geoharvey

Interview:

¶   “The Energiewende – the Result of a Powerful Mass Movement from Below” Josef Goeppel, a German parliamentarian, was the first in his traditionally arch-conservative party to grasp the relevance of the Energiewende, or clean energy transition, for his constituents and party. [Heinrich Böll Stiftung] (Thanks to Roric McCorristin for bringing this to my attention.)

Economics:

¶   The Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) is used to estimate the damages from carbon emissions for the purposes of regulatory benefit-cost analyses. The central estimate for the SCC is now around $35 per ton of carbon dioxide pollution emitted today. Even that may be too low. [Energy Collective]

¶   Three out of four small businesses responding to a recent survey reported that, unlike much of the economy, sales for green products and services actually increased over the course of the recent economic downturn. [InvestorIdeas.com]

World:

¶   Irish Renewables developer Mainstream Renewable Power has announced the formation of a joint venture to deliver 600 MW of wind and solar energy in Chile by 2016. [pv magazine]

¶   The renewable chemicals industry will grow at 7.7% annually from 2013 to 2018, mainly due to rise in oil prices, requirement for environmentally friendly feedstock, and low production cost of bio-based chemicals, according to a new report. [European Coatings]

¶   Arab Gulf states sought reassurances from Iran at a U.N. nuclear agency meeting this week over the safety of its only atomic energy plant, which is located in an earthquake-prone coastal area, diplomats said on Thursday. [The Star Online]

US:

¶   The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) says that residential and commercial consumers are choosing to buy power from such renewable sources as wind and solar. [energybiz]

¶   NREL is partnering with the U.S. Navy and others to showcase how renewable biomass sources, like switchgrass, can be used to make large volumes of biofuel more economically. [EP Magazine]

¶   Ski areas from 24 states have signed the Climate Declaration, which calls on U.S. federal policymakers and legislators to seize the economic opportunity of addressing climate change. [Environment News Service]

¶   An environmental group released a study showing serious health hazards for those living near the Browns Ferry nuclear plant. Since it started operating in the 1970s, the local mortality rate steadily rose from 1.7% to 20.5% above the US rate. [The Chattanoogan]

¶   The NRC has directed that operators of the 31 nuclear reactors, including some of the oldest in the US reactors, to overhaul vent systems to prevent build-up of hydrogen. The order replaced a 2012 order that would have required a potentially more costly remedy. [Businessweek]

¶   FirstEnergy and federal regulators spent a month investigating how a pitcher with two goldfish got left in a secure area of the Perry nuclear plant. Now, the mystery is solved: two contractors confessed they did it as a prank. [Tribune-Review]

Opinion:

¶   “New Technologies and Approaches Will Change the Electric Grid Forever” The old top-down utility infrastructure model will increasingly come under pressure… Renewable energy, microgrids, and distributed generation will change the way we manage our electricity forever. [energybiz]

World:

¶   Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser said Europe needs to extend its targets for curbing greenhouse gases and promoting renewable energy by a decade through 2030. Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, is working on carbon capture and storage and biofuel projects in Europe. [Businessweek]

¶   Juliet Davenport, founder and CEO of Good Energy, has been made a member of the Order of the British Empire. She was presented with the accolade by the Queen at Windsor Castle in recognition of her services to renewable electricity supplies. [The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald]

¶   Oil-rich Kazakhstan will spend 1 per cent of annual output every year until 2050 to increase power generation from greener sources, a senior official said, cutting its dependence on coal far faster than some of the world’s big polluters. [Business Spectator]

¶   The operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant said Wednesday that it had found a leak in one of the hundreds of steel tanks used to store radioactive water at the plant, raising renewed questions about the company’s ability to handle the plant’s cleanup. [New York Times]

US:

¶   After talking of vetoing the bill, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has signed a bill providing sales tax exemptions for the purchase of wind turbines, towers and other wind farm components. [North American Windpower]

¶   The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory released its assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources — such as wind and solar energy. [Power Engineering Magazine]

¶   The governor of Colorado has signed a controversial bill doubling the renewable-energy target for rural electric cooperatives. At the same time, he issued an executive order to review its most contentious issues: the compliance deadline and the cost. [Denver Post]

¶   Power company Scana Corp has told energy analysts a reactor under construction at the Summer nuclear power plant in South Carolina will likely enter service several months later than expected. The expected date of completion is now early 2018. [Reuters]

¶   Animals are spreading radioactive materials around at the Hanford vitrification plant in Washington state. Work stopped Wednesday morning at parts of the plant after radioactive contamination was detected under a bird’s nest, according to Bechtel National. [Mid Columbia Tri City Herald]

Science and Technology:

¶   Two processes that turn woody biomass into transportation fuels have the potential to exceed current US Environmental Protection Agency requirements for renewable fuels, according to research published in the Forest Products Journal. [ScienceBlog.com]

World:

¶   German solar energy plants produced at a world record 22 GW  – equal to 20 nuclear power plants at full capacity – through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, according to the head of a renewable energy think tank. [Energy Tribune]

¶   The wind industry received another boost today with a peer-reviewed paper debunking claims that living near wind turbines can make you sick. The paper is published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. [ABC Online]

¶   Mongolia, which is banking on a mining-led investment boom to develop its economy, is aiming to turn itself into a regional renewable energy hub as it tries to fight off the pressures of global warming, according to the country’s president. [The Canberra Times]

¶   After years of neglecting renewable energy for atomic power, Japan has been installing solar PVs so furiously that the small nation is quickly becoming the largest solar market in the world. It should have 13.5 to 16.8 GW of capacity by the end of this year. [The Week Magazine]

¶   Nine more young people have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer since Japan’s worst nuclear accident two years ago, bringing the total number of cancer cases among residents who were 18 or younger at the time of the Fukushima Disaster to 12. [SBS]

¶   South Korean regulators said on Wednesday that they have identified two more nuclear power plants that used parts with forged test certificates. The two reactors are under construction, and the findings won’t immediately affect current power supply. [Reuters]

US:

¶   The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold its first lease auction for renewable energy in federal waters. The area, south of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, will be auctioned as two leases, one with a potential for 1,955 MW, and the other for 1,440 MW. [Business Spectator]

¶   The Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center South has become the Imperial Valley’s first large-scale solar energy facility to deliver power to the Sunrise Powerlink. [SmartMeters]

¶   United Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with AltAir Fuels for 15 million gallons of biofuel. The airline said the biofuel will be used on flights leaving its Los Angeles LAX hub in 2014. [Businessandleadership.com]

¶   A team of international nuclear safety experts is at the Seabrook nuclear plant to follow up on issues they found in 2011. That review concluded that the reporting of “perceived abnormalities” was not being done at a sufficiently high level by plant personnel. [Exeter News-Letter]

¶   Assistant Attorney General Bridget Asay and her legal team asserted the state of Vermont’s authority over the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant on Tuesday in U.S. District Court. [vtdigger.org]

Opinion:

¶  “Fossil fuels wouldn’t last one day in a free market” If everybody had to pay the true cost of bringing their product to market, wind and solar would demolish the incumbents. [Business Green]

World:

¶   Scotland needs to embrace more wave and tidal energy projects to cut dependence on imported forms of fossil fuels, according to the Scottish Energy Minister. He said a $27.3 million renewable energy fund would be dedicated to marine energy projects. [iStockAnalyst]

¶   Tokyo Electric Power Co said on Tuesday it had detected radioactive caesium in groundwater flowing into its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi plant, reversing an earlier finding that any contamination was negligible. [Reuters UK]

US:

¶   Demand for solar PVs in the US is forecast to grow significantly during 2013 and post another record high of 4.3 gigawatts (GW), an increase of almost 20% compared to 2012. The US PV market is now over 12% of global demand, up from just 5% three years ago. [Albany Times Union]

¶   Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, whose subsidiary MidAmerican Energy is already a huge wind power player and owner of big solar projects, is making a $10 billion acquisition in Nevada. [EarthTechling]

¶   The United States could have a hard time meetings its biofuels goals if the earth’s climate continues to evolve as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A hotter planet will mean less corn needing more irrigation. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

¶   The Department of Interior announced the approval of three renewable energy projects Monday, including two in Nevada. Combined, the projects will deliver up to 520 megawatts. Two of the projects are solar, and one is geothermal. [Reno Gazette Journal]

¶   FEMA announced that a public briefing will be held on June 7, 2013, to present initial observa­tions of participant actions taken during a full-scale exercise at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant located in Vernon, VT. [vtdigger.org]

¶   MidAmerican Energy has scrapped plans for a nuclear plant in Iowa and will refund $8.8 million ratepayers paid for a now-finished feasibility study, according to utility officials. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

Opinion:

¶   “Cutting our carbon would help UK business” Renewable energy is not just good for ruffling the perfectly coiffed feathers of the likes of Donald Trump; the sector is also good for UK industry, consumers and economy. [Financial Times]

¶   “Australia’s wind energy debate spinning out of control” Anti-wind farm activists are blaming turbines for everything from herpes to doubling power prices. [The Guardian]

Economics:

¶   Over the past 5 years, solar power has been growing at 63.2% per year, a pace that could easily continue until 2020. For the past 15 years, nuclear power has not grown, but electric output has grown at 3.4%, so nuclear is losing market share. [Business Insider]

Science and Technology:

¶   The Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane that can fly at night, is on the next leg of its journey, flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to  St. Louis. The 20-hour flight from Texas started around 4:00 AM on Monday. [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

World:

¶   Municipal leaders in the Ontario region that is home to one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants are facing allegations they discussed proposed storage facilities for radioactive waste in secret because they feared damaging their electoral fortunes. [Regina Leader-Post]

¶   Anti-nuclear organizations turned out in force in major protests in Tokyo on June 2, looking to have an impact on the Upper House election in July and protest the planned restart of nuclear reactors. Organizers say there were 85,000 demonstrators. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   A solar-powered robotic boat will be sailing from Rhode Island to Spain. It is a product of the creative minds of college students, who somehow could not all the project to drop as they went on in life. [The Providence Journal]

¶   Leaders of the Atlanta Tea Party are challenging Georgia Power over the monopoly’s reluctance to increase its use of solar power, the ballooning costs of building a new nuclear power plant and even its legal right to monopoly status. [Worcester Telegram]

World:

¶   Brazil, which has been a wind energy leader for a long time, has started to get going in the solar energy arena. In one recent week, it saw a tremendous surge of applications for solar power projects that totaled 392.4 MW. [Energy Collective]

¶   Analysts at Deutsche Bank suggest that Japan will become the biggest market for solar within two years, while industry consultant IHS suggested that in revenue terms, Japan will overtake Germany in 2013 with sales of $20 billion of solar modules. [RenewEconomy]

¶   On the invitation of the German Environment Minister, high-level representatives from 10 countries have gathered in Berlin to establish the Renewables Club on June 1st, 2013. Their common goal is to scale up the deployment of renewable energy worldwide. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The UK Energy Secretary urged lawmakers to back away from immediately imposing targets for carbon emission from U.K. power plants, saying legislation being considered now will make a “massive” reduction. Not everyone agrees. [Businessweek]

¶   Germany’s power companies are closing power plants and scrapping plans for new ones. By decentralizing power generation, the renewables boom could do to the power industry what the internet did to the media: put power in the hands of the little guy. [Off-Grid]

¶   A Japanese project called Forward will install floating wind turbines for deep-water areas. The pilot project will start with three floating wind turbines and one floating power substation off the coast of Fukushima. [High Performance Composites]

¶   South Korea is facing a shortage of power over the summer. Two nuclear reactors have been shut down because they have fake quality certificates for faulty control cables, and two additional reactors have had their starting dates delayed. [Yonhap News]

US:

¶   The Energy Information Administration recently released a report outlining its revised projections for wind production over the next few years. It projects a 34% wind-power production increase in the next three years. [DailyFinance]

¶   Wastewater from natural gas fracking has naturally occurring radioactive material in it. While the quantities are small, they do set off radiation monitors in landfills. Government bodies from local level to the NRC have different things to say about what to do. [Wheeling Intelligencer]

World:

¶   A UN report says the world has made important progress towards energy efficiency, using renewable power, and providing basic electricity to every household. But the gains have barely been enough to keep up with population growth and surging demand. [Reuters AlertNet]

¶   The U.K. government proposed increasing payments made to commercial premises that generate heat from renewable sources, while cutting tariffs for medium-sized biomass boilers. [Businessweek]

¶   A senior fund manager at Aquila Capital says that a combination of wind, water and sun can have a balancing effect on an investment portfolio’s return. An estimated $7 trillion is set for investment in renewable energies worldwide between 2010 to 2030. [Investment Europe]

¶   South Africa’s government has made renewable energy a top priority for the coming years. Now, Google is investing in South African renewable energy in the amount of $12 million. The country’s Department of Energy aims for 18 GW capacity by 2030. [BET]

¶   According to a UN report, radiation leaked after Japan’s Fukushima Disaster is unlikely to make the general public and the majority of workers sick. The report point out that evacuations significantly reduced the radiation exposures. [UN News Centre]

US:

¶   The first grid-connected offshore turbine in North America, VolturnUS, is a sign of good industry taking hold in the Americas. In Maine, near Monhegan Island, a test of an offshore wind turbine will be launched as a small beginning of a full-scale wind project. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The California Senate voted to approve legislation to establish a program that provides utility customers the opportunity to buy a portion of the energy generated on an off-site renewable energy facility and get credit for that energy on their utility bill. [Daily Democrat]

¶   Gov. Rick Snyder says he favors boosting the portion of electricity in Michigan that’s generated from renewable sources but hasn’t decided how much the increase should be. [WILX]

¶   The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, announced it has received more than 550 MW of applications for solar projects seeking to qualify as a Solar Carve-Out Generation Unit capable of creating Massachusetts solar renewable energy credits. [Mondaq News Alerts]

Quote of the Day:

¶   After agreeing, with misgivings, to have wind turbines installed and then experiencing the result, North Dakota landowner Evelyn Conitz had this to say, “You think, `Oh, you don`t know.` It just changes the landscape and it isn`t like it was when we lived there for 40 some years. But now it`s so acceptable and you realize they`re doing a good thing for the nation. So it makes good sense to participate.” [KMOT]

Science and Technology:

¶   Policy-makers and the off-setting industry worldwide need to re-think the idea that planting trees can offset carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, says an international study published today in Nature Climate Change. [University of Bristol]

World:

¶   A report sketching out the framework of the new UN development agenda has included targets for renewable energy, the eradication of fossil fuel subsidies and energy efficiency. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   Farmers are becoming increasingly won-over by renewable energy schemes for cheaper energy bills and extra sources of income. Increasing numbers of farmers in Devon and Cornwall are considering wind and solar schemes. [This is Cornwall]

¶   Major changes to Ontario’s rules on green energy projects will give municipalities a greater say over the location of new wind and solar farms, and a chance to get a slice of the revenue. Ontario changed its rules to comply with a WTO ruling. [Waterloo Record]

¶   France’s prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault says a bill to close definitively the country’s oldest nuclear plant of Fessenheim, near the border with Germany, would be presented before the Parliament this fall. [4-traders]

¶   Fearing that the Fukushima Daiichi plant is running out of space to store contaminated water, the Japanese government has ordered TEPCO to freeze the ground around the plant to prevent groundwater from moving. [Radio New Zealand]

US:

¶    Minnesota Power has dedicated a new wind farm in North Dakota, delivering power to Minnesota using a 465 mile dedicated transmission line. So far, 101 Siemens wind turbines have been installed, producing 292 MW. [NewNet]

¶   According to a report from Common Cause/NY, a good-government group, from 2005 to 2012, Entergy Nuclear spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions. The report details some of the amounts. [The Journal News | LoHud.com]

Economics:

¶   The US reclaimed the top spot in Ernst&Young’s latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices after surprisingly losing out to China a couple of years ago. China dropped into second place because of high barriers to entry for external investors. [Energy Live News]

Science and Technology:

¶   Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc. intends to build two towers in the US and Mexico, which use the sun to heat air, then cool the air at the top of cooing towers by injecting water mists, to create wind, that is captured for electrical power. [San Francisco Chronicle]

World:

¶   European carbon emissions declined 2.1% in 2012. The UK saw a 3.9 % increase in emissions, and Germany saw an increase of 0.9%. Four other countries had increases, but 23 had declines. Emissions from Belgium and Finland both declined 11.8%. [SteelGuru]

¶   A new study from the World Bank says governments and business need to spend an additional $174 billion per year on renewables to meet key UN global objectives. [Recharge]

¶   The United Arab Emirates could economically deploy solar power generation capacity of more than 20 GW by 2030, according to the executive director of Institute Initiatives, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Expanding access to electricity in the developing world with renewables is creating economic opportunities for women through assisting businesses, microfinance and longer workdays. [SmartPlanet.com]

¶   As the Philippines grapples with frequent power outages and a growing demand for energy, government agencies and private groups say the answer to the country’s power needs may lie in alternative sources. [eco-business.com]

¶   The Swedish energy minister says the government will not subsidize new nuclear power stations, sticking by a policy that casts doubt on the sector’s long-term survival after Vattenfall, the major operator, sought to delay new investment. [Business Spectator]

¶   Three nuclear reactors in South Korea are now offline because they had fake safety certificates issued after cables failed tests. If the reactors have to stay offline until August for repairs, the cost will be $2 billion, according to estimates. [Arirang News]

US:

¶   Environmentalists see a small win in the house version of Connecticut’s energy bill. Under the altered bill, hydropower could be purchased to help the state meet its renewable energy standard, but only after all other renewable options are considered. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   A new bill introduced before the Minnesota legislature called the “Solar Energy Jobs Act” is set to increase Minnesota’s solar capacity from 13 MW to more than 450 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In Brattleboro, Vermont, Home Energy Advocates has developed a new type of mission, managing major energy projects for homes, rental properties and businesses. [Brattleboro Rerformer]

¶   The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering whether to penalize the owners of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station for violating federally dictated medical requirements between 2008 and 2011. [Capecodonline]

Economics:

¶   Solar power is catching up with wind as the least expensive renewable power source. Vestas charges about $1.34 per watt for wind, but solar systems from leading manufacturers are down to $0.70-$0.80 per watt. [SustainableBusiness.com] (Note that though the article does not say so, windpower has a capacity factor of about 0.35, and solar’s is about 0.15. This means that at the prices above, wind is still a little bit less expensive, in terms of the power produced.)

World:

¶   The World Bank and the World Energy Council found that renewable energy now constitutes 18% of the world’s power generation mix, according to a recent report. [Electric Light & Power]
… The same report says governments and businesses must double or even triple investments in new clean sources of energy, according to a new World Bank report that warns over a billion people still lack access to reliable electricity supplies. [Business Green]

¶   The UK is missing out on an opportunity to become the European “market of choice for investment in renewables” as political infighting slows the passage of urgently needed reforms to the energy market, analysts at Ernst & Young have warned. [Business Green]

¶   Japan pledged better safety practices for its troubled nuclear industry Tuesday after an accident at a government research facility that exposed 33 people to minor excess radiation and had not been immediately disclosed. [Houston Chronicle] (Minor excess radiation?)

¶   The deal to build Britain’s nuclear power stations could be delayed until the autumn. Even if the Government reaches a deal soon, EDF has to get financing to back the £14 billion project before it can begin construction. [This is Money]

¶   The new study from the University of Texas indicates that Tokyo could use solar PV generation as “baseload” power, due to Japan’s large amount of pumped hydro storage. [solarserver.com]

US:

¶   New records in California: On May 23, California reached a new solar generation peak of 1,872 MW. On May 24, California reached a new solar generation peak of 1,897 MW. On May 26, California reached a new wind generation peak of 4258 MW. [KCET]

¶   Kansas City plans to install solar panels and equipment on 80 city buildings, which officials expect will make it one of the leading cities in the country for number of buildings with solar electricity. [Wichita Business Journal]

¶   Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, has called for the Justice Department to investigate whether the operator of the idled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station intentionally misled regulators on its replacement steam generators. [Valley News]

Science and Technology:

¶   The Solar Impulse is flying from Arizona to Texas on the second leg of a cross-country trip, attempting to be the first solar-powered plane capable of flying day and night to cross the US. The plane took off from Phoenix early on Wednesday and is scheduled to arrive in Dallas early Thursday morning. [Las Vegas Sun]

World:

¶   Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has explained the UK’s opposition to the proposed EU standard on carbon emissions for 2030. He says they want to use a goal of 50% as a bargaining chip to get the US, China, and India to join in higher goals. [Liberal Democrat Voice]
… Green campaigners and industry experts have hit out at the government’s plans to block new EU-wide renewable energy targets, which they say are essential to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and creating a green economy. [Business Green]

¶   Germany led a majority of EU members on Monday to oppose punitive duties on imported Chinese solar panels, undermining an aggressive attempt by the bloc’s trade commissioner to combat allegedly unfair competition from China. [CNN]

¶   The Philippines’ Department of Energy has finally given the go ahead for three proposed wind farms, with a generating capacity totaling 208.5-MW, as the country looks to escalate the development of its wind power potential, estimated to be 76-GW. [eco-business.com]

¶   South Korea has suspended operations at two more nuclear reactors over the use of unauthorised parts. Two other reactors had been suspended in late 2012, amid a scandal over parts with fake safety certificates. [BBC News]

US:

¶   General Electric Co. is opening a new laboratory in Oklahoma, buying up related companies, and placing a big bet that cutting-edge science will improve profits for clients and reduce the environmental and health effects of the boom in fracking. [Huffington Post]

¶   The Army’s second largest installation, Fort Bliss, Texas, will soon have the Department of Defense’s largest renewable power project. The 20 MW solar power plant will be built in collaboration with El Paso Solar. [Discovery News]

World:

¶   Iceland is the 100th nation to subscribe to wind power. Iceland, which already has 100% renewable power, is researching windpower as an alternative source, and has installed two turbines of 900 kW each. [IceNews]

¶   Japan could replace more than a quarter of the base-load power it used to get from nuclear plants with existing rooftop solar, according to a report from University of Texas researchers. [Clean Energy Authority]

¶   The chairman of Highland and Islands Enterprise believes the region is on the cusp of a major economic boom fueled by faster broadband connections and renewable energy. [Herald Scotland]

¶   Coal India has decided to set up solar power projects across the country, the first of which would come up at Sambalpur in Odisha. This is happening because the country’s coal reserve is not going to last for long. [Daily News & Analysis]

¶   Anti-nuclear protesters in Taiwan are demanding the government immediately terminate the launch of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and vote down a referendum bill they described as a ploy designed to confuse citizens. [China Post]

¶  New questions are being asked about standards of safety in Japan’s nuclear industry after 30 people were exposed to radioactive materials in a laboratory accident that went unreported for 33 hours. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶   Electricite de France is near agreement with the UK government on most aspects of a deal to build new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. They have agreed on everything except the strike price, according to insiders. [Fox Business]

US:

¶   Affordable Solar will be offering solar panel leasing to residents in New Mexico in cooperation with Sunnova Energy Corp. For less than the current costs, many in New Mexico will be able to switch to renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Sunday’s “Rally at the Reactor” in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a production of the Falmouth-based anti-nuclear group Cape Downwinders, ended with every one of the 10 protesters being arrested. [Wicked Local Kingston]

Opinion:

¶   “Countdown to Nuclear Ruin at Paducah”  The privatized gaseous diffusion uranium plant at Paducah cannot legally stay open, and it can’t safely be shut down—a lovely metaphor for the end of the Atomic Age and a perfect nightmare for the people of Kentucky. [EcoWatch]

¶   “Conservative Movement Allows ‘No Room For Independent Thinking'” People who identify as conservative, but take stances such as acknowledging the connection between humans and global warming, often find themselves disowned by the conservative movement. [Huffington Post]

¶   “Climate change is real, so do something about it” With a new study showing 97% of scientific papers on climate change since 1991 agree that fossil fuels are largely responsible, the doubters need to stand aside so public-policy initiatives to protect the Earth can proceed. [Philly.com]

World:

¶   The momentum in Australia for a big push into community solar projects appears to be gathering pace, with several different organisations planning public launches in the next month, and suggestions that several dozen projects could be built on NSW rooftops in coming years. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Dozens of “windcrofters” are emerging across Scotland under a new drive that offers landowners free power in exchange for allowing developers to erect mini-turbines on their property. The drive targets smallholders and communities who cannot afford to buy expensive green technology.[Scotsman]

¶   The British government is preparing to oppose attempts to update the EU’s renewable energy target for 2030, calling it “inflexible and unnecessary”, and opting instead to pledge deep emissions cuts of 40%, or even 50% if pledges can be had from the rest of the world. [Wired.co.uk]

¶   A United Nations expert who investigated the aftermath of Japan’s 2011 nuclear power plant disaster says the government and the operator of the facility should do more to help those affected by the catastrophe. Government takeover has allowed TEPCO to evade responsibility. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   In a town hall meeting with staffers last week, new Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz indicated he  sees natural gas not as a permanent fixture in the US energy landscape, but merely as a temporary “bridge” to a globally competitive, low-carbon future that is well within our grasp. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A new Yale survey shows strong support both for clean energy and for regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, regardless of political party. [Energy Collective]

Opinion:

¶   “Unreliable Sources 6: How the News Media Help the Kochs & ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation” It’s Time for the Media to Stop Giving Climate Contrarians a Free Ride. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶   In Ontario, flat demand for power, coupled with new supplies of both nuclear and renewable power, will create surpluses more and more often, according to the 18-month outlook from the Independent Electricity System Operator. [Toronto Star]

¶   The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority found a fault exists beneath reactor 2 of the Tsuruga plant in Fukui Prefecture is active, but it still needs to complete similar studies on at least five more facilities. [The Japan Times]

¶   A tornado caused a scare outside Moscow when it passed over the decommissioned site of the world’s first civilian nuclear power plant. Video footage shows the tornado over the Obninsk nuclear station. [The Moscow Times]

¶   The International Energy Agency warned Germany that rising power prices threaten to erode public support for green energy. Increased renewable power has helped reduce wholesale power prices, but the consumer surcharge for power has continued to rise. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   EDF Energy said on Friday it had halted both reactors at its 1,280 MW Torness nuclear plant near Edinburgh after a rising tide of seaweed threatened to clog its cooling system. [Reuters]

¶   The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission announced the completion of a childhood leukemia study, which concluded there is no evidence of “childhood leukemia clusters” in communities within 25 kilometres of the nuclear sites studied. [The Post – Ontario]

¶   A radioactive leak occurred in a Japanese laboratory, setting off an alarm. Four researchers continued their experiment for four hours as the alarm continued. It took another thirty hours before they told the government or the public. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   The chairman of the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee reintroduced a bill to boost development of variable renewable power sources, including solar and wind, through tax incentives for storage technologies. [Platts]

¶   The Southern Co., one of the largest utilities in the Southeast, is brainstorming ways it could more widely incorporate renewable energy, particularly solar power, into its traditional business model. [Hattiesburg American]

¶   Three organizations fighting for the closure of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon are asking the Vermont Supreme Court to deny an appeal, filed by the plant’s owner, of a pair of decisions rendered by the state’s Public Service Board. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Opinion:

¶   “Microgrids: A Utility’s Best Friend or Worst Enemy?” As arguments against renewables prove faulty, microgrids are beginning to prove their worth. But it threatens the status quo. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   Clarkson University and the city of Ogdensburg, New York, are collaborating on a proposed sludge-to-renewable-fuel pilot program based on research done at Clarkson. Sludge will be turned to fuel instead of going to a landfill. [WatertownDailyTimes.com]

World:

¶   Experience in Europe suggests the best way of persuading local people to accept wind farms is to ensure they have some share of the potential benefits. [The Economist]

¶   There is a growing chorus of analysts saying solar power is reaching grid parity.  Analysts at Deutsche Bank predict that even more markets throughout the world will become sustainable solar markets without subsidies within a year. [EcoSeed]

¶   Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. closed a $72 million non-recourse construction and term project financing for the Northwest Stave River run-of-river hydroelectric project located in British Columbia, Canada. [Electric Light & Power]

¶   Increased government investment in renewables could save UK consumers billions on their energy bills in the years ahead. [uSwitch.com]

¶   Russia approved an incentive program to increase new renewable capacity almost 6 gigawatts by 2020. The proportion of renewable energy from the current 0.8% to 2.5 %. [Businessweek]

¶   The Czech Finance Minister has expressed doubts about whether building two new reactors is economical. The projected cost of the project is $14.8 billion, and this was a very unpleasant surprise to him. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   Google has made huge investments in wind and solar power. Now, it has just bought an unusual company, Makani Power, a startup working on airborne kite-like wind turbines. [Treehugger]

¶   A company in Rhode Island plans to convert up to 2,000 tons of biomass, such as recycled paper, tree clippings, sewage, sludge and potentially energy crops such as algae, into 120,000 gallons of synthetic diesel fuel, each day. [Providence Eyewitness News]

¶   French nuclear services giant Areva no longer projects a date for building its proposed Idaho uranium enrichment plant. Work on the $3 billion plant was originally to start in 2011. That was delayed to 2012, then 2013 and 2014. [Idaho State Journal]

¶   Attorneys general in Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut are petitioning the NRC for a more thorough environmental review of storage of highly radioactive nuclear waste at plant sites. [Valley News]

World:

¶   The chief executives of eight leading energy utilities criticized the European Union’s political leaders for the bloc’s fragmented energy policy, calling for a more favorable market environment to encourage investment in energy infrastructure. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Investing in new renewable power generation, rather than a “dash for gas”, will be the lower-cost option for keeping the lights on while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UK government’s climate change watchdog. [The Guardian]

¶   The plan to build a pan-Baltic nuclear power plant at Visaginas in Lithuania is not economically feasible, and now looks certain to be officially dropped. [Business New Europe]

¶   A Canadian nuclear power company wants to dump waste at an Ontario site about a mile off the shore of Lake Huron, approximately 120 miles upstream from the main drinking water intakes for southeastern Michigan. [Southgate News Herald]

US:

¶   The Obama administration should be pushing hard for the development of renewable energy technologies even as the ongoing US gas boom makes them less economically competitive, the new head of the Department of Energy said Wednesday. [Platts]

¶   The US Department of Agriculture announced their Rural Energy for America Program grant application recently. The grants can pay for up to 25% of the eligible costs of a renewable energy project. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Massachusetts now ranks 6^th nationwide for overall solar production. In fact, residential solar installations more than quadrupled between 2010 and 2012. [Business Wire]

¶   The Massachusetts Renewable Thermal Coalition, focused on renewable heating technologies has formed to press for support from the Massachusetts Legislature in 2013. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   Extended tax credits could push up wind power production over the next three years and beyond, according to an Energy Information Administration report released today. Generation could increase by as much as 34% by 2016. [Motley Fool]

¶   Georgia Power announced today that it has added 53.5 MW of new biomass capacity to the company’s generation portfolio, utilizing forestry byproducts, materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or be left to decompose naturally, for fuel. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Fourteen towns on Cape Cod, through town meeting or ballot votes, endorsed a citizens advisory question written by the anti-nuclear activists urging that the plant be closed. [Capecodonline]

Noteworthy:

¶    The Guide to Limitless Clean Energy 2013, has this quote from Thomas Edison: “We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide.” [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new report from Fuel Cell Today  describes how the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen can be used in conjunction with renewable energy sources to provide a number of benefits. [Fuel Cell Today]

World:

¶    Scotland focused an 18-million pound ($27 million) fund for marine energy on wave power as it seeks to get all its power from renewables by the end of the decade. [Businessweek]

¶    Gas-fired generation in Europe is in crisis. With the energy-only market undercut by renewables, European utilities are mothballing thermal generation capacity. [Platts]

¶    The European Parliament approved a non-binding resolution calling for a mandatory EU-wide share for renewables for 2030, but failed to set the target in the 40-45% range. [EurActiv]

¶    Europe could face power blackouts if utilities shut loss-making gas plants and aging coal facilities while governments dither over how to cope with the growing impact of renewables. [Power Engineering International]

¶    Australian community solar projects appear to be gathering pace, with public launches planned for the next month. Crowd-funding is one possibility being discussed. [RenewEconomy]

¶    The problem of high power demand in the Philippines continues to plague consumers, and the country’s Department of Energy is promoting renewable energy to improve the situation. [Solar News]

¶   The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change says more than £29 billion of private investment has gone into the renewables sector in the last three years, potentially supporting up to 30,000 jobs. [Utility Week]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority endorsed an expert assessment that a reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Western Japan is built directly on an active fault. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   The new secretary of energy says his top priorities are responding to climate change, safely managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile and fostering scientific research. [Northwest Public Radio]

¶    Minnesota’s governor is expected to sign into law a bill this week that will boost the state’s solar capacity from 13 MW to more than 450 MW. [PV-Tech]

¶    Environmental activists among Southern Co.’s shareholders are gearing up to confront the Atlanta-based utility’s leadership with accusations of giving more lip service to renewable energy than serious commitment. [Atlanta Business Chronicle]

¶   The New York Power Authority issued a request for proposals for power. Entergy submitted a proposal to provide 1,375 MW from its Indian Point nuclear power plant, at prices it says are competitive. [Mid-Hudson News]

World:

¶   The Philippines has approved three wind energy projects that will produce 208 MW of power, enough for more than 40,000 middle-class households. [EcoSeed]

¶   The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has granted power producer Eskom a licence for its Sere wind farm in the Western Cape, paving the way for the company to start construction of its $254.3 million, 100 MW project. [Malaysia Sun]

¶   On May 1, a major fire burned on a ship moored near the center of Hamburg, Germany. The ship carried 9 tons of uranium hexafluoride, 120 tons of ethanol and 4 tons of explosives. No public alert was issued, and Green Party officials are livid. [Green Building Press]

US:

¶   Northern Power Systems, headquartered in Barre, Vermont, announced its fleet of gearless wind turbines that experience hurricane-speed winds has achieved 1 million run time hours, all without incident. [InvestorIdeas.com]

¶   The governor of Florida has vetoed funding of millions of dollars for Florida Gulf Coast University’s unfinished Renewable Energy Research Institute. [WGCU News]

¶   A Colorado bill to raise the goal for renewable energy in rural areas from 10% to 20% by 2020 has been passed, but many are calling for a veto. Opposition to the bill is being pushed by the state’s largest coal-burning energy company. [Cortez Journal]

¶   The Energy Alternatives Division of Cupertino Electric announced the completion of the first phase of a parking lot canopy and playground shade structure-based solar system for Clovis Unified School District spanning 21 sites and totaling 5.86 MW. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Ninety-five percent of U.S. energy executives expect continued research and development investment in alternative energy projects this year, according to a new survey conducted by the KPMG Global Energy Institute. [Alternative Energy Retailer magazine]

¶   Officials at the Palisades nuclear plant have decided to replace the bottom of a leaky 300,000 gallon tank. A small leak from the tank caused the plant to be shut down, and it will remain offline until summer. [Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com]

¶   Federal regulators have indefinitely delayed a decision on the proposed restart of the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant in California, raising new questions Monday about whether the twin reactors will produce electricity again. [Manteca Bulletin]

¶   A hearing officer for the Vermont Public Service Board has recommended that Entergy receive a state certificate of public good for a new backup diesel generator for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, to provide emergency backup power. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Opinion:

¶   “We can let fission fizzle out in a renewable world” Given the possibilities of solar, wind, and hydro, nuclear power no longer makes sense. [New Scientist]

Science and Technology:

¶   Cellulosic ethanol, a rapidly developing sector of the renewable fuel industry, is beginning to be seen as a potential challenge for traditional fossil fuels. The process makes renewable fuel out of agriculture waste that would normally be discarded. [OANDA Forex]

World:

¶   BT has become one of the largest companies in the world to switch to 100 per cent renewable power, after signing a landmark deal with npower. BT is one of the UK’s largest users of electricity, using 2.3 GWh of power last year. [Business Green]

¶   Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs plans to invest in Japanese solar, wind and other renewable energy projects worth up to ¥300 billion ($2.9 billion) over the next five years. [Recharge]

¶   One week after the NOAA records 400 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere for the first time, the Canadian federal government is continuing pushing fossil fuels and Prime Minister Stephen Harper takes the case for Keystone to New York City. [Hill Times]

¶   Articles are appearing about retrieving and dealing with nuclear waste put into storage years back:
… A German law has recently come into effect ordering the cleanup of 126,000 barrels of radioactive waste at the Asse nuclear dump site. But it seems the process could take a lot longer than locals initially hoped for. [Deutsche Welle]
… James Fisher and Sons has a two-year contract to supply remote handling equipment to support the retrieval, sorting and segregation of miscellaneous waste materials stored at the Dounreay nuclear site. [IFA Magazine]

¶   Algeria plans to build its first nuclear plant in 2025 to cope with the country’s soaring electricity consumption. [EastDay.com]

US:

¶   A bill to repeal North Carolina’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Standard has finally been halted as it failed to win the support of some key members of the Republican Party. [solarserver.com]

¶   Missouri’s legislative year ended with the state’s renewable energy standard intact. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   Recently released letters between owners of the San Onofre nuclear plant and the manufacture of its broken steam generators show the two have been in deep disagreement over how to repair the plant. [fox5sandiego.com]

Opinion:

¶   “Will Uranium Costs Kill Nuclear?” The Motley Fool, advising on the stock market, takes a look at decreasing profits for nuclear-bound utilities as the cost of uranium increases. [Motley Fool]

World:

¶   A new report released by the United Nations Environment Program, “Green economy and trade-trends, challenges and opportunities,” highlights the advantages of sustainable standards in developing countries. [Business Recorder]

¶   Morocco  hopes to cover 42 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, and has launched a plan to produce 4,000 megawatts, half from solar and half from wind. They hope to open Africa’s largest wind farm in 2014. [Middle East Online]

¶   Iranian President Ahmadinejad showed off five examples of Iranian technological developments in the field of renewable energy. [Press TV]

US:

¶   Owners of the troubled Fort Calhoun nuclear plant hope to have the plant ready to operate by the end of June. The NRC seems to see things differently, saying the plant has met only eight of 25 major performance issues. [91.5 KIOS-FM]

¶   The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered Enercon Services to reinstate an engineer at the Wolf Creek nuclear plant, who had been fired for reporting unsafe conditions. [WIBW]

World:

¶   A 576 MW offshore wind farm costing €2 billion, called Gwynt y Môr,  is now under construction off North Wales by RWE npower renewables, with the first of 160 turbines in place. Each turbine takes about 24 hours to install, and has a capacity of 3.6 MW. [reNews]

¶   E.ON SE has made its first significant move in Germany’s decentralized power market by agreeing to build four combined heat and power units for retailer Metro AG. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Germany will provide €1 billion of assistance to India to develop green corridors to link power generated from renewable sources like wind and solar energy into the national grid. [Hindustan Times]

¶   Belgian reactor operator Electrabel is preparing to restart two shut-down units at after national nuclear regulators decided crack-like indications discovered in the reactors’ pressure vessels are of no safety significance. [World Nuclear News]

¶   The parliamentary budget officer’s latest analysis of the government’s spending estimates shows Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. is continuing to be a money pit for taxpayers. [Globe and Mail]

US:

¶   General Motors is the first automaker to join a growing group of businesses calling for a US policy action on climate change. [ceres.org]

¶   The Electric Reliability Council of Texas reports that electric generation from solar and wind is continuing to grow there. Wind power continues to provide over 95% of renewable power, but solar is had a 265% increase from 2011 to 2012. [North American Windpower]

¶   A federal court judge has set a hearing date for early June in Entergy Vermont Yankee’s latest legal challenge against Vermont. Entergy sued, claiming state regulators have delayed approval of a backup emergency diesel generator. [Rutland Herald]

Economics and Finance:

¶   Growing signs of climate change may be the reason that more clients of some advisors are interested in portfolios without shares of fossil-fuel companies. [Financial Advisor Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶   Progress is being made on an “artificial leaf,” a photoelectrochemical cell, that can use solar power to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used as needed to generate power. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Community and cooperative renewable power may be the next big thing in Canadian renewable energy. [Huffington Post Canada]

¶   Some are working toward 100% renewable power. Some have achieved it. Greensburg, Kansas, with 781 people is 100% already. Rhein-Hunsruck, a German district of 100,000, is nearly there, and plans to go to 236% in 2014.  [Forbes]

¶   Globeleq, the emerging markets power company, has inaugurated its 44 MW Eolo de Nicaragua S.A. wind farm in Nicaragua. The wind farm is located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, about 123 km south of Managua. [NEWS.GNOM.ES]

¶   Renewable energy companies based in the greater China region have heavy debt burdens. Analysts and investors are increasingly concerned about the risk of default among leading players in the solar power sector. [DesignBuild Source]

US:

¶   Some political and business groups that deny the science of climate change are petitioning the Supreme Court to review its 2007 decision, Massachusetts v. EPA, which said the EPA is required to regulate carbon pollution as pollution. [ThinkProgress]

¶   General Electric has signed an agreement with Green Waste Energy, a  US-based developer of advanced recycling and energy conversion plants, to supply Jenbacher J620 gas engines to generate clean electricity from waste. [NASDAQ]

¶   SolarCity, a solar-energy developer has won financing from Goldman Sachs for more than $500 million in rooftop solar systems that the company will complete this year. [Businessweek]

¶   The Green Mountain College Board of Trustees has voted to divest from fossil fuels immediately and establish a process for aligning future investments with social, environmental and governance goals. [The Nation.]

¶   The US Senate has unanimously confirmed Ernest Moniz, a scientist and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to be secretary of energy Thursday. [Washington Post]

¶   Duke Energy Progress has shut down the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in North Carolina for repairs after the discovery that the head of the reactor vessel showed indications of corrosion and cracking. [News & Observer]

Analysis:

¶   “Who’s leading – and who’s lagging – in the global renewables race?” Renewable power production rates of countries are compared.  [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   Scotland’s tallest ever wind turbine will be constructed by Samsung. The offshore demonstration wind turbine, with a capacity of 7 MW and 640 feet tall, will be deployed off the Scottish coastline at the Fife Energy Park [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   An event last February at the Chalk River nuclear plant, in which a nuclear operator shut down the reactor’s cooling system by mistake, was called a “near-miss” in an official report. Owners said there was no danger. [Ottawa Citizen]

¶   When the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority found that a fault directly beneath the Tsuruga Unit 2 reactor was active, it dealt a blow to the plant’s operator that could prove fatal, and all of Japan’s nuclear utilities could suffer. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   The wine-making town of Sebastopol, California has become the second municipality in the state to require that solar panels be installed in all new building construction. [Huffington Post]

¶   Walmart has announced the completion of eight new solar PV arrays in Massachusetts. The arrays have almost 10,000 panels and will provide 2.8 million kWh annually. [Environmental Expert]

¶   The US National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded a contract to Siemens to provide five 2.3 MW wind turbines to supply electric power to its Pantex plant in Texas. [Recharge]

¶   A peer-reviewed paper from Stanford says not only could New York run entirely on renewables by 2030, but eliminating burning fossil fuels would save New York $33 billion each year in medical expenses and mortality. [Buffalo News]

¶   The investigation into who left a lemonade pitcher with goldfish swimming in radioactive water in a tunnel at the Perry nuclear plant has 1700 suspects. [Timesonline.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   Enerkem, a waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals company, is launching a new research project with the Government of Canada, to develop new catalytic processes to convert waste into biofuels that are drop-in replacements for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. [Canada NewsWire]

World:

¶   Eurelectric, whose members are national electric trade associations and affiliates are such organizations as IBM and Siemens, has urged European policy makers to set 2030 carbon targets as soon as possible, with warnings about the results of failure to do so. [Commodities Now]

¶   A report from the governments of Scotland and the UK details the potential for renewable energy in the Scottish Islands. The report indicates the islands can contribute a large amount of power by 2020, and will get thousands of jobs in the process. [The Orcadian]

¶   A study by Siemens concluded that if European renewable installations are built at the sites offering  the highest power yields, some €45 billion of investment can be saved by 2030. [WebWire]

¶   A Berlin renewable energy co-operative group wants to take control of the city’s electricity grid to promote renewable energy. They accuse Vattenfall, the current operator, of failing to seek alternatives to fossil fuels. [Deutsche Welle]

¶   Kuwait is preparing for its first deficit, which could come as soon as 2017.  The country is looking at a switch from oil to renewables. [Green Prophet]

¶   Sixty top Indian scientists have signed a letter asking for a thorough inspection of the Kudankulam nuclear plant before it goes into operation. The plant was found to have been built with substandard components. [Times of India]

¶   A report from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority says the geologic fault lying directly under a reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant is active. Government regulations say a reactor may not operate if it sits on an active fault, so it is likely it will be decommissioned. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   According to the analysis released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 32 US states cut their carbon dioxide emissions during the last decade, while 18 increased them. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Georgia Power has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with Rollcast Energy to boost its biomass power capacity by 53.5MW. Under the agreement, the owner of the plant will retain all Renewable Energy Credits. [Energy Business Review]

¶   SolarCity and Forest City Communities announced last week the start of a project providing solar energy for 6,500 military homes at the Marine Corps Base and the Navy Region in Hawaii, located in the Ohana Military Communities. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has repeatedly pushed back the date for a decision on whether to restart the San Onofre nuclear plant. Now, the head of the agency says it will not come until late June at the earliest. [Los Angeles Times]

Opinion:

¶   “It Doesn’t Matter If We Never Run Out of Oil: We Won’t Want to Burn It Anymore” – Mainstream analysts see “peak oil” emerging not in supply but in demand, because modern technologies to save or displace oil cost far less than oil. [The Atlantic]

¶   US Media reports routinely fail to inform the public about the fossil fuel industry funders behind climate change contrarian think tanks, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
[Union of Concerned Scientists]

World:

¶   While Europe is adding generating capacity for wind, solar, biomass, and gas, its capacity for nuclear and coal is declining. The increased use of coal for generating electricity is probably not a long-term phenomenon. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   According to Synapse Energy Economics, adding more wind power to the grid in the PJM region of the Eastern Interconnection can reduce regional wholesale energy market prices, saving nearly $7 billion per year in the mid-2020s. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Congressional lawmakers from both parties are moving closer to making master limited partnerships open for renewable resources. They are tax breaks that have been available for 32 years to fossil fuel companies for expansion. [Kitsap Sun]

¶   Based on the falling costs of solar and rising electric prices, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), one of the largest utilities in the country that serves northern California, may not be able to compete with residential solar soon. [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

¶   The Environment and Energy Commission of Columbia, Missouri is asking the city to increase the percentage of power generated from renewable sources by two percent every year. The goal is to reach 100% by the middle of the century. [KBIA]

¶   Wisconsin utilities’ statewide Focus on Energy program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, increased energy savings significantly in 2012, 17% more than the previous year. [Environmental Expert]

¶   The operating license for one of the two reactors at Indian Point will soon expire, and the NRC cannot issue a new before it does. The NRC’s solution to the problem is to allow the plant to operate without a license. [The Journal News | LoHud.com]

¶   The NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has determined that the agency’s process for approving a restart of the San Onofre nuclear plant amounts to a license amendment proceeding. This means public hearings are required. [Businessweek]

Politics and Economics:

¶   G20 leaders have repeatedly committed to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which one estimate puts at 2.5% of global GDP. Despite the talk, not much progress has been made. [The Interpreter]

World:

¶   Chile which has one of the greatest potentials for geothermal energy development in Latin America, also lacked incentives for investment going past the exploratory phase. A strategic partnership with New Zealand aims to change that situation. [Aljazeera.com]

¶   Members of parliaments from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are visiting London this week to urge the UK to be more ambitious in its transition to renewable energy and maintain a more active role at the international climate change negotiations. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   Hit hard by a power crisis, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is focusing on renewable energy. It has started on a major solar energy initiative, announcing a Solar Energy Policy, to generate 3,000 MW in the next few years. [The New Indian Express]

¶   Solaria Corporation, which is based in Fremont, California, has announced it has established operations in China to meet demand for high-efficiency large-scale solar projects in that country. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority is suspending operation of the Monju prototype fast breeder reactor because of the operator’s poor safety record. The operators continued to ignore safety procedures even after the Fukushima Disaster. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   Solar project developer AllEarth Renewables chose ReneSola panels for three separate community-scale solar power projects in Vermont in the last few months. The sites are at Williston, Bridport, and at New Leaf Organic Farm in Monkton. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Wind power has many benefits. One is better economic stability than traditional thermal generating systems that are subject changing conditions in fuel markets. Another is offering employment opportunities. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

Opinion:

¶   “The high price of nuclear fantasies” The enduring Tallahassee myth that nuclear power is always cheaper has cost Duke Energy customers billions of dollars with nothing to show for it. [Tampabay.com]

World:

¶   During World War II, the Germans built the Wilhelmsburg flak bunker as part of the air defense for Hamburg. Now the Wilhelmsburg flak bunker is being transformed into the  Energiebunker, for solar power generation and storage. [EarthTechling]

¶   Renewable energy projects, especially wind farms, are succeeding in Scotland. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

US:

¶   Greenpeace, ranking corporations in its “Cool IT Leaderboard” report, said Google and Cisco are tied for first place. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   Terra-Gen Power, a renewable power producers, filed a document saying after investing $3 billion, it is being punished by two-year delays in the Tehachapi transmission project resulting from opposition by Chino Hills, California. [Chino Champion]

¶   Iowa does not have wind resources that are as great as those of Nebraska, but Iowa is getting investment in wind power far faster. The reason has to do different approaches by the state governments. [Lincoln Journal Star]

¶   Santee Cooper, a South Carolina state-owned utility, has spent four years trying to sell part of its ownership in two nuclear reactors under construction at the Summer Nuclear Station. So far, no one seems interested in buying. [Greenville News]

Commentary:

¶   “Time to reconsider ‘baseload’ power.” Baseload plants are poorly adapted to compete in changing market conditions.
[Midwest Energy News]

World:

¶   On May 9, the daily mean concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, surpassed 400 ppm. Over the last 800,000 years, levels have been between about 180 ppm during ice ages and 280 ppm during warm periods. [NOAA]

¶    King Mohammed presided over a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction on Morocco’s 160 MW concentrated solar power plant project in Ouarzazate. The German government has pledged €115 million in support for the project. [Eurasia Review]

¶   Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party will adopt a policy platform promising to bring back nuclear reactors to service once their safety is confirmed. [Firstpost]

US:

¶   Xcel Energy has had the greatest wind capacity of any US company for nine years in a row. Now it is facing competition for that position from MidAmerican, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

¶    The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act has been re-introduced in Congress. It aims to give investors in renewable energy projects access to a corporate structure currently only available for fossil fuel-based energy projects. [Domestic Fuel]

¶   Last October, when the alarm sounded because a tank holding the worst waste at Hanford was leaking nuclear waste, the shift manager on duty could not find documentation giving the procedure on what to do. It seems none had been written. [KING5.com]

Economics:

¶   Solar price parity has arrived early. Renewable energy now costs the same as other forms of electrical power. The world has changed. And it gets better…  [MSN Money]

Science and Technology:

¶   Two years of research on the history of renewable energy produces an interesting result: Renewables historically done far better and at a much lower price than conventional wisdom and conservative projections have said they would. [Greentech Media]

¶   Growing corn and processing it into ethanol for mixing with gasoline consumes tremendous amounts of water, fertilizer, pesticides and fossil fuels. The ethanol/gasoline mix may be dirtier than some people imagine. [The Providence Journal]

World:

¶   Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister says there are enough renewable energy applications in the planning system to meet the target of generating 40% of electricity by 2020. Eighty-six wind farms that have already been given go-aheads. [Belfast Telegraph]

¶   The Green Party of British Columbia has joined forces with the province’s renewable energy sector to offer an alternative to an economy driven by fossil fuels, such as the massive export of liquefied natural gas. [Vancouver Sun]

¶   The offshore wind farm that was the subject of an ongoing public feud undertaken by American billionaire developer Donald Trump against its owners, is now under construction. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   The Ontario government might delay construction of new nuclear units, according to Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli. [Mississauga]

¶   A truck containing unshielded radioactive material from Lithuania to Italy was stopped on a Swiss road, only five days after a similarly unprotected shipment of nuclear material from Romania to Germany was stopped in neighboring Austria. [Express.co.uk]

US:

¶   The Minnesota House of Representatives passed clean energy and jobs legislation to establish a 4% solar energy standard by 2020 and a 40% renewable electricity standard for investor-owned utilities by 2030. The bill passed by a narrow margin, 70-63. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   MidAmerican Energy has announced the single largest economic development plan in the history of Iowa. The company hopes to spend $1.9 billion dollars to install over 650 wind turbines throughout the state. [KCAU]

¶   The director of renewable-energy investments of US Bancorp, says North Carolina is the top state his bank is investing in. US Bancorp has $80 million to $100 million of investment approved for NC solar, mostly small projects built by local companies. [Charlotte Business Journal]

¶   Newport Biodiesel, a for-profit renewable energy company created in Rhode Island in 2008,  is in the business of recycling waste vegetable oil from more than 1,500 restaurants and cafeterias, turning that oil into a fuel for transportation and heating. [ecoRI news]

¶   The Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program, started in 2005, has helped 28 companies with various renewable energy projects, while creating over 20,000 jobs. The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing produced nearly another 40,000. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Dominion Bridgeport Fuel Cell, which is being built downtown alongside Interstate 95 and the Northeast rail corridor, will produce 14.9 megawatts of clean energy using an electro-chemical process that efficiently converts natural gas into electricity. [Your Renewable News]

¶   The 83-year-old nun and two others who were convicted of breaking into the Y-12 National Security Complex at Oak Ridge face up to thirty years in prison, though sentencing guidelines will likely keep the prison time at less than five. [National Catholic Reporter]

Press Q&A:

¶   Newly appointed GE Renewable Energy VP Anne McEntee, who will run the world leading wind division, met with a group of reporters to talk shop at Windpower 2013, the industry’s annual conclave. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Germany and France want to make Europe a “pioneer continent” for the expansion of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, the countries’ environment ministers said. [Businessweek]

¶   Renewable energy in Spain has grown fast. The problem is that it was financed badly, using deficit spending at a time when the country was already in financial trouble. [Forbes]

¶  The U.K. Green Investment Bank said it has committed a total of 635 million pounds ($987 million) to 11 renewable energy and carbon-reduction projects during the period of the five months ending March 31. [Businessweek]

¶   The offshore wind market is posed for sweeping growth in the coming years, with global investment forecasted to reach €130 billion ($170.75 billion) between now and 2020, according to Roland Berger Consultancy. [EcoSeed]

¶   In April, the EU published a report acknowledging for the first time that the 20 percent renewable energy target may not be reached by 2020. There are, however, indicators of progress, both in Europe and elsewhere. [Commodities Now]

US:

¶   A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists has found that for fourteen of the 29 states with an RPS where data was available, all but one had a cost increase of 1.6 percent or less. [Greentech Media]

¶   Opposition to Connecticut’s plan to revamp its renewable energy portfolio standards is growing, with New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan adding her voice to environmentalists who are against it. [New Haven Register]

¶   The Solar Foundation recently released an interactive map and a report that ranks states by the number of PV installations and solar industry jobs. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

¶   The nuclear renaissance seems to have gone into reverse. This last week is being called the worst for the nuclear industry in the US since the Fukushima disaster. [Sacramento Bee]

¶   Three people, one an elderly nun, were found guilty of intending to harm national security when they intruded onto the Y-12 National Security Complex, a nuclear-weapons production facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. [Washington Post]

Getting Attention:

¶   An Irish company, Mainstream Renewable Power, is sponsoring an attempt to cross the Northwest Passage in a rowboat. The purpose is to highlight the severe impact of global warming on the polar ice cap. [Energy Matters]

Opinion:

¶   Recent efforts to repeal renewable electricity standards by fossil-fuel backed opponents have been thwarted in Kansas and North Carolina. This happened because the bipartisan policies work effectively and are popular. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

Science and Technology:

¶   Solar engineers from Australia’s University of New South Wales have developed an innovative method to improve the quality of low-grade silicon, thereby improving electrical efficiency and reducing the cost of solar panels. [Energy Harvesting Journal]

World:

¶   According to the UK Department of Transportation, 66% of biofuels supplied in the UK are sustainable. [E2B]

¶   Spanish renewable power set a record in March as it provided 51.8% of the country’s power. That record was broken in April, at 54% of all power produced. Wind provided 22% of the total, and most of the production growth. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is moving forward with plans to construct biomass power plants in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in southwest China. [Adventist News Network]

¶   According to a new set of polls, support for renewable energy, which had already been high, is still growing in the UK. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A near miss in February at the Chalk River nuclear reactor in Ontario has been blamed on human error. An operator had mistakenly shut off a system that pumped cooling water to the reactor. [Ottawa Citizen]

US:

¶   Hawaii is making progress developing renewable power. Two strong motives are to reduce costs and increase security. [EarthTechling]

¶   The National Center for Atmospheric Research produced a wind energy forecasting system that saved millions of dollars for Xcel Energy customers in eight states. Now, it is going for more sophisticated weather forecasts. [PR Web]

¶   Monadnock Paper Mills, of Bennington, New Hampshire, a family-owned paper manufacturer, says it has achieved 100% carbon neutral production status on 100% of its products. [Electric Light & Power]

¶   The Millstone nuclear plant has asked federal regulators for permission to use warmer water for cooling. The plant was forced to shut down last summer because the water of the Long Island Sound was too hot. [Ventura County Star]

¶   The Kewaunee nuclear plant has shut down finally. The decision on how it is to be decommissioned remains. [New York Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   Renewable power is disruptive – and that is good. Since 2008, the price of solar modules is down 80%, and wind turbines are down 29%. It is cheaper to be clean than to be dirty, which is disruptive to those who prefer to be dirty. [ThinkProgress]

World:

¶   Renewable energy offers Southeast Asia clean and secure power at fixed long-term rates that are lower in price compared to power generation from marginal fossil fuel on an unsubsidized base. [eco-business.com]

¶   RES Group’s global construction portfolio of wind and solar generating capacity has exceeded 8,000 MW, more than 6,000 MW of which is located in North America. [Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine]

US:

¶   The Army announced the first awards Friday under its $7 billion procurement to obtain renewable energy through private sector financing, awarding contracts to five firms for potential geothermal energy projects. [Electric Light & Power]

¶   GE has announced it will provide operations and maintenance services for 819 wind turbines at eight wind farms in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas for E.ON Climate and Renewables North America. [4-traders]

¶   The California ISO is preparing for another summer without the San Onofre power station while facing the growing possibility that the nuclear plant will never return to service. They expect no blackouts for the summer. [Los Angeles Times]

¶   A poll of North Carolina senators in the finance committee shows that the voice vote to repeal the state’s renewable energy standard, which the chairman controversially declared passed, actually had a majority against the change. [WRAL.com]

¶   The NRC says a pair of goldfish found swimming in a pitcher of radioactive water in the Perry Nuclear Power Plant does not constitute a security event, and they have no idea where the radioactive water came from. [Timesonline.com] (I guess you could say the  NRC security people have no objections to pranks played with radioactive materials.)

¶   The Kewaunee nuclear plant is scheduled to be shut down at noon today by owner Dominion Resources. A local economic development team visited  a plant being decommissioned, to see what lessons could be learned. [Green Bay Press Gazette]

¶   About 79 gallons of diluted radioactive water were released into Lake Michigan from the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant before it was shutdown, according to the NRC. The level of radioactivity was very low. [Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com]