Archive for the 'solar' Category
December 31, 2012
Technology:
¶ The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Solar Junction have partnered to produce the world’s most efficient solar cell, at 44% efficiency. [EcoChunk]
Japan:
¶ In his first television address, Prime Minister Abe said he wants to build new nuclear power plants in Japan. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ The geological study to determine whether an active fault lies beneath the Ohi plant will continue until it reaches a conclusion. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ The government of South Korea approved a restart of a nuclear plant that was shut down because it had large numbers of parts that had not been approved for use in nuclear plants. [BBC News]
¶ The owner of the nuclear plant in Fessenheim, France appears to be resisting its closure. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ Renewable power is becoming an economic driver in rural India, as it brings electricity to villages that never had it before. [Reuters AlertNet]
US:
¶ Two new wind projects with a total of 300 MW capacity have been completed by MidAmerican Wind in California. [Your Renewable News]
¶ Vermont’s Middlebury College got some praise from Bill McKibben when it decided to divest its holdings in fossil fuel companies. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
December 30, 2012
Japan:
¶ A second look at the geology of the Ohi power plant has left experts split over the question of whether they are seeing an active fault or something else. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Renewable power is beginning to have a positive effect on the overall economy of Pakistan. [Power Engineering Magazine]
¶ The question of control of development of renewable resources is becoming a national political issue in Wales, as Welsh politicians are angry over the slow pace of renewable power in their country, compared to England and Scotland. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ Desertec, a huge renewable energy project in North Africa, could one day supply a large part of Europe’s electricity, but commitments to building it are slow. [The North Africa Post]
US:
¶ More details have emerged in the suit brought by eight sailors who claim TEPCO lied about radiation dangers during the Fukushima Disaster. [CNN]
¶ Supporters of a bill being put before the Vermont Senate to have a three-year moratorium on new wind projects say a majority of senators support it. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 29, 2012
Japan:
¶ The NRA is beginning a second survey at Ohi to determine whether there is an active fault beneath the plant, or whether indications of a possible fault were, in fact caused by a landslide instead. Ohi is the only operating nuclear plant in Japan. [The Japan Times]
¶ Toshiba, which owns 87% of Westinghouse, is interested in reducing its share to just over 50% as a way of decreasing its exposure to problems connected to nuclear power. [marketdailynews.com]
¶ While touring Fukushima Daiichi, the new Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said, “The massive work toward decommissioning is an unprecedented challenge in human history.” [Jagran Post]
World:
¶ Renewable electricity met 36.3% of Scottish electricity consumption in 2011, and the country will probably meet both the 2015 target of 50% and the 2020 target of 100%. [Nzweek]
¶ The UK energy minister announced a 40% rise in Britain’s green
power capacity, taking total renewable generation to more than 10% of the
UK’s energy mix for the first time. [The Courier]
US:
¶ Forty-five members of congress have signed a letter asking for a $100 billion reduction of support for nuclear programs as a way of avoiding the “fiscal cliff.” [Patch.com]
¶ The city of Seattle is divesting from fossil fuel investments. [SustainableBusiness.com]
¶ The Vermont Electric Co-op board of directors is calling for a two-year moratorium on new renewable energy mandates from the state. [vtdigger.org]
¶ The owners of San Onofre want to operate one unit at 70% power for a time, to show it is safe to operate at full power. A problem is that unless they can show it is safe at full power, their license to operate is invalid for operation at any level. [eNews Park Forest]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 28, 2012
Technology:
¶ The cost trend for solar PVs appears to be a 7% decline per year. If this holds true, power from PVs will cost about half of that from coal by 2030. We can expect electricity from coal and solar to be at parity in 8-10 years [from the beginning of 2011]. [MINING.com]
Japan:
¶ The new Japanese government will review its options on energy policy, basing its decision on technology, and possibly abandoning the earlier decision to phase nuclear power out. [Bloomberg]
¶ The NRA says it will not be possible to meet a deadline of deciding whether to restart reactors within three years. Nevertheless, Japan’s new government says it hopes to stick to a three-year deadline for the decisions. [AsiaOne]
World:
¶ The UK government says it is on track to meet its targets for renewable energy for 2020, despite recent setbacks. [Electric.co.uk]
¶ UK environmentalists are calling for nuclear energy projects to be abandoned in favour of “cheaper, safer and more efficient” renewable technologies. [Coastal Scene]
¶ A Finnish company has asked for government permits to construct a final repository for spent nuclear fuel, planned to be the first site in the world to start burying capsulated nuclear waste. [Climate Spectator]
¶ Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator has chosen three suppliers of regulation service, a grid-balancing function traditionally provided by generators. The service compensates for variability of renewable resources. [Solar Industry]
US:
¶ Two Michigan wind farms, with a combined capacity of 210 MW, have opened. The state’s utilities are pushing hard to meet a 10% renewable requirement for 2015 that was set by law four years ago. [Power Engineering Magazine]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
December 25, 2012
Japan:
¶ A government report says that children of Fukushima Province are tending to be overweight because they are not allowed to play outdoors for fear of radiation. [RT]
World:
¶ Scientists at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology are planning to build a real-time fog detection and monitoring tool which will enable them to use fog to produce water for the UAE. [EcoChunk]
US:
¶ Pike Research has released results of a poll asking how Americans feel about various forms of energy. Solar and wind power are the most strongly supported. [pikeresearch.com (pdf file)]
¶ John Kerry, nominee to be Secretary of State, has worked a long time to stop global warming, and is expected to continue to do so. [Washington Times]
… Kerry may not be able to influence the decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, however. [National Post]
¶ A plan for nuclear waste storage in Utah has been officially abandoned. [Elko Daily Free Press]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 24, 2012
Japan:
¶ The new Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, says he will review the Fukushima Disaster. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ A project in Qatar is growing cucumbers using solar power to drive desalinization. [Green Prophet]
¶ Neste Oil will produce the renewable fuel used in the ITAKA project to support the commercialization and use of renewable aviation fuel in Europe. The project is being supported by the EU. [Equites.com]
¶ Cost cutting by EDF, the French government-owned maker of nuclear reactors, could add long delays to the construction of new reactors in the UK. [This is Money]
US:
¶ Christian Science Monitor has forecasts on the futures of renewable energy, oil, and gas. [Christian Science Monitor]
¶ Minnesota Power has completed 210-megawatt (MW) windpower installations near New Salem, N.D., making them operational. [Equites.com]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
December 22, 2012
Japan:
¶ Anti-nuclear protests continue to take place each Friday near the prime minister’s office in opposition to nuclear power. December 21 marked the 36th such demonstration, according to the organizer, Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ More than 500 villages in Pakistan will get their first electricity from solar photovoltaics. [Associated Press of Pakistan]
¶ The Australian Climate Change Authority has recommended that the key elements of their Renewable Energy Target remain unchanged. This provides a continuation of support for renewable energy projects. [JD Supra]
US:
¶ A new report from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says that concentrated solar with thermal storage can make utilities more profitable. [Phys.Org]
¶ The governor of Oregon released a 10-year action guide the state’s energy future through intentional investment and development. [SustainableBusiness.com]
¶ The same fossil fuel interests that reap huge subsidies from the federal government get them from the states. Among other benefits, they avoid taxes through exemptions. [SustainableBusiness.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 21, 2012
Japan:
¶ For the first time, TEPCO has admitted a wrongful death happened as a result of its actions that brought on the Fukushima Disaster. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ Twenty-one months after the Fukushima Disaster, TEPCO is ready to start removing debris from Unit 3 at Fukushima Daiichi. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Chubu Electric is adding four meters to the height of the seawall under construction at the Hamaoka plant. It will be 22 meters (72 feet) tall instead of the 18 meters (59 feet) previously planned. It is 1.6 km (1 mile) long. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ Scotland, with a goal of 100% renewable electric production by 2020, had hoped to achieve 31% in 2011. They surpassed that goal and achieved 36%. [BBC News]
¶ Output for renewable power production for the UK as a whole increased by 25% in the third quarter of 2012, over 2011. [Greenwise Business]
¶ A nuclear plant in Sweden had to shut down because of a sea water infiltration. [The Local.se]
US:
¶ Steven Chu called on Congress to approve legislation to let investors use master limited partnerships for renewable energy, which he said would spur development by giving investors in renewable projects a tax structure currently used by fossil fuel companies. [The Hill]
¶ After entering into out-of-court settlements with the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, Southwestern Electric Power Co. began generating power at a new 600 MW coal-fired plant in southwest Arkansas. [KRQE]
¶ Two nuclear engineers have asked for a senatorial review of dangers at Indian Point and Oconee. [Huffington Post]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 20, 2012
Japan:
¶ It remains to be seen how the change in government in Japan will change energy policy, but it appears support for renewables will remain. [Recharge]
… The LDP, which won the election, has agreed with the New Komeito party to reduce reliance on nuclear power. New Komeito’s stand was that it wanted a complete elimination of nuclear power. [MarketWatch]
¶ The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority says it will not be influenced by the change in government. [The Japan Times]
¶ The NRA says the Higashidori nuclear plant is sitting on an active fault. [Businessweek]
World:
¶ The Australian Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics forecasts that most of the country’s electric power will be solar by 2050. [Big Rigs]
¶ A new Indian liability law makes the builder of nuclear power plants potentially liable for any costs associated with an accident at the plant. Russian told Indian to expect the costs of new reactors to double if the law applies to reactors they are building. [Indian Express]
¶ A national museum of coal mining in Wales will get its electrical power from solar panels on the roof. [Energy Matters]
US:
¶ The NRC will examine further what might need to be done to deal with potential problems from solar storms. The storms could shut down the electric grid and destroy computers, leaving nuclear plants potentially without power. [PennEnergy]
… Preparation for solar storms could include a two-year power backup supply. [Nuclear Street]
¶ Kentucky Power announced it will retire the 800 MW Big Sandy coal-burning power plant in 2015. [Platts]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 19, 2012
Japan:
¶ The municipal assembly of the city of Hakodate, Hokkaido, has approved a budget for court actions to prevent construction of a nearby nuclear plant in Aomori Prefecture. [The Japan Times]
¶ The only nuclear reprocessing plant in Japan is sitting on top of a fault. Experts disagree on whether the fault is active or not. [AsiaOne]
World:
¶ Official estimates are that renewables will have contributed 23% of Germany’s electrical power for 2012, up from 20% in 2011. [Recharge]
¶ The UK’s government is setting support for solar power at a higher level than anticipated. It is putting a cap on new biomass plants. [Businessweek]
¶ A report by EurObserv’ER says the EU is on track to achieve a goal of having 20% of its power generation from renewables by 2020. [EcoSeed]
¶ The IEA is expecting a large increase in the use of coal for generating electrical power over the next five years, mostly because of increases in India and China. [Huffington Post]
US:
¶ A consultant for the Public Service Commission in Georgia says that as delays happen and costs increase for two new reactors, the potential benefits decline. The plant is now expected to produce $3.5 billion in benefits, a 30% decline. It is expected to cost over $14 billion. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
¶ Nuclear power is too expensive to compete, and that is why Kewaunee is closing and others may follow. [AOL Energy]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 17, 2012
Japan:
¶ With a change in government, the plan to phase out nuclear power in Japan is seen to be in jeopardy. TEPCO shares have risen 33% on news of the Japanese election results. [Businessweek]
¶ The large increase in the demand for PVs has produced a shortage of skilled workers to install solar them. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ The ministerial safety conference has begun in Fukushima. [UPI.com]
World:
¶ British regulators have approved the design of the EPR, a nuclear reactor designed by Areva. Meanwhile, there is some question about whether the reactor will be built, as cost overruns are plaguing it elsewhere. [UPI.com]
¶ The Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance says the lost oil revenue the country has already experienced would have paid for 70 nuclear power plants. [Trend.az]
¶ The Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority will offer 7 622 square kilometers (2900 square miles) of land for energy development projects by the private sector. [Daily News Egypt]
¶ The Bulgarian Greens Party has been banned from campaigning against nuclear power in an upcoming referendum. They intend to file a case with the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg against the ban. [Novinite.com]
… The president of Bulgaria will vote against nuclear power in the referendum, because the cost of construction the plant was unacceptably high. [Standart News]
US:
¶ Susquehanna Unit 2 shut down unexpectedly on Sunday during a routine test of a valve in the main turbine system. The cause of the problem is unknown as yet. [Scranton Times-Tribune]
… (Though the article above does not mention it, both reactors were shut down briefly on Friday. [US Nuclear Power Report])
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 15, 2012
Renewable Power and Anger Management:
¶ An ad Donald Trump placed in two Scottish newspapers likens the people who support for onshore wind projects with those responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. [Scotsman]
¶ An employee of the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggested that anyone interested in a “murderous rampage” should start with reporters at a local news organization. [Heritage.org]
Japan:
¶ A conference on nuclear safety will be held by the Japanese ministry to dispel myths about the Fukushima Disaster. (Given the history of admitted collusion and falsehoods, it is difficult to see how they will accomplish anything to support nuclear power in Japan.) [BDlive]
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Agency has released the results of new computer simulations of spread of radiation from nuclear accidents to reflect errors found in earlier simulations. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ The UN’s atomic energy agency and the Iranian government are both reporting progress in talks on nuclear power in Iran, including UN inspections. [International Business Times]
… Nevertheless, at least one member of the Iranian negotiating team says he is not optimistic. [Jerusalem Post]
¶ The workers who cleaned up after the Chernobyl Disaster have health problems, such as having 400% the normal cancer rate, but their medical and other needs are underfunded. [Kyiv Post]
¶ In an effort to increase the capacity of solar power, the Indian government is considering changing laws so consumers would be paid for the solar power they generate and feed into the grid. [Livemint]
US:
¶ Construction of two new reactors at Plant Vogtle is running over budget and behind schedule. [The Associated Press]
¶ Bipartisan legislation has been introduced to give renewable energy the same low-cost financing that is currently available for fossil fuel companies. [SustainableBusiness.com]
¶ Covered bonds, which are usually used for mortgages, are being promoted for renewable-energy projects. It is hoped this could raise the $1 trillion a year in new private capital that some estimates say are needed to keep emissions at safe levels. [Businessweek]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 13, 2012
Opinion:
¶ David Crane and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ask why we do not push more for solar, as a clean, affordable, safe and inexhaustible source of electricity? [New York Times]
Japan:
¶ Japan Atomic Power Company said the results of a survey showing the Tsuruga nuclear plant was sitting on top of an active fault were “totally unacceptable.” They could be ordered to decommission the facility at if another study confirms the existence of the fault. [Power Engineering International]
World:
¶ The decline in prices for solar PVs is probably over, according to the author of this article. [Business Spectator]
¶ Renewable energy will allow to Ukraine to decrease its dependence on other forms of energy and increase its independence of other countries, according to Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes, the President of the European Renewable Energy Federation. [Sacramento Bee]
¶ The Council of the European Union said this week that it would not enforce anti-subsidy tariffs on U.S. ethanol, though anti-dumping procedures continue. [Farm Futures]
¶ Two of the ten nuclear waste storage pools used in Sweden were found to have cracks in them. [The Local.se]
US:
¶ Several conservative groups on Wednesday urged lawmakers in states without renewable electricity targets to oppose extending a wind energy tax incentive. [The Hill]
¶ A study by the Heinz Endowment says wood burning boilers, which are used in a Pennsylvania program to promote renewable energy, are releasing high levels of pollutants. [Milton Daily Standard]
¶ The American Wind Energy Association has released a plan to phase out the Production Tax Credit, an important federal incentive. The proposal would provide wind companies with six years of predictable support. [ThinkProgress]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
December 12, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japanese radiation regulators admit to a conflict of interest because utilities are providing for their travel expenses, but they say their science is not affected, even though it supports the utilities. [Laboratory Equipment]
¶ Fukushima Daiichi’s Unit 2 reactors is leaking, and TEPCO has been unable to find the leak. The amount of water being released is described as huge. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ The value of the Tsuruga nuclear plant is probably zero, because the active fault below it. Since Unit 2 has only been run 26 years, the decommissioning fund is insufficient, so the owners face expenses they are unprepared for. Other plants may have similar problems. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ Frost & Sullivan, a US market analysis company, has released a report saying the Europeans need nuclear power to meet carbon emissions standards. [Commodities Now]
¶ Not waiting for the US Congress or UN climate change negotiations in Qatar, most Fortune 100 companies have set a renewable energy commitment, a greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitment or both. [Sustainable Brands]
US:
¶ The State of Connecticut is conducting reverse auctions and offering project developers fixed-price, long-term contracts to support solar power. The results seem promising. [Solar Industry]
¶ Entergy, owner of Vermont Yankee, has brought a suit against Governor Shumlin, Attorney General Sorrell and the Public Service Board over the New England Coalition’s complaint before the Vermont Supreme Court, which seeks to close VY. [vtdigger.org]
¶ The NRC has opened a web page dealing with concrete issues at Seabrook. [PennEnergy]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 11, 2012
Technology:
¶ A study by the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College suggest a well-designed combination of renewable technologies would nearly always exceed electricity demand at costs comparable to today’s electricity expenses. [UPI.com]
Japan:
¶ The head of TEPCO has admitted that hiring practices for cleanup workers at Fukushima Daiichi were questionable. He attributed the problem to high worker turnover and the fact that the company was desperately trying to recruit workers willing to take jobs with high risks of radiation exposure. [Windsor Star]
¶ Japan Atomic Power Company has asked the Nuclear Regulation Authority for clarification of the conclusion of a panel of experts that the Tsuruga nuclear power plant sits on an active earthquake fault line, saying the conclusion was lacks scientific basis. [MarketWatch]
… The market reaction was worry that the Nuclear Regulation Authority would find other reactors similarly vulnerable, leading to many plants closing. Utility stock prices fell sharply. [Businessweek]
World:
¶ China is set to double its solar capacity by 2015. [Sin Chew Jit Poh]
US:
¶ ISO New England says Vermont Yankee is no longer needed to maintain power reliability in New England because local electric companies have bolstered the region’s transmission infrastructure. This frees Entergy from having to participate in forward-capacity auctions. [Reuters]
¶ The Vermont Public Service Department is asking the Vermont Supreme Court to deny the complaint brought by the New England Coalition seeking to close VY. [vermontbiz.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 10, 2012
Japan:
¶ A geological investigation has concluded that the Tsuruga Unit 2 reactor is sitting on an active fault, and so it may have to be decommissioned. The article does not address the question of whether Unit 1 is also on a fault. [swissinfo.ch]
¶ The Japanese government will order an end to an illegal dispatch arrangement allowing a subcontractor to instruct workers to labor under dangerous conditions at Fukushima Daiichi. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ Anti-nuclear protesters have laid siege to the Kudankulam nuclear plant. Sea access is being blocked by fishing boats. [Times of India]
¶ India has rejected pressure from the US to limit liability of suppliers for nuclear plants. [Hindustan Times]
¶ The government of South Korea is considering letting private sector non-state companies to run coal-fired power plants, in a move to avoid blackouts. [Arirang News]
¶ EDF, the French company interested in building two Areva EPR units at a site known as Hinkley Point C, in the UK, has missed a deadline on a decision on whether to invest in the project. [Nuclear Street – Nuclear Power Portal]
US:
¶ The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has released a report on the reduction of costs for photovoltaic installations. [solarserver.com]
¶ The US Energy Information Administration projects US carbon emissions to remain flat for decades. [Forbes]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 9, 2012
Japan:
¶ Though the Liberal Democratic Party, which is expected to win a majority upcoming elections, says it supports nuclear power, only 8.7% of all candidates asked in a poll appeared to do so as individuals. [Hindu Business Line]
World:
¶ Georgia has provided some details about its investigation into a nuclear black market. [The Missoulian]
¶ The UAE exemplifies new interest in the Middle East about renewable power. [Al-Bawaba]
¶ Two major Indian utilities say the country has insufficient power being generated from solar for them to meet their solar renewable purchase obligations. [mydigitalfc.com]
¶ According to the head of an industry body at the climate talks at Doha, the Lack of binding European policy beyond 2020 and a battered carbon market has made European electricity unworthy of investment. [Economic Times]
US:
¶ The divestment campaigns are picking up traction, but there are other reasons why a carbon tax may be supported, one of which is to reduce the deficit. [IEEE Spectrum]
¶ The US nuclear industry is developing a plan, called FLEX, to satisfy NRC requirements for being able to prevent meltdowns in a disaster. [La Crosse Tribune]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, renewable power, solar power
December 8, 2012
Japan:
¶ The Japanese government set up a panel to monitor the Nuclear Regulation Agency and other administrative bodies for assurance that they are following the recommendations made by Diet committees that investigated the causes of the Fukushima Disaster. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Saudis are planning to export electrical power generated in their solar farms to Europe and Egypt. [Zawya]
¶ Scientists studying ice cores from Greenland can find a history of the fuels of the industrial revolution in them. [LiveScience.com]
US:
¶ An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ordered owners of the San Onofre nuclear plant to hand over documents withheld when the company submitted a plan to restart one of its damaged reactors. [Thegardenisland.com]
¶ Scientists conducted what is described as a sub-critical nuclear test, in which high explosives were detonated around plutonium. The purpose was to test the effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear weapons. This was the 27th in a series of such tests since 1997. [The Republic]
¶ Advocates for industries that receive tax benefits for renewable energy are pressing lawmakers continue them, because they are due to expire this month. Supporters of wind power have been particularly active. [The Coloradoan]
¶ An old US Navy training area on an island in San Francisco Bay is being transferred to the city, but there is disturbing news about the amount of radiation from nuclear contamination on the island and the fact that residents of nearby poor neighborhoods may have been exposed. [The Bay Citizen]
¶ NRG Energy has abandoned plans for an 800 megawatt coal-fired electric plant between Houston and Dallas, saying the economics of the plant are poor. [FuelFix]
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Tags: coal power, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 7, 2012
Technology:
¶ GE says a new blade design could reduce blade costs by 25 to 40 per cent, making wind energy as economical as fossil fuels without government subsidies. The design incorporates fabrics developed by GE and the University of Virginia. [DesignBuild Source]
Japan:
¶ The Japanese government could restart idle reactors next summer. A law requires all reactors to pass safety tests by July. [Japan Daily Press]
¶ A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 hit northeastern Japan. There was no indication of damage to the nuclear power plants. [Wall Street Journal]
World:
¶ Australian BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining company, admits that climate change is real, and is retrofitting at least one old coal facility at a seaport to withstand worse weather in the future. [Energy Collective]
¶ Investment in the Scottish renewable energy industry exceeded £900 million during the first half of 2012. The figure for the entire year of 2011 was £750 million. [ic Dumfries.co.uk]
¶ EON SE cut its earnings forecasts as an excess of electricity from wind turbines and solar PV’s makes its gas-fired generating plants unprofitable. [Businessweek]
US:
¶ California’s Little Hoover Commission, which has the task of seeing to it that the state is run efficiently, is warning that state agencies need to be reorganized to meet the needs of the rapid increase in renewable power. [Clean Energy Authority]
¶ Next semester, members of Harvard University’s highest governing body will meet with students who advocate for the University to divest its more than $30 billion endowment from fossil fuels. [Harvard Crimson]
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Tags: electric power costs, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
December 4, 2012
Japan:
¶ The campaigns leading to the general election in Japan are starting up, and energy policy is a central issue. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ TEPCO and the Japanese government will attempt to remove all fuel assemblies from the spent-fuel pool of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 by the end of 2014. [The Japan Times]
¶ Twenty months after the Fukushima Disaster began, 80% of the homes in the surrounding prefectures are still not decontaminated. [RTT News]
World:
¶ French utility EDF has raised the cost of the construction of European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) by more than €2 billion, the latest in a series of overruns. Originally expected to go online in 2012 at a cost of €3.3, it is now expected to start up in 2016 at a cost of €8.5 (over $11 billion). [Chicago Tribune]
¶ The cost overruns of the EPR being built in France, along with similar overruns in Finland, are raising concerns about plans to build a similar reactor in the UK. [Financial Times]
¶ German energy policy gives the people “skin in the game.” This is why the Germany can convert to renewable energy faster than other countries. [Bloomberg]
¶ Germany and Norway have entered into an agreement to build a submarine cable between the two countries for the purpose of transmitting electricity from renewable sources. [Stockhouse]
¶ The Chinese government will pay overdue subsidies to renewable-power developers, after a two-year delay. [Businessweek]
¶ One of the hot topics in the conference in Doha will be phasing out subsidies for fossil fuels. [BDlive]
US:
¶ The two NRC whistleblowers, who earlier made public problems with plants downstream from dams in past months, are accusing the NRC of being slow to act on matters of safety and excessively secretive about potential dangers. [Huffington Post]
¶ The Army and Marines are developing portable solar systems, with some feeling of competition involved. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Piedmont Chemical has gone into the business of renewable 100 percent bio-based polyester polyols, “functionally equal and cost-competitive with petroleum-derived polyols.” Polyols are building-blocks in the production of urethane foams, coatings, adhesives and sealants. [Plastics News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
December 2, 2012
One for the books:
¶ A top evangelist from the American Family Association says we need to be willing to use fossil fuels because they are a gift from God. [De Smog Blog]
Japan:
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Authority began an inspection at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture to determine whether crush zones at the plant are active faults. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ The only nuclear reactor in Iran was shut down, and its fuel removed, because of debris that had been left behind from its construction. [Firstpost]
¶ The government of India proposes to create 30,000 MW of new renewable capacity during the five-year plan for 2012–17. This will bring India’s total renewable power capacity to over 56 MW. [CauseBecause]
US:
¶ The owners of new nuclear reactors in Georgia say that they have learned the lessons of Fukushima Daiichi, and their “uncompromising focus is safety and quality.” [CNN]
¶ The owners of San Onofre have told the NRC and the public that the plant is safe to resume power generation. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ Repairs at Fermi will take at least three more months before the reactor can be restarted. Interestingly, representatives of the owners said they could not predict when the plant would be restarted because of “market considerations.” [Monroe Evening News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
December 1, 2012
Technology:
¶ Scientists at the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have learned things about relationships between biomass cell wall structure and enzyme digestibility that could lead to optimizing sugar yields and lowering the costs of making biofuels. [Ethanol Producer Magazine]
Japan:
¶ New tapes released by TEPCO, from the days after the beginning of the Fukushima Disaster, show how information was lost as corporate managers went into denial. [New York Times]
… Meanwhile, radioactive water was rising in buildings to the point it would flow to the sea and nothing was being done. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Many cleanup workers at Fukushima Daiichi have received doses of radiation well above acceptable limits of safety. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ In the UK, political disagreements and shifting government positions have hindered investment in renewable energy. [Power Engineering International]
US:
¶ The American Automobile Association is calling for the government to stop the sale of the E-15 blend of ethanol and gasoline, saying it can damage car engines. [Radio Iowa]
¶ The US Senate has passed a bill allowing the military to buy biofuels and renewable power, even if it costs more than conventional fuel. [PennEnergy]
Vermont:
¶ The Vermont Public Service Board told Entergy it will take the company’s failures to fulfill promises and provide truthful information into account when it makes a final decision on granting a Certificate of Public Good for Vermont Yankee. [Reuters]
¶ Vermont Yankee is losing its contract to use the Vernon Dam as a backup power source, as the owners of the dam have refused to renew it. Entergy wants to install a backup generator. [vtdigger.org]
¶ The trial of six elderly women for trespassing at Vermont Yankee provided some interesting moments. [Consortium News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
November 30, 2012
Japan:
¶ Land reserved for industrial parks in rural areas of Japan is being used by solar farms. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 1,100 people against Kansai Electric Power Company’s Ohi plant, seeking to shut it down. Ohi has the only operating nuclear reactors in Japan. [RAPSI]
World:
¶ Research, backed by the European Union, NASA, the National Science Foundation and research councils in Britain and the Netherlands, concludes that global warming is happening faster with the passing of time. [CNN]
¶ China is leading the world in coal-fired plant efficiency and the deployment of clean coal technologies. [POWER magazine]
US:
¶ The owners of the San Onofre nuclear plant have told the NRC safety equipment at San Onofre may have been sabotaged. Coolant was poured into the oil system of a backup generator. [Huffington Post]
¶ Vermont Yankee is operating under an expired water discharge permit because the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has not yet made a decision on a new one. The process goes on. [Brattleboro Reformer]
¶ A campaign to get schools to divest holdings in fossil fuel companies has spread to over 100 campuses. [It’s Getting Hot In Here]
¶ A professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering: “Oil and gas will remain the primary energy source, … in 2030 87 percent of our energy will come from oil, gas and coal.” [Midland Reporter-Telegram]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 29, 2012
Japan:
¶ The International Atomic Energy Agency and Fukushima Prefecture will open a base at a prefectural facility to work on such things as decontamination and health management services for local citizens. [The Japan Times]
¶ Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato told heads of municipalities in the prefecture that his government plans to accept central government surveys for construction of a temporary radioactive waste storage facility, though the actual construction will remain an issue. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Liberal Democratic Party wants all nuclear power plants to be restarted as quickly as possible after confirming they are safe. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Air Products has been awarded a contract with India’s University of Petroleum and Energy Studies to build the country’s first solar-powered renewable hydrogen refuelling station. The station will be part of a public transit bus refuelling and vehicle demonstration program. [Fuel Cell Today]
¶ India is expected to have 89 gigawatts of installed wind power capacity by 2020. [Livemint]
US:
¶ The State of New York has ordered Consolidated Edison to work with the New York Power Authority to develop a plan to address power needs after the Indian Point nuclear power plant closes. [Poughkeepsie Journal]
¶ The decision on granting a license extension to Seabrook depends to some extent on tests being conducted on concrete that is decomposing in buildings there. The tests will take another year. [The Daily News of Newburyport]
¶ A new report from the US Government Accountability Office says coal will remain a key resource, but its importance will continue to decline. [Charleston Gazette]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 28, 2012
Japan:
¶ The massive reports of the Diet’s Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission and the Independent Investigation Commission on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident have both sold in large numbers to the Japanese public. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Twenty-two scientists from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences are in Japan, pursuing an independent investigation of the Fukushima Disaster. They hope to learn lessons to reduce dangers from nuclear reactors in the US. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ A new political party, led by Governor Yukiko Kada of Shiga Prefecture, will pledge to phase out nuclear power within 10 years, aiming to make energy a key issue in the Dec. 16 election. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The International Atomic Energy Agency said one of its servers has been hacked by a group critical of a supposed Israel nuclear weapons program. [Huffington Post]
US:
¶ Hurricane Sandy demonstrated the superiority of decentralized power systems for energy security. [AOL Energy]
¶ The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has released an updated version of the U.S. National Solar Radiation Database, which provides critical information about solar and meteorological data for 1,454 locations in the U.S. [Nanowerk LLC]
¶ A study from the Rocky Mountain Institute says California could replace San Onofre with renewable power and conservation. [KCET]
¶ A pinhole leak has been found in the reactor head at Oyster Creek. The leak allowed two or three drops of cooling water to escape each minute. The unit is under repair. [The Star-Ledger – NJ.com]
¶ Six elderly women who chained the Vermont Yankee gate shut and chained themselves to the fence have been convicted of unlawful trespass at the Vermont Yankee. They asked to go to jail, but were fined. They say they will not pay the fines. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
¶ Cleanup of nuclear waste at a Superfund site in Parks Township, Pennsylvania was projected to cost $45 million. That has expanded to $500 million. [Tribune-Review]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 27, 2012
Opinion:
¶ The Myth of Fossil Fuel Abundance Hurts the Fight against Climate Change. [OilPrice.com]
Technology:
¶ Researchers at Iowa State University are working on a new way to make biofuels from switchgrass or algae. [Iowa State Daily]
Japan:
¶ A United Nations rights investigator says the Japanese government has overly optimistic views of radiation risks and has not done enough to protect the health of residents and workers after Fukushima Disaster. [CBC.ca]
¶ A TEPCO official says the root causes of the Fukushima Disaster rose from a lack of humility in anticipating the effects of natural disasters and fear that sharing internal concerns about risks would “make people worry about the safety.” [Science AAAS]
¶ Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, issued its pre-election pledges Tuesday, promising to abandon nuclear power gradually. [Global Times]
… Hosoda, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s general council, says the Japanese need to restart their nuclear reactors. The process of restarting reactors, if it happens, would most likely be slow. [Businessweek]
¶ People displaced by the Fukushima Disaster are losing hope that they will ever be able to return to their homes. [New York Times]
World:
¶ Last year, Germany’s CO2 emissions fell by 2.4%, according the Federal Environment Agency. The decrease was largely due to an increased push towards renewable energy after nearly half of the nuclear plants were closed. [The Guardian]
¶ Tim Flannery, Chief Commissioner of the Australian Climate Commission, says Australia installed more solar panels last year than any other country, but is still under-utilizing its renewable energy potential. [Energy Tribune]
¶ Indian and Chinese companies entered into agreements on trade in clean energy, infrastructure, electric power, steel and other projects, worth billions of dollars as the two countries . [Hong Kong Standard]
US:
¶ Florida regulators approved passing $143 million in costs on to customers in 2013 for the proposed Levy nuclear plant and upgrades to the idle Crystal River plant. The projected cost of Levy is $24 billion. [First Coast News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 26, 2012
Japan:
¶ Municipalities where nuclear plants are located realize now, 1½ years after the Fukushima Disaster, how much their finances depend on the nuclear power-induced money. “They’re like drug addicts cut off from supplies.” [The Japan Times]
¶ Nuclear policy is an important issue in the upcoming Japanese elections. Pro-nuclear people have hopes of seeing a change in their favor. [Asahi Shimbun]
… Anti-nuclear sentiment remains very strong in much of Japan. [BBC News]
¶ Governments of two municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture have decided to resume planting rice next year. [AsiaOne]
World:
¶ Germany’s Energiewende or energy transition, was set in motion by many factors, but it was reinvigorated by the Fukushima Disaster. It is not easy, but it is working. [The Market Oracle]
¶ In a recent interview, Australian Climate Change Commissioner Tim Flannery said, “What we can now see is the emerging inevitability that renewables are going to be running the economy at some point in the future.” He added that they give people independence. [RenewEconomy]
¶ The Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People’s Party) is deeply involved in protests at Kolar Gold Fields and Robertsonpet against dumping nuclear waste. They blocked the Marikuppam-Bangalore Swarna Express train for more than 20 minutes to mark their protest. [Waste Management World]
US:
¶ Harvard students overwhelmingly passed a referendum on the Undergraduate Council election ballot calling on Harvard to divest its endowment from the fossil fuel industry. [Harvard Crimson]
… The university, however, is not considering divestment. [Harvard Crimson]
… Students at McGill University are among this pushing their colleges and universities to divest also. [McGill Daily]
¶ Conservatives and Libertarians are working with fossil fuel companies to reverse the laws most states have supporting renewable power. [Examiner.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 25, 2012
Japan:
¶ The US will help Japan by supplying liquified natural gas. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ Indian cabinet minister K. H. Muniyappa explained to residents of Bangarpet that dumping nuclear waste in the Kolar mine shafts is merely an idea, not a decision. The protests against the idea are still going on anyway. [Deccan Herald]
¶ The Australian government issued an energy white paper, which says fossil fuels will provide most of the electricity for the next 20 years. The climate commissioner contradicts this, saying the economy could be powered “almost entirely by renewable energy” in coming decades. [The Australian Financial Review]
US:
¶ A small leak at the new plant in Hanford, Washington, being built to vitrify radioactive waste from weapons production, combines with a recommendation leaked to the media that a supervisor should be fired to show there are questions that need to be asked about a $12 billion dollar project. [OregonLive.com]
¶ Some in Louisiana are questioning whether the collapse of a salt dome cavern at Corne Bayou, local earthquakes, and nearby drilling for oil are related. [Examiner.com]
¶ Residents of Long Island who went without power for weeks after Hurricane Sandy are finding their electric bills are just as high as ever. [NewsMax.com]
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Tags: electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, renewable power
November 24, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japan needs both to maintain a diverse energy mix and to diversify fuel sources. [The Japan Times]
¶ The upcoming elections in Japan have political parties arguing over energy in general, and nuclear energy in particular. [Utility Products]
World:
¶ A Scottish company selling solar panels has reported a ten-fold growth in sales over the past year. [Herald Scotland]
¶ The UK is bringing its energy plant to parliament. It will provide for the renewable energy legally required to meet 2050 carbon targets, but does not specify the shorter-term targets. It will add to the tariff on consumers’ bills, providing a modicum of support for renewable energy. [Wall Street Journal]
… Media prognosticators talk about effects from their own points of view. The actual cost to consumers may go down because of renewable additions. [The Week UK]
… Various environmental organizations are not happy with the bill. [Financial Times]
¶ Two days after the Indian Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that nuclear waste from Kudankulam would be dumped in abandoned mines at Kolar Gold Fields, an Indian cabinet minister clarified that there are no plans to put the waste anywhere in India. [Times of India]
US:
¶ Connecting the dots from different articles, ENEnews shows recent articles on inland tsunamis on lakes should be taken as warnings that Fukushima-like disasters could hit nuclear reactors on lake banks. There are 33 such reactors on the banks of the Great Lakes. [ENEnews]
¶ Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is urging Congress to enact legislation to prevent the NRC from relicensing nuclear plants more than ten years before their current licenses expire. [Worcester Telegram]
¶ Bechtel, which is building a plant in Hanford, Washington to treat high-level radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production, may have committed safety and health violations, an investigation found. [Big News Network.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 23, 2012
Quote for today:
“Last year every British household had £17 added to their annual energy bill to help build renewable energy infrastructure … which is now delivering 10% of Britain’s total electricity needs.
“By comparison every household also had £120 added to their energy bill simply due to the rising cost of gas on the global energy markets.
“Unlike the renewable support, that extra £120 didn’t build any extra electricity generation, it just covered the cost of buying ever more expensive fossil fuels.”
Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, a UK green energy company [Big Green Smile]
Japan:
¶ Toshiba says the robot it unveiled this week can withstand high radiation in nuclear disasters, and they say it can climb stairs. Reports did not say whether it could do anything to clean up the mess. [Columbus Dispatch]
World:
¶ The International Energy Agency says South Korea needs to rebuild public trust in nuclear power by boosting transparency and improving regulation, after safety scares have closed reactors and threaten to trigger blackouts over winter. [ABC Online]
¶ Frost & Sullivan, specialists in market research and analysis, released a report saying world-wide venture capital funding for renewable energy would triple by 2020. [pv magazine]
¶ A new Indian market in clean energy certificates has crashed as state distribution utilities have failed to honour their purchase obligations. [Power Engineering]
¶ China Daily says the Chinese government is moving to transform the way energy is developed, especially the use of renewable resources. [China Daily]
… OilPrice.com says we should not believe they hype; the Chinese renewable sector is in disarray. [OilPrice.com]
¶ The first commercial full-scale anaerobic digester that pumps renewable gas directly into the local distribution network has been officially opened by the Prince of Wales. [specifinder.com]
¶ The World Bank, which called for urgent action to stop catastrophic global warming, has financed $12 billion worth of fossil fuel projects over the last six years. Desertec says the Earth would be a lot better of if the money went to concentrated solar in the desert. [SmartPlanet.com]
¶ Last April Donald Trump told a Scottish parliamentary committee wind generators were ugly, noisy, and dangerous, adding that they would drive tourists away from Scotland and his golf course. Now, the Scottish Parliament committee has released its report, which states, “No witness provided the Committee with robust, empirical evidence that tourism is negatively affected by the development of renewable projects.” [Click Green]
US:
¶ The old steam generator from San Onofre arrived safely in Utah. It took 15 days to travel the 852 mile distance. [Deseret News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 22, 2012
Japan:
¶ The consulting company responsible for erroneous projections for the spread of radiation from reactors in the event of meltdowns was linked to the nuclear industry. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Kansai Electric Power Company has presented potential lenders with a business plan that includes reactivating two reactors, in addition to the pair that were brought back online this summer. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The European Parliament has decided against a moratorium on exploiting shale gas, despite admitted shortcomings and uncertainties. [Europolitics.info]
¶ The government of Norway has produced a plant that can capture carbon dioxide and sequester it in submarine aquifers. [Businessweek]
¶ The Indian renewable energy sector could create 2.4 million jobs by 2020. [EcoSeed]
US:
¶ Two natural gas generators proposed for southern California are not needed for the time being despite an ongoing outage at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, according to a draft decision by California Public Utilities Commissioner Mark Ferron. [U-T San Diego]
¶ The DOE, is trying to promote development of a small factory-built modular nuclear reactor. They are funding a prototype designed by a consortium of Babcock & Wilcox, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bechtel International. [New York Times]
¶ In Oxford Ohio, Miami University is digging hundreds of well to provide geothermal heat and cooling to its buildings. [Oxford Press]
¶ US demand for natural gas will increase in December and January because of outages at nuclear plants, according to a Barclay’s Capital report. [Platts]
¶ At a meetings of the board of the TVA, the MOX issue has not appeared on the agenda, and board continues to maintain its stated position against MOX use, despite pressure from the DOE. [The Aiken Leader]
¶ The city council of Los Angeles has entered into a $1.6 contract to buy electricity from a solar project on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. [Sacramento Bee]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 21, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO is showing plans for a building to cover Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3. [World Nuclear News]
¶ Toshiba has unveiled a new robot designed to help in cleanup at Fukushima. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ Wild mushrooms growing in widespread places more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Fukushima, have been found to be heavily contaminated with cesium. The central government has asked 17 prefectures to test mushrooms (there are 47 prefectures in Japan). [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ According to a newly released UN study, greenhouse gasses were at a record high at the end of 2011. [CNN]
¶ The International Energy Agency’s has released its World Energy Outlook, which projects energy trends to 2035. It states that global nuclear generating capacity will reach 580 GWe in 2035, 10% less than was forecast a year ago, and more than 50% less than forecast the year before. [Energy Tribune]
US:
¶ Algae-based biodiesel is being made available in California on a test basis. The fuel is a drop-in replacement for diesel. [Truckinginfo]
¶ The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may consider whether to require license applicants for emerging technologies to evaluate proliferation risks. [Nextgov]
¶ Vermonters are urging the Public Service Board to deny a Certificate of Public Good to Vermont Yankee. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
¶ Hurricane Sandy and inspections during shutdown both revealed problems at Oyster Creek, leading to citizens petitioning for decommissioning. [newjerseynewsroom.com]
¶ Texas Brine shut down one of its two vent wells burning off methane trapped under the Bayou Corne community after a small amount of potentially deadly hydrogen sulfide gas was released. Gasses started bubbling up just before the Bayou Corne sinkhole appeared. [The Advocate]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power
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