved grid technology and better communication of energy use have helped prevent major blackouts so far. [Christian Science Monitor]

Science and Technology:

¶   Though solar panels and wind turbines in the Eastern US do not produce as much electricity as they do in the West, they have far more positive effects on health, because more of the power they are replacing comes from coal. [90.5 WESA]

¶   Australian National University researchers have developed a material that can store large amounts of power rapidly – and with very little energy loss. Based on the mineral rutile, a mineral of titanium dioxide, it may be developed for capacitors for grid electric storage. [Energy Matters]
… The hope is that the new material could open the door to electric cars that can be recharged in minutes, and wind and solar power that can top up the grid as needed. [The Australian]

World:

¶   Tokelau is preparing to move into a second phase of its 100 percent renewable energy project. Last year, Tokelau became the first country in the world to source all its electricity from solar power. Now, it is planning to fuel its emergency backup generators with coconut oil. [Radio New Zealand International]

¶   In Australia, the Greens will push for a 90% renewable energy target by 2030, party leader Senator Christine Milne has announced. [BigPond News]

¶   Wind, sun, tidal, thermal – one legacy of the Fukushima Disaster is a surge in interest in Japan in all things renewable within the energy industry. Prime Minister Age said of this, “The times are changing. We are in the age where consumers themselves produce power.” [Ammon News]

¶   Japanese company Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Company, has developed the SKWID, a floating wind and current hybrid power generation system. [Energy Harvesting Journal]

¶   Some 40% of farmers in the UK are now using renewable energy compared with only 5% identified in 2010. The Farm as Power Station project involving Nottingham Trent University, Forum for the Future and Farmers Weekly found 30% of those had opted for wind installations. [reNews]

US:

¶   US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell has approved a 500 MW wind energy project proposed by BP Wind Energy North America, which will power 175,000 houses and create about 750 jobs. The wind farm will have 243 wind turbines. [NewNet]

¶   Gilchrist Metal Fabrication Company, of Hudson, New Hampshire, has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for powering the company’s facility with 100% renewable energy. The fabrication facility is powered entirely by wind. [PR Web]

¶   About 10% of electricity in the United States is fueled by enriched uranium originally produced in Russia for nuclear warheads, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. They announced last week that the fuel source will be used up this year. [Forbes]

World:

¶   A new report from the U.S. Center for Naval Analyses and the London-based Royal United Services Institute, two of the NATO alliance’s front-line strategy centers, recommends putting more effort into fighting global warming than securing reliable supplies of fossil fuels. [EV World]

¶   The Worldwatch Institute’s Climate and Energy Director met with the Philippine Climate Change Commission and other high-level representatives of the Philippine governments to work on a plan to shift the country’s current electricity system to 100% renewable energy within a decade. [CleanTechnica]

¶   This week, the effects of Britain’s chronic dithering over energy policy were thrown into sharp relief by the UK’s energy regulator, which issued its starkest warning yet over the risk of blackouts; a one-in-four chance by the winter of 2015-16 unless the country starts using a lot less electricity. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶   The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan separated itself from the nine parties that participated in a public debate on June 29, being the only one that supports the continued use of nuclear power far into the nation’s future. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   Japan and the United States have started to jointly research new technologies that could measure the amount of uranium and plutonium contained in melted nuclear fuel at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, officials involved in the project announced Saturday. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶   Massachusetts’ top energy official has announced an initiative to help developers install wind turbines and make it easier for communities to live with them. Increased support for communities could include technical expertise or help in offsetting the expense of meeting noise-level standards. [KRNV My News 4]

¶   New Mexico homeowners can now lease solar electric systems for 25 years with no upfront costs thanks to a new partnership between Albuquerque’s Affordable Solar Group and Texas-based solar leasing company Sunnova Energy Corp. [ABQ Journal]

¶   In an example of the simplest type of solar energy being put into large-scale practice, 2,400 square feet of a south-facing wall on Kingsbury Hall on the UNH Durham campus has been turned into a passive hot air system for the College of Engineering. [Nashua Telegraph]

¶   South Carolina may soon join the ranks of states that have reconsidered the wisdom of imposing restrictive caps on net metering for customer-sited solar power systems. The current 100-kilowatt cap has prevented users, including Furman University, from installing more solar power. [Forbes]

¶   Researchers analyzed 141 drinking water wells in Pennsylvania and New York. Methane was detected in 82% of drinking water samples for homes within a kilometer (0.62 miles or 1,093 yards) of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, wells. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶   The old top-down utility infrastructure model will increasingly come under pressure as new technologies become a disruptive force in electricity infrastructure. Renewable energy, microgrids, and distributed generation will change the way we manage our electricity. [energybiz]

World:

¶   Former Indian Army chief General V K Singh  will lead the ParmanuVirodhiMorcha, a group of non-government organisations, against the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited for developing a nuclear project at Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district. [Times of India]

US:

¶   Los Angeles officials inaugurated the nation’s largest rooftop solar Feed-in Tariff program, enabling hundreds of building owners to create solar power plants on their rooftops and sell solar power to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for grid distribution. [Your Renewable News]

¶   A recent poll of small business owners across the United States says a majority oppose public subsidies for oil, coal, and gas companies; support renewable energy; are concerned about carbon dioxide impacts; and support disclosure of chemicals used in “fracking.” [Sacramento Bee]

¶   An earthquake could collapse the building at Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M., where plutonium cores of nuclear bombs are produced, releasing deadly doses of radiation, the Department of Energy’s inspector general reported. [Nextgov]

¶   A bipartisan Senate bill introduced today seeks to break gridlock over a permanent nuclear waste repository by establishing a new nuclear waste administration and creating a consent-based process for siting nuclear waste facilities. [POWER magazine]

¶   A test of Three Mile Island nuclear power plant did not go as expected. Officials at the plant say none the 96 sirens in its new emergency notification siren system sounded during a scheduled test Thursday afternoon. In earlier testing, the original siren system worked. [York Dispatch]

Opinion:

¶   “100 Percent Renewable Energy And Beyond” While many countries still discuss whether or not a 100% renewable energy system is even theoretically possible, Germans seem no longer bothered by such unscientific doubts. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Wind power is set to lead Australia’s renewable energy growth for the next half-decade, rising by more than 5 GW from 2012-18. Meanwhile, solar PV capacity is also expected to rise by 5 GW from 2012-18, overtaking wind in 2018. [RenewEconomy]

¶   A drought has caused UK hydro power to produce 32% less in the 1st quarter of 2013, from the same quarter in 2012. Output from other renewable power sources increased, more than offsetting the loss of hydro, for an overall increase of 10%. [reNews]

¶   A new report by the IEA finds that worldwide renewable power generation will exceed that from gas and be twice that of nuclear by 2016 and make up almost a quarter of the global power mix by 2018. [pv magazine]

¶   The Niagara Tunnel, a massive 41-foot wide, 6.3-mile long tunnel that’s 460 feet below the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, made its official debut during opening ceremonies at the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Visitors’ Centre. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   The Takahama nuclear power station on the Sea of Japan coast in western Japan has received the first shipment of reprocessed reactor fuel to arrive in Japan since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, as the plant prepares to restart. [Victoria Times Colonist]

US:

¶   Wind energy and transmission developers got a boost from a recent court decision, which supports spreading out the costs of large power lines delivering remote renewable energy to population centers. [Electric Co-op Today]

¶   Once again New Hampshire legislators are raiding the state’s renewable energy funds, which are financed by increased electricity rates for green programs like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Renewable Portfolio Standards. [The Keene Sentinel]

¶   Exelon, the largest U.S. nuclear power producer, may begin to see a low-emissions strategy, built on nuclear and windpower, pay off — four years after it lost a fight for climate legislation it said would add $1.1 billion in annual earnings. [Bloomberg]

Opinion:

¶   “Obama’s Climate Plan to Ditch Coal Will Be Good for Business. Really.” [Businessweek]

¶   “Redesigning The Electricity Market For Wind And Solar” The world’s energy markets do need to be redesigned, otherwise they cannot cope with the impact of wind and solar. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   Water is essential to thermoelectric power generation, but drought and growing competition for water from myriad other uses can have major effects inside the power plant, impacting operations and, ultimately, reliability. [POWER magazine]

World:

¶   Farmers in Fukushima Prefecture are turning to “solar sharing,” a process in which they can generate solar power on the same land where they grow crops and sell the power to utilities. [The Japan News]

¶   A massive brawl erupted among lawmakers in the Taiwan Legislature yesterday, as members of different parties fought for control over the rostrum, ahead of a scheduled discussion on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant referendum. [AsiaOne]

¶   TEPCO shareholders rejected a proposal to look into pursuing claims for compensation against companies that supplied parts for the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, including General Electric Co. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   President Obama unveiled an aggressive new climate change strategy that would limit pollution from existing coal-fired power plants. He also said the Keystone XL pipeline would not be approved if it raises carbon emissions. [CNN]
… During the speech announcing the plan, he called for more solar and wind power projects to help curb the country’s appetite for fossil fuel and reduce the U.S.’s carbon pollution to 17 percent below 2005 levels. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   The NRC is interested in comments on a draft study examining if faster removal of spent reactor fuel from pools to dry cask storage significantly reduces risks to public health and safety. [Southern Maryland News Net]

¶   Even though Southern California Edison (SCE) decided to shut down the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) earlier this month, customers are still footing the bill for the plant. [89.3 KPCC]

¶   Vermont and New York are joining Friends of the Earth, a national environmental group, in criticizing the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s response to a nuclear plant closing in California. [News 12 Long Island]

¶   A new study released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the environmental impact of Indian Point’s nuclear power plant finds the plant is safe and there is no need for a shut down. [YNN Hudson Valley]

Economics and Finance:

¶   “How wind and solar broke the world’s electricity markets” The world’s energy markets do need to be redesigned, otherwise they cannot cope with the impact of wind and solar. [RenewEconomy]

¶   “The Dirty Truth About Coal” Robert Rapier of Investing Daily provides data on coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable electric generating. [Investing Daily]

Science and Technology:

¶   ENSO Plastics, a global leader of environmental plastics solutions, has introduced new biodegradable technologies for thermo polymers with a 75% lower carbon footprint than polyethylene. [Azom.com]

World:

¶   Communities across Scotland are now receiving £5 million a year from wind farm operators, industry leaders revealed. The amount paid out could become much higher as new green energy schemes get up and running. [ic Scotland.co.uk]

¶   For almost three decades the trees around Chernobyl have been absorbing  contamination. Now,climate change and lack of management present a troubling predicament: if they catch fire, that contamination would be spread in smoke. [Scientific American]

¶   TEPCO said radioactive water may still be leaking into the sea from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after enhanced levels of radioactive tritium were detected in the port area in front of the facility. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶    President Obama is preparing to announce new steps to combat climate change, including increased production of renewable energy on public lands and federally assisted housing, and work to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants. [CapitalGazette.com]

¶   The Supreme Court decided not to hear a challenge to higher ethanol blends of gasoline. The Supreme Court decision comes as fuelmakers struggle to meet federal renewable fuel standards. [Christian Science Monitor]

¶   The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says in a new report that spent fuel pools like the one at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant can withstand severe earthquakes without breaching. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
… The report says there may not be a substantial safety benefit to hastening the transport of spent nuclear fuel from pool to dry cask storage, according to an NRC spokesman. [Timesonline.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   A research team at Sharp Corporation has announced that it has created a solar cell capable of converting 44.4% of incoming sunlight into electricity. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The German Society for International Cooperation released a report saying once a Feed-in-Tariff becomes effective, renewable energy can help answer a growing energy demand  in the Philippines, with an affordable impact on household electricity bills. [Rappler]

¶   Six of Japan’s regional electricity monopolies have included plans to restart 20 reactors by September 2015 in applications for rate hikes. Industry observers say the assumptions are ambitious, as the NRA has said review period my be more than three years. [Chicago Tribune]

¶   A “climate bomb” of potent greenhouse gases far more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide is set to be released by some of the world’s leading producers of refrigerants following a ban on climate credits by the European Emissions Trading Scheme. [CNN]

¶   The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which oversees dismantling the UK’s atomic power and research stations will reveal on Monday that its estimates for the lifetime cost of the programme has risen by billions of pounds. [The Guardian]

US:

¶   The California Hydrogen Business Council has implemented a program to further the wider market adoption of hydrogen as a form of energy storage and advance  commercialization of hydrogen as fuel. [bestmag]

¶   As Congress considers scaling back or abolishing US rules that mandate the use of renewable fuels, it has full support of most of the petroleum industry. BP, one of the world’s biggest oil companies by revenue wants to continue the rules without change. [Washington Post]

¶   The US Army had a power problem, and the consequence was no small matter: Troops were left more vulnerable to sniper attacks. But now, the Army says, the use of solar and wind systems is keeping the power flowing and, as a result, helping reduce casualties. [EarthTechling]

¶   A new environmental group in Massachusetts will ask voters to be the first in the nation to adopt a carbon tax by imposing new levies on fossil fuels based on the amount of carbon dioxide they produce. The tax could generate $2.5 billion in revenues per year. [Boston Globe]

Science and Technology:

¶   Wind to hydrogen: In Falkenhagen, Germany, a little town about 45 miles east of Berlin, E.On is closing in on putting to work a system that uses power from a nearby wind farm to turn water into hydrogen, which is then shot straight into the area’s natural gas system. [EarthTechling]

World:

¶   Creating jobs a breeze if we use natural resources. Ireland’s resources in onshore, near-shore and offshore wind energy realizable in the coming decades have been calculated at 1,990 GW. The total US and Europe electricity generation capacity in 2010 was 1,971 GW. [Irish Independent]

¶   Mongolia has opened its first wind farm, a landmark $122 million project that aims to shift the country’s reliance on coal and tackle the pollution choking its capital Ulan Bator. A total of 31 turbines are expected to power 5% of electricity needs of the country. [CoalGuru.com]

US:

¶   After spending more than five years pursuing plans for a coal-burning power plant in Texas, Omaha-based Tenaska says it has dropped the plan and will focus on the development of natural gas-fueled and renewable facilities. [LubbockOnline.com]

¶   VW America’s manufacturing facility in Chattanooga embodies the sum total of Think Blue, the latest five-year (2012-2018) iteration of the automaker’s global sustainability initiative. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Large, community solar-power arrays are popping up across Colorado. Spurred by a pilot program by Xcel Energy, the state’s largest electricity provider, 22 “solar gardens” are being built from Aurora to Grand Junction, with more to come. [Denver Post]

¶   With little public notice, managers of the government-controlled landfill at the Nevada National Security Site have changed their rules to accept containers of nuclear waste that are five times more radioactive than now allowed. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
… Nevada’s governor is telling the federal government the state does not want highly radioactive waste of the type that could be used to build a “dirty bomb” buried in a shallow pit at the former national nuclear proving ground north of Las Vegas. [St. George Daily Spectrum]

Opinion:

¶   “What Solar Impulse’s under-the-radar flight says about the future of solar energy” The plane probably won’t change the way we fly — but it could impact the way we drive, build buildings, and power appliances. [The Week Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new project at the University of California San Diego is aimed at testing integration of ultracapacitors, “flash” storage for the grid, with concentrating solar power. [Greentech Media]

World:

¶   According to a recent report from Navigant Research, the worldwide market for small wind systems will reach $723 million by 2018, with $3.3 billion in cumulative sales from 2013 through 2018. [PCBDesign007]

¶   Japan is greatly expanding its solar energy capacity in 2013, according to a leading commodities analyst, buoying industrial demand for silver. Solar panels are now a major source of silver demand, accounting for 4.5% of total silver purchases in 2012. [BullionVault]

¶   Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman & Kuwait Targeting More Than 50 GW of Solar Capacity by 2032, as the Gulf Cooperation Council countries move away from carbon-based fuel for their economies. [DigitalJournal.com]

¶   Shareholders of eight of the nine utilities that operate nuclear power plants will present proposals at shareholders’ meetings next week urging the companies to abandon nuclear power. All of Japan’s utilities hold their annual shareholders’ meetings on June 26. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   A growing number of Vermont towns are taking a look at powering municipal buildings via solar arrays. [Vermont Public Radio]

¶   New York state legislators have given their resounding approval to a solar bill that could see 2,200 MW of new installations by 2023. The bill was passed by the state Assembly by 76 to 16 votes. [PV-Tech]

¶   Hawaiian Electric Company has asked the Public Utilities Commission for permission to negotiate with five proposed projects that could quickly provide low-cost electricity for Oahu. The five projects include a mix of solar and wind capacity totaling 64 MW. [Fierce Energy]

¶   Dominion Virginia Power is accepting applications for a program that allows customers to sell solar power back to the energy provider. The Richmond-based company says participation is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is limited to a total of 3 megawatts. [The Daily Progress]

¶   Rhode Island’s capital city has joined a growing movement to fight climate change with a City Council vote to withdraw all investments in fossil-fuel companies. The council voted 11-1 in favor of the resolution. [The Providence Journal]

¶   A double-shelled tank holding more than 850,000 gallons of highly radioactive wastes may be leaking through both of its protective layers at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington. [The Seattle Times]

¶   The Vermont Public Service Board is allowing critics of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to examine the plant’s impact on water quality as it considers the plant’s Certificate of Public Good. The ruling was a reversal for Entergy Vermont Yankee. [Vermont Public Radio]

Opinion:

¶   “What’s Going on With Exelon Stock?” Motley Fool’s market analysts explain why Exelon’s slipping stock price is probably not short-term – and the explanation reveals troubles for those too heavily invested in nuclear power. [Motley Fool]

Science and Technology:

¶   Silevo Inc, of Fremont, California, has announced the production of a new 355 watt, 72-cell solar PV module, comprised of 156 mm PV cells based on the company’s novel Triex cell architecture. [solarserver.com]

World:

¶   According to Ernst & Young, which has been keeping up monthly tracking since 2003, the best place to invest in renewable power generation is the US, followed by China, Germany, Australia, and the UK. [Power Engineering International]

¶   In a draft assessment, Japanese nuclear industry regulators say the country’s two operating nuclear reactors have no serious safety problems. If the assessment receives final approval it will mean reactors 3 and 4 at Ohi can remain online through September. [United Press International, Asia]

¶   Two more leaks of radioactive water found at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant suspended desalination operations and will likely further delay the full-scale use of a decontamination system, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   NRG, the largest electric supplier in the US and largest solar developer, has added a 720 MW gas-fired plant near San Francisco. The turbines have a quick-start technology, can ramp up to full power in 12 minutes, and are considered a good backup to solar power. [Gas to Power Journal]

¶   A new investigation by AP has found that the vast majority of counties where fracking is occurring in seven states are also suffering from drought. The AP found that fracking is presenting new strains on water supplies in some drought-stricken areas of the country. [theenergycollective.com]

¶   The city of Houston signed an agreement with Reliant Energy to purchase more than 140 MW of wind energy output over the next two years. The purchase of renewable credits will account for half of the city’s annual electricity demand. [PennEnergy]

¶   The federal government’s Tax Code has done little overall to cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to a National Research Council report out Thursday, which concludes that a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system would be much more effective. [Politico]

¶   The U.S. House of Representatives has unexpectedly failed to pass its version of the farm bill, dashing the hopes of those pushing for funding for renewable energy programs. The vote was 195-234, with opposition over agriculture subsidies and food stamps. [Solar Industry]

Environmental Spy Thriller:

¶   The Australian Climate Commission released a report urging a slowdown to extraction of fossil fuels due to negative impact on the environment and climate. The response from  the Queensland premier is that a clandestine group is out to kill the state’s coal industry. [International Business Times AU]

Science, Technology, and Finance:

¶   The cost of photovoltaic solar panels is expected to drop to 36 cents per watt by 2017, according to new research by cleantech market research firm GTM Research. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Alta Devices have jointly demonstrated that Alta’s solar material retains its high efficiency in real-world conditions, particularly on hot days. [Wall Street Journal]

World:

¶   Japan is turning to renewable energy, and especially solar power, in a big way. By the end of 2012, Japan had already installed 7.4 gigawatts of solar power capacity, but that’s set to double this year, according to analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [The9Billion]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power has been granted planning consent by East Lothian Council for the onshore cable works to connect its 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm, set to be located off the Scottish coast, to the National Grid. [NewNet]

¶   Africa is undergoing a renewable energy boom, led by South Africa and Morocco, and renewables are offering the least-cost option to reduce a chronic power shortage and lack of access to electricity across the continent. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Four utilities are planning to apply for permission to restart 12 reactors at six nuclear power plants across Japan as soon as a set of new safety requirements, approved June 19 by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, enter into force on July 8. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   President Obama will target carbon emissions from power plants as part of a second-term climate change agenda expected to be rolled out in the next few weeks, according to his top energy and climate adviser. [Huffington Post]

¶   For the latest Energy and Water appropriations bill, Republicans have proposed 50% cut to spending on renewable energy. Renewable energy research and development would be cut  by $911 million, and the total cut to $2.81 billion less than the 2013 budget. [OilPrice.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   Samsung Heavy Industries’ next-generation 7 MW offshore wind turbine is to take a major step toward commercialisation with performance trials of its drive-train at the new high-capacity test bench at the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre. [Recharge]

World:

¶   According to the latest update from the US Energy Information Administration, many countries can meet 100% of their energy need through the use of renewable energy systems. Two countries that are doing so are Norway and Iceland. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   In Australia, a much-hyped anti-wind rally held outside Parliament House in Canberra could only rally 150 people to its cause. By comparison the pro-wind rally hastily organised to provide a counter picture managed between 600 to 700 people. [Business Spectator]

¶   A £3 billion development to build an offshore wind farm in Scotland has won the backing of Highland Council. The 277-turbine development in the Outer Moray Firth could inject £125 million into the region’s economy and bring up to 950 jobs. [Ross-Shire Journal]

¶   GE is supplying UK developer Clarke Energy with two of its Jenbacher J420 biogas engines for a new 2.8 MW agricultural biogas power project at a large vegetable farm near Lake Naivasha in Kenya, the first biogas project in Sub-Saharan Africa. [PennEnergy]

¶   Warsaw may postpone the planned construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plants, the prime minister announced on June 18, claiming that the facilities may not be needed thanks to increased use of gas as an energy source.  [Business New Europe]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority finalized safety guidelines for nuclear power plants that reflect the lessons learned from the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. But the watchdog said that any restart of the country’s idled reactors will likely take months. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Tokyo Electric Power Company said tests of ground water at Fukushima showed Strontium-90 was present at 30 times the legal rate. The radioactive isotope tritium has also been detected at elevated levels. [BBC News]

US:

¶   House Republicans have proposed legislation to push the Government to provide surge protectors and grid-saving devices that would offer protection in case of a massive electromagnetic pulse from either a flare or nuclear weapon. [Daily Mail]

¶   A report released by the EPA faults Washington state for lax oversight at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site, saying the state employs too few inspectors and gives advance notice of inspections to the federal agency charged with managing the cleanup. [OregonLive.com]

Graph of the day:

¶   “Why the fossil fuel industry hates renewables”  With a series of graphs, REneweconomy shows how solar and wind power are depressing the coal generating industry in Germany. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   Around $1.3 trillion have been invested in the renewable energy sector since 2006 and the growth trend is set to continue, according to a new report by Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century. There were 5.7 million people employed in the sector in 2012. [EarthTechling]

¶   Nearly 22% of the world’s electricity is now supplied by renewable energy, and Central America is part of this global transition. The region is a worldwide leader in hydropower and geothermal energy, and most Central American countries are developing wind power. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Hydrogenics Corporation has announced that the largest Power to Gas facility in the world went “live” this week with the first direct injection of hydrogen into a gas pipeline using Hydrogenics technology. [Gasworld.com]

¶   The UK Shadow Energy Minister [energy spokesman for the opposition] has announced that the next Labour Manifesto will deliver a commitment to decarbonize the UK economy by 2030. The party will also drive forward the offshore wind industry. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   At the same time that a rally brought an anti-wind campaign to the grounds before Parliament House, and pro-renewable groups held a rival get-together in the same city, the world’s biggest wind turbine manufacturer has entered the debate with an “Act of Facts”. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶   The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has outlined its emergency regulation for applications for the state’s Solar Carve-Out, scrapping the original 400 MW cap. All existing  applications with an Interconnection Service Agreement by June 7, 2013 qualify. [The National Law Review]

¶   Four dozen elected officials, from localities as diverse as Washington DC, Des Moines, Iowa and Santa Barbara County, California, released a one-page plan which laid out actions such as using more renewable energy and making buildings and infrastructure more energy-efficient. [Business Spectator]

¶   Former President Bill Clinton and leaders from six Sioux Indian Tribes announced a new wind power initiative that will harness South Dakota’s greatest natural resource and spur long-term development in the economically depressed region. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Running counter to a trend among US utilities to avoid expenses on nuclear power, Xcel Energy says it’s investing $1.8 billion to extend the life of its 40-year-old Minnesota reactors. [St. Cloud Times]

¶   Florida Governor Rick Scott signed SB 1472 into law. The new law attempts to clamp down on the state’s controversial nuclear cost recovery payment scheme that allows utilities to charge customers in advance for proposed new nuclear power generation. [PR Newswire]

¶   A new government report says it may take six years to start emptying a leaking tank of waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, mostly because it will take about six years to secure appropriate tank space to put all that sludge. [Northwest Public Radio]

¶   The Vermont Public Service Board on Monday began what is expected to be the final two weeks of hearings on whether it’s in the public’s best interest for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to obtain a new state operating permit. Decommissioning is first on the agenda. [vtdigger.org]

Opinion:

¶   Entergy CEO Hugh McDonald spoke to the Rotary Club of Little Rock on May 7 about the issues of choosing a sensible fuel source for a power plant. He provides some insight into Entergy’s internal guidance. [Daily Record]

Investing and Finance:

¶   An increase in nuclear decommissioning has investors guessing about costs and the effects on the market. There are lots of numbers, but no clear answers. [Businessweek]

World:

¶   A report from the Australian Climate Commission says that much of Australia’s coal needs to be left in the ground to avoid disastrous climate change. Big investors are increasingly aware of this, according to a top bank executive. [The Australian Financial Review]

¶   Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority has begun accepting applications f0r 600 MW of solar capacity it will permit. In five days, 496 companies submitted applications for 9000 MW. There are complaints over the 600 MW limit. [Journal of Turkish Weekly]

¶   Lithuania’s largest wind farm has been opened at Ciuteliai, 19km east of the Baltic Sea coast. The facility has a capacity of 39.1 MW and is expected to generate 108 GWh of electricity annually, enough for 27,000 households. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Around 60% of Japanese oppose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to export nuclear technologies and expertise, according to a recent poll. Only 24% support the government’s policy. [The Tokyo Times]

US:

¶   A three-decade-old concentrating solar plant in California is selling electricity for 5.57¢ per kWh and making money. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Cheap natural gas has not only made new nuclear plants unfeasible, an Exelon executive said in Chicago Thursday, but has undermined Exelon’s plans to upgrade its existing fleet. [Forbes]

Economics:

¶   Nuclear plants, old and uncompetitive, are closing earlier than expected. This year, utilities have announced the retirement of four reactors, bringing the number remaining in the United States to 100. [New York Times]

¶   If you’ve perceived a hint of desperation in anti-renewable energy arguments lately, there’s a reason. Renewable energy is a threat to the fracking boom. [TheStreet.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   Solar Impulse pilot André Borschberg has landed in Cincinnati as part of a quest to cross the country in a solar-powered airplane. The plane’s lithium-ion batteries allow it to fly at night. [AOPA Pilot]

World:

¶   A power-to-gas plant that converts surplus power from wind turbines into energy-dense hydrogen gas started operating in Germany for the first time this week. The system is intended to store power from renewable resources. [FuelFix]

¶   Nuclear firm Sellafield has been fined £700,000 and ordered to pay more than £72,000 costs for sending bags of low-level radioactive waste to a landfill site. [The Guardian]

¶   Oil, gas, coal, and nuclear power have all fallen victim to sluggish economic growth and dwindling global demand. Solar power generation increased over 58%, and wind energy grew at 18.9%. [NASDAQ]

¶   In further delay, Nuclear Power Corporation of India has postponed the expected date of commissioning of the first unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant to July. [Economic Times]

US:

¶   A carbon dioxide release forced workers to evacuate the turbine building Friday morning at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station. [Timesonline.com]

¶   The TVA’s top nuclear building director said he expects the Watts Bar Unit 2 reactor to generate power by 2015. The reactor has been under construction for four decades. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Opinion:

¶   Two big announcements show wind and energy efficiency are financeable and attractive, and new small nuclear reactors are not.  MidAmerican Energy is adding wind capacity, while turning down nuclear and natural gas. [RenewEconomy]

Finance and Economics:

¶   Venture Capitalists, driven by their appetite for quick results, are poorly positioned to take advantage of enormous opportunities in renewable energy. The investors who will profit are those who can be patient. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The IEA once voiced doubt about Germany’s decision to end its use of nuclear power. Now it says though major work remains, Germany is exceeding even its own ambitious targets without damage to its economy. [Bloomberg]

¶   New figures indicate that renewable energy projects in Cornwall now generate about £11.5 million worth of electricity per year. Along with big businesses, there are 85 large independent projects involved. [This is Cornwall]

¶   China Ming Yang Wind Power will form a joint venture with a subsidiary of China National Nuclear to develop wind and solar power projects in China. The first project will be 300 MW of wind in Henan province. [EcoSeed]

¶   The European Commission has published a draft nuclear safety law that includes mandatory EU-wide reviews every six years in response to lessons learnt from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. [Chicago Tribune]

US:

¶   Proponents of Renewable Portfolio Standards that drive adoption of wind energy can be heartened by results so far of the 2013 legislative session. Bills to weaken state renewable energy policies have had little success in 20 states. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   As a result of a lawsuit brought by Earthjustice on behalf of environmental groups, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection updated and strengthened air quality permits for coal plants across the state. [InvestorIdeas.com]

¶   Less than a week after another utility announced it will give up trying to restart a pair of nuclear reactors, the Tennessee Valley Authority said it will shelve a project in northeastern Alabama and eliminate 530 jobs. [Bloomberg]

¶   Southern California Edison has made it official: the utility informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it has closed down the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station — forever. [KCET]

Not Energy, but Noteworthy:

¶   The world quietly reached a milestone in the evolution of the human diet in 2011. For the first time in modern history, world farmed fish production topped beef production. [InvestorIdeas.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   A professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has proposed a design for a new type of solar panel that can simultaneously generate power from the sun and store reserves for later use. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   A wood-boring pest, a bane to the shipping and lumber industries, could prove to be a boon to the cellulosic biofuel industry. The Limnoria quadripunctata, may make enzymes that can be used to breakdown biomass for biofuel. [EcoSeed]

World:

¶   German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised to scale back Germany’s generous system of subsidies to the renewables sector if she is re-elected in September, a move that would reduce the costs of her green revolution on consumers. [Business Spectator]

¶   “Horrendous” and inconsistent grid connection fees are a major obstacle to major electricity users developing their own renewable projects, according to members of the Major Energy Users’ Council at a recent meeting in London. [Utility Week]

¶   Goldman Sachs, the  bank planning as much as 300 billion yen ($3.19 billion) in renewable energy investments in Japan, is eyeing offshore wind power after building up holdings in more established clean energy sources such as solar. [Businessweek]

¶   A dramatic drop in the price of solar power technology last year helped the continued growth of renewable energy, according to a UN-backed report. Global renewable capacity rose by 115 GW, compared with 105 the year before. [Post-Bulletin]

US:

¶   Two of the Vermont’s smallest electric utilities have surpassed a threshold that no longer compels them to subsidize power generated by renewable energy systems. [vtdigger.org]

¶   American Electric Power is buying more renewables as federal regulators crack down on emissions from coal-fired power plants and states and consumers demand utilities buy more power from renewable sources like wind and solar. [Longview News-Journal]

¶   A ruling by a federal court in the Midwest may force California to buy renewable energy from out of state whether it wants to or not, potentially spurring energy development in the desert areas east of the California state line. [KCET]

¶   For more than four decades, the Palisades Nuclear plant’s water tank was believed to be sitting on a large bed of sand, for safety reasons. But this week, investigators found that that’s not the case. [WNDU-TV]

World:

¶   According to the Center for Science and Environment in Delhi, solar energy has finally “arrived.” Today, solar energy is positioned to become a new source of power to lead the world to a low-carbon future. [DAWN.com]

¶   A report by Renewable UK says the UK will need to build around 32 factories if the country is to meet its targets for offshore wind farm development. Additionally, tens of thousands of jobs can be created. [Power Engineering International]

¶   Brazil has some of the largest offshore oil reserves in the word. However, rather than relying on that oil to fuel its economic growth it has decided to focus on renewable energies and biofuel. [Stockhouse]

¶   The European economy lost five million working days in 2010 because of illnesses, such as asthma and heart attacks, linked to pollution from coal-fired power plants, according to a new report by Stuttgart University. [Business Green]

US:

¶   A federal appeals court found it unconstitutional for Michigan to discriminate against out-of-state renewable electricity. The decision is said to give a major edge to clean power in the legal fight over the future of the U.S. grid. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶   Shareholders representing nearly a quarter of the shares in Dominion Resources, a major utility in Virginia, voted to require reports to investors on the financial risks that climate change poses to its business. [Businessweek]

¶   The Jubitz Family Foundation, which built its wealth partly on a group of truck stops in Oregon, has sold off its fossil fuel stock holdings. Its investment advisor, found the action would have an insignificant impact on its return. [Portland Tribune]

¶   Exelon says it has abandoned plans to expand production the La Salle nuclear power plant in Illinois and the Limerick nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, amid low power prices and tepid electricity demand growth. [NASDAQ]

Notable:

You know the times are changing when the wife of a Japanese Prime Minister says he is wrong:
¶   Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akie Abe, said in a speech she is opposed to nuclear power. She described herself as “an opposition party within the family.” Speaking of her husband, she said, “He had better hear something he does not want to hear.” [Asahi Shimbun]

World:

¶   Canada will make operators of nuclear power plants liable for the first C$1 billion ($980 million) of damages in the event of an accident, up from C$75 million under existing rules, according to Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver. [Reuters]

¶   Solar developer Canadian Solar has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Grand Renewable Solar, a project developed by Samsung Renewable Energy, for the construction of a 130 MW utility-scale solar plant. [NewNet]

¶   Cuba is developing renewable energy in an effort to stop dependence on fossil fuels. Wind farms, solar energy facilities, biomass and biogas plants as well as a large number of windmills are part of the Cuban renewable energy strategy. [Cuba News]

¶   The Japanese government and TEPCO say that they may be able to start removing the melted fuel from inside the Fukushima nuclear reactors within the first half of 2020 provided that work efficiency is improved. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   Biofuels developed from plant biomass and purpose-grown crops can substantially move California toward its ambitious energy goals, a new report says, provided there are wise allocations of feedstocks and successful energy efficiency strategies are in place. [Phys.Org]

¶   By a vote of 66 to 27 on Monday evening, the full Senate passed its version of a 2013 Farm Bill which includes mandatory funding for renewable energy programs. [Valley News Live]

¶   Edison International’s decision to abandon its San Onofre nuclear plant in California is the latest blow for an industry already facing questions about its long-term survival. [Businessweek] 

Science and Technology:

¶   A new type of small wind turbine for home and urban use is quieter and more efficient than older models. In addition, it operates with winds of lower speeds. [ENGINEERING.com]

World:

¶   China is increasingly becoming a global force in international clean energy investment, too. In fact, the country has provided nearly $40 billion to other countries’ solar and wind industries over the past decade. [eco-business.com]

¶   The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has launched an AUD$400 million (US$377 million) fund to displace diesel use in remote areas of the country. The fund will generate 150 MW of new renewables capacity. [pv magazine]

¶   The Cook Islands government says it is ready to start renewable energy project. The project will provide a 24-hour electric supply powered by PVs to community mini-grids on the most vulnerable and isolated islands. [Radio New Zealand International]

¶   Keeping the meltdown-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in north-eastern Japan in stable condition requires a cast of thousands. Increasingly the plant’s operator is struggling to find enough workers. [Yahoo!7 News]

¶   Nearly 60% of voters oppose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to use nuclear energy to fuel economic growth, but 51% expect his policies to improve the economy, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   The U.S. Defense Department announced 240 new contracts for its renewable energy in May totaling $19.4 billion, a 2.1% increase from April’s total.[Washington Post]

¶   A just-proposed California law would drop the state’s 33% renewables mandate in favor of a cost-effective, coherently procured greentech future. The plan is backed by renewables advocates and approved by grid operator leadership. [Energy Collective]

¶   After over a year of preparations and near-shore testing, the Fishermen’s Energy Wind Sentinel buoy was relocated to an offshore area, eleven miles east of Ocean City, NJ, proposed by Fishermen’s Energy for a 350 MW windfarm. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Reactions to the news that San Onofre is closing range from celebration among activists to concerns over stored nuclear fuel, job losses, and a new bill that could ramp up pressure for approval of large-scale renewable energy projects. [East County Magazine]

Investing:

¶   “The Winds of Change Are Upon Us” Investment advisor Motley Fool assesses the potential of windpower and the companies who are in that sector. [Motley Fool]

World:

¶   The renewable energy world was abuzz last week with news that Google has just nailed down an exclusive agreement with a Swedish wind farm developer to provide its Finnish data center with wind power for the next ten years, from the new Maevaara wind farm to be built in Sweden. [Energy Collective]

¶   Philippine proponents of renewable energy say solar PVs pose a viable solution to the decades-old problem of electrification in far-flung rural communities that belong to the off-grid market, meaning areas which are not connected to the main transmission grid that powers the country’s main islands. [Manila Standard Today]

¶   President Obama and Chines President Xi agreed their governments would work together to find ways to phase down the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons as a way to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. [Huffington Post]

US:

¶   The world is changing. NRG is the largest power provider to U.S. utilities. It has become one of the largest equity owners of solar power. Now the company is going into a partnership with Nest, a company that provides solar home energy solutions with an emphasis on elegant design. [Motley Fool]

¶   For better and worse, San Onofre, Southern California’s only nuclear power, plant is being scrapped. Now begins an epic struggle over who gets stuck with the unpaid bill for nearly $4.3 billion. And Edison estimates that decommissioning the plant will cost another $4.12 billion. [U-T San Diego]