Archive for the 'solar' Category

July 4 Energy News

July 4, 2012

Opinion:

¶   As I see it – the future of electricity generation.

Japan:

¶   The Japanese government will not allow people who have worked in the nuclear industry in the last three years to work for the new regulatory agency. [Power Engineering]

¶   Yusuhara, in Kochi Prefecture, is considered a model in use of renewable power generation. [Power Engineering]

¶   Japan is still struggling to define its energy future. Some experts see the nuclear industry as desperate, commenting, “But basically, there is very little they can do to turn the clock back.” [Reuters]

World:

¶  Grameen Schneider Electric will equip nearly 200,000 households in Bangladesh with home solar systems. [Construction Week]

US:

¶   Dominion, owner of the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, wants to increase the number of dry casks on site. [The Day]

¶   The Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation found a lot of flotsam from Japan in a survey it conducted in Alaska.  Tests were conducted and nothing was found to be radioactive. [Alaska Dispatch]

July 3 Energy News

July 3, 2012

Japan:

¶   After 15 months, 40% of the people evacuated from Okuma, in Fukushima Prefecture, have given up on the idea that they will ever return home. [Daily Yomiuri]

¶   Mitsui OSK has built a hybrid ship to use for ferrying cars.  It has solar, battery, and diesel power systems. [The Japan Daily Press]

World:

¶   G24 Innovations is starting to sell photovoltaic cells built in a factory in Wales.  They produce power from ambient light. [RECHARGE]

¶   GE is supplying a wind farm in Sweden with ten 2.75 megawatt wind turbines. [The FINANCIAL]

US:

¶   The Union of Concerned Scientists is requesting the NRC to rule that all spent fuel at US nuclear reactors be moved to dry cask storage, allowing only five years to cool in spent fuel pools. [San Diego Reader]

July 2 Energy News

July 2, 2012

Japan;

¶   The Unit 3 reactor has been restarted at Ohi. Demonstrators at the site are described as raucous. [CNN]

¶   As time passed, and rain fell, hundreds of protesters remained, blocking the road to the Ohi reactors. Residents of Ohi generally were not protesting, as most of the people in the town are employed or otherwise subsidized by the owner of the plant. [The Japan Times]

¶   Demand for electricity for the month of June fell 4.1% from 2011 to 2012. [Reuters Africa]

¶   KEPCO, owner of the Ohi plant, also restarted a mothballed oil powered plant this weekend. [Reuters]

¶   Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank Corp., is keeping a commitment that his company would build at least 10 renewable power facilities with a combined capacity of more than 200 megawatts. He contrasts his company’s actions with those of politicians who fail to keep their commitments. [Wall Street Journal]

US:

¶   There were about three hundred protesters at the VY gate. Forty entered the grounds and were arrested. [Rutland Herald]

¶   Locked out workers at Pilgrim are losing health care benefits. [Boston Herald]

¶   As government incentives disappear, installations of solar power systems decline, but not by much.  The lack of incentives has been made up for by a decline in prices. [knoxvillebiz]

¶   Public Service of New Mexico is adding geothermal generating to its power portfolio. [REVE]

July 1 Energy News

July 1, 2012

Japan:

¶   Reactors at Ohi are restarting.  Many people are protesting. Protesters in Ohi say they are attempting to block access to the power plant. [CNN]

¶   The Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization designed the first nuclear safety drill since the Fukushima Disaster.  The drill did not include dealing with meltdowns for fear that doing so would be too upsetting to citizens. [The Japan Times]

¶   Protesters are attempting to blockade roads to the Ohi reactors. [Emirates 24/7]

¶   A problem developed in the cooling system at Fukushima Daiichi’s Unit 4 spent fuel pool. [The Japan Times]
…  Latest word is that a temporary cooling system has been started. [Australian Broadcast Corporation]

World:

¶   The UK has had large gains in renewable electricity production.  Wind is producing 50% more than last year. At the same time, consumption of electricity has declined slightly. [Clean Technica]

¶   A new 32,000 ton metallurgical grade silicon producing plant in Iceland, which will require 52 megawatts to operate, will be entirely powered by renewable resources. [MELODICA.NET]

US:

¶   New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he is likely to sign new legislation to that will reinvigorate the state’s solar industry. [CleanEnergyAuthority]

June 30 Energy News

June 30, 2012

A quote for today:

“A lot of people think that Fukushima is behind us, in fact it’s ahead of us.” Jean-Christophe Niel, head of ASN, the French nuclear safety authority. [quoted in RFI]

Japan:

¶   The weekly protest at the Prime Minister’s residence has grown from 300, in April, to a huge number, yesterday.  Police claim there were 17,000 people in the crowd, organizers say 150,000, and various media put the number at between 20,000 and 200,000. [Japan Daily Press]

¶   The Japanese government is presenting three plans for the future of energy production, so they can be debated publicly. [Reuters]

¶   The Anglican Church in Japan is calling for the abolition of nuclear power. [Anglican Communion News Service]

US:

¶   A rally to shut down VY is scheduled for July 1. [OpEdNews]

¶   The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is making new rules for wind, solar, and energy storage. A projection used as a basis, dating from 2010, is that  60% of new energy resources will be solar and wind by 2019. [Forbes]

¶   The US Senate confirmed Kristine Svinicki and Allison Macfarlane to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [The Hill]

¶   Decommissioning Zion is costing upwards of $100 million more than anticipated. [Chicago Tribune]

¶   The DOE gave Southern Company a sweetheart deal to finance building two reactors at Vogtle. Critics say the deal is excessive. [Inter Press Service]

June 28 Energy News

June 28, 2012

Japan:

¶   TEPCO denies its report on the Fukushima Disaster is a cover-up. [Australian Broadcast Company]

¶   Individual Japanese stockholders are starting to hold corporate managements accountable. [New York Times]
…  Nevertheless, all nine Japanese utilities decided to continue with nuclear power. [Asahi Shimbun]
…  And in particular, TEPCO shareholders voted in favor of a return to producing nuclear power, despite protests at the shareholders meeting. [euronews]

¶   Radiation readings in a drain under Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 are the highest yet recorded there, at 10,300 millisieverts per hour. [the Telegraph]

¶   The volume in loans for green power generation and other environmentally friendly projects in Japan has been increased by a multiple. [Utility Products]

¶   TEPCO is pulling out of a scheme to supply and run two reactors in Vietnam and ending its export of nuclear expertise. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   NRC attorneys are agreeing with environmental groups, including the New England Coalition, along with over twenty others, that the Seabrook relicense has to be delayed.   [Seacoastonline.com]

¶   The NRC says a new study on the environmental impact of Indian Point on Hudson River wildlife shows  older studies overestimate the actual damage by 1000 times.  The data supporting the new study was supplied by Entergy, the plant’s owner. [Bloomberg]

June 27 Energy News

June 27, 2012

Japan:

¶   Two prominent seismologists are warning against restarting the reactors at Ohi. [news24]

¶   TEPCO is being accused of lying and covering up its own incompetence in its report on its internal investigation of the Fukushima Disaster. [Radio Australia]
…  There have been protests at the stockholders’ meeting over the report. [Australian Network News]

¶   Shareholders have voted to allow TEPCO to be nationalized. [RTT News]

World:

¶   European Desertec, a consortium including such companies Siemens, E.ON, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Enel, and Shell, says it will use wind and solar energy from northern Africa and southern Europe to eliminate 95% of the emissions from generating electricity by 2050. [REneweconomy]

US:

¶   The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled in favor of the US NRC in its suit with the State of Vermont on the issue of the water quality permit.  The state contended that since Entergy never applied for a water quality permit, as required by the law, the NRC issued the license renewal illegally. [Reuters UK]

¶   The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled unanimously that the EPA has the authority to limit carbon dioxide emissions. [ieee spectrum]

¶   One take on the news says the investigation into Chairman Jaczko faults him because he was not supportive of his colleagues, and his actions were inconsistent with policy. [Wall Street Journal]
…  Another take says he committed no violations. [New York Times]

June 26 Energy News

June 26, 2012

Japan:

¶   Experts say the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 at Fukushima Daiichi is a disaster waiting to happen. [Radio Australia]

¶   TEPCO is finally admitting a slight lean in the Unit 4 building.  [NHK World]
…  (This has been reported without confirmation for over a year at ENENEWS, whom we thank for bringing the report to our attention.)

¶   According to NHK, a 92 hectare (227 acre) park in Tokyo is to be decontaminated because of radioactive fallout from Fukushima Daiichi. [NHK World].
…  (Again, thanks to ENENEWS.)

¶   Another earthquake at Fukushima could lead to a disaster ten times worse than Chernobyl. [Australian Broadcast Corporation]

¶   The number 3 reactor at Ohi will be restarted on July 1, and is expected to be producing at full power on about July 8-11. The number 4 reactor at the same plant is expected to be started on July 17-21, and to produce full power on July 24-31. [Reuters]

¶   Protesters say the restart at Ohi was rushed, and the plant was declared safe without considering difficulties evacuation would pose, or even infrastructure, which needs upgrades. [The Japan Times]

World:

¶   The government of Korea is getting proactive about construction of wind turbines. [REVE]

¶   The city of Beijing is considering a sister-city relationship with Copenhagen, partly because it may facilitate installation of 100 wind turbines. [REVE]

US:

¶   A shipment of two dry casks arrived by barge for Seabrook. They are in parts that will be assembled at the plant. Transporting them from the port to the plant requires use of two trucks, each with 100 tires on the trailer, which will move on the roads at 5 miles per hour. [Seacoastonline]

¶   The New Jersey legislature is considering a bill intended to avert collapse of the solar market in that state. New Jersey has seen a decline in the price of solar credits for owners of solar arrays earn for their investment, resulting from rapid expansion of solar production. [NJSPOTLIGHT]

June 25 Energy News

June 25, 2012

Japan:

¶   Japanese based Taiwanese journalist Liu Li-erh says the Fukushima disaster caused her property, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the plant to lose half its value.  She gives this message to the people of Taiwan, “Now is the time to go nuclear free.” [Taipei Times]

¶   After testing for radioactive substances, seafood caught off the coast of Fukushima has gone on sale at a reduced price to test the market. [China Daily]
…  A different fishing expedition off Fukushima returned with a radioactive haul. [Radio Australia]

¶   TEPCO has installed another cover for the Unit 4 spent fuel pool. [Break Bulk]

World:

¶   British green utility Good Energy is growing at over 12% and now has over 30,000 customers. [NewsNet]

¶   Solaria, a German solar company, is planning to build an unsubsidized 60 MW solar generating station in Spain, and projects the cost at $1.25 per watt, with an opening date in 2013.  [REneweconomy]
…  Solaria says  costs of electricity from the plant should be $68 to $75 per MWh.  By comparison, the US DOE’s projected cost for power from nuclear plants is at $113.80 per MWh, excluding costs of managing nuclear waste and potential taxpayer liabilities for loan guarantees and disaster insurance. [US DOE projected costs]

US:

¶   Workers at the Pilgrim nuclear plant are now picketing the plant.  A contract negotiation had failed, and the workers had been locked out by Entergy. [Nuclear Street]

¶   War games scheduled to test security at Indian Point have been delayed.  The issue is that during such practice at Seabrook, a participant nearly passed out because of carbon monoxide produced by the fake ammunition. [Journal News- lohud.com]

¶   Physicians for Social Responsibility have endorsed Allison MacFarlane to chair the NRC. [IBTimes]

¶   Contrary to claims by the NRC that seismic studies were done at Limerick before it was constructed, they were not completed until two years after the first reactor was delivered. Now we know the plant sits on top of a fault. [The Mercury]

June 22 Energy News

June 22, 2012

Japan:

¶   Efforts will begin to remove spent fuel assemblies from the Unit 4 spent fuel pool this year, instead of waiting until late 2013, as had been planned. The reason given for this appears to be public concern.  [Reuters]

¶   TEPCO’s report on the Fukushima Disaster is being called sloppy, and its contents falsified, by many people, both in and out of government. [The Mainichi]

World:

¶   Transmission lines may connect solar and wind generating stations in Germany with pumped storage in Norway by 2018. [The Local]

US:

¶   The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the nomination of Allison Macfarlane to chair the NRC and re-nomination of Kristine Svinicki as a commissioner. [Power Engineering]

¶   The State of California will conduct an investigation into problems at San Onofre. [Bloomberg Businessweek]

¶   Cracks in the containment building at Crystal River are not currently getting worse, but no one knows whether the reactor will be brought back online. [Tampa Bay Times]

¶   Officials at Browns Ferry say that plant is not ready for an inspection needed to clear a reactor’s “red” safety status. [Chattanooga Times]

June 21 Energy News

June 21, 2012

Japan:

¶   After a lengthy self-investigation, TEPCO has proclaimed itself exonerated on the Fukushima Disaster.  In reporting the event, this article notes that the utility “has worked vigilantly to shut out close scrutiny of the ravaged plant’s condition.”  [New York Times]

¶   TEPCO does, however, admit it underestimated the risk of tsunami.  [The Province]

¶   The Japanese Diet has approved a bill to produce an independent nuclear regulatory agency. [Power Engineering]

¶   Toshiba is planning the largest solar farm in Japan so far.  It will be sited in Minamisoma and will cost ¥30 billion ($380 million). [Tokyo Times]

World:

¶   Nuclear plant operators must be prepared for flaws in the design basis, according to officials of the European Nuclear Security Regulators Group. This means that nuclear plants have to incorporate safety features to deal with problems that cannot be anticipated. [Platts]

¶   The French government is calling for tougher sanctions against Iran after nuclear talks in Moscow broke down.  [Press TV]

US:

¶   Union workers at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant have rejected the contract offered them, extending the lock-out.  [Boston Herald]

June 20 Energy News

June 20, 2012

A quote for today:

“By telling the naked emperor to go get dressed, the Court has delivered an overdue rebuke to the NRC’s bad habit of pushing for the nuclear power plants while postponing the problems, as we now know the Japanese to have done at Fukushima. It’s hard to see how federal and state officials can justify putting more taxpayer or customer money at risk on new reactor projects until this situation is resolved.”  Former NRC Commissioner, Peter Bradford [International Business Times]

Technology:

¶   Scientists and regulators are trying to figure out what to do about the potential for solar storms to disrupt nuclear plants, the electric grid, communications, and so on. [AOL Energy]

Japan:

¶   TEPCO’s report on the disaster has been announced by the chairman of the committee drafting it.  According to CNN, it draws the  stunningly obvious conclusion that TEPCO was not prepared for what happened. [CNN]

¶   Industry minister Edano has apologized for the fact that the Japanese government failed to use radiation maps supplied by the US during the disaster, with the result that evacuees were put in the path of fallout. [Business Recorder]

World:

¶   Solar panels are reducing Australia’s mains electricity consumption. [Eco-Business]

US:

¶   According to the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, current renewable technology could supply 80% of the electrical power in the United States by 2050, but government agencies grossly underestimate the apparently exponential growth in renewables. [Washington Post]

¶   A protest is planned for July 1, in which anti-nuclear activists plan to swarm the gates at Vermont Yankee. [Valley Advocate]

¶   Workers at the Pilgrim plant will vote on a new contract. [Boston Globe]

¶   A total of 174 MW of solar panels were installed in New Jersey during the first three months of 2012. [NJ Spotlight]

June 19 Energy News

June 19, 2012

Japan:

¶   Closing down all fifty nuclear plants in Japan would result in a loss to Japanes utilities of ¥4.4 trillion ($55 billion).  [The Japan Times]

¶   The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Administration has admitted it was negligent and is apologizing for shoddy management. [The Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is running at 36% of permitted power because of a problem that produced smoke in the reactor building.  An Entergy spokesman said they did not know what the cause was, but they did know it had nothing to do with safety. [Keene Sentinel]

¶   The Massachusetts Attorney General is appealing the Pilgrim license renewal, saying the NRC abused its discretion in issuing the license without considering the Fukushima Disaster. [Fox News Boston]

¶   The NRC has determined that the problem at San Onofre stems from design flaws and says it is not possible to know whether one or more of the  steam generators needs to be replaced. The flaws are said to have resulted from bad computer modeling. [Newser]

¶   The 24 groups and individuals, including the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution, have joined to file a petition to stop the NRC from licensing or relicensing plants until the waste issue is resolved. [Clean Energy News]

¶   San Diego Gas & Electric has completed a 500 kV transmission line to link a solar farm in the Imperial Valley to San Diego.  [Utilities Network]

June 18 Energy News

June 18, 2012

Technology:

¶   The price of solar power has fallen to the point that it is becoming competitive with fossil fuels. [The Conversation]

¶   Energy storage is becoming increasingly important as the world switches to renewable power. [The Motley Fool]

Japan:

¶   In a press conference, the Japanese trade minister said the new regulatory agency, which is set to begin operations in August, will make its own decisions on the 48 reactors that remain  idle, independently of the cabinet. If this is true, then it could be that no additional reactors will be started before fall.  [The Daily Yomiuri Online]

¶   In the days following the Fukushima Disaster, the Japanese government received accurate radiation maps from the US Energy Department, but chose not to use them as people evacuated.  Some went into areas with high radiation.  [The Asahi Shimbun]

¶   The Japanese government approved billions of dollars of subsidies for renewable power. [Eco-Business]

¶   There is a building boom for solar electric installations in Japan.  [Bloomberg BusinessWeek]

¶   Those who wish to return to  widespread use of nuclear power in Japan do not have a clear path ahead. [Wall Street Journal]

World:

¶   Worldwide wind generating capacity increased by 40 GW in 2011. [REVE]

¶   German utility company RWE AG has decided not to replace its German reactors with new reactors outside the country, but is thinking about cooperating with communities to build solar farms.  It may enter the private consumer solar business, as well. [Wall Street Journal]

US:

¶   The US is now producing more renewable energy than nuclear. [geoharvey page]

¶   A former nuclear waste dump in Pennsylvania is being closely guarded by Homeland Security after nuclear materials there were found to include materials that should were more “complex” than expected. [Centre Daily Times]

June 17 Energy News

June 17, 2012

Japan:

¶   After restarting two reactors at Ohi, bringing more nuclear reactors online will depend on decisions of the new Japanese nuclear regulatory agency.  The agency is expected to be formed during the next three months. [Article in the Japan Times]

World:

¶   The value of nuclear stress tests is being questioned. [Article in Deutsche Welle]

US:

¶   In the United States, solar installations are up 85% in the last year. [Article in REVE]

¶   Anti-nuclear groups are planning to stage a protest at a meeting at which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission intended to explain the prolonged outage of the San Onofre nuclear plant. [Article in Power Engineering]

¶   Entergy and the Utility Workers Union of America local at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant have agreed to resume negotiations. [Article in Pilgrim Patch]

June 16 Energy News

June 16, 2012

Technology:

LCD makers may begin to switch to manufacturing solar cells. The result could be a price reduction to 30¢ per watt. [Article in Bloomberg]

Japan:

Prime Minister Noda says he wants to reduce Japan’s dependence on nuclear power. [Article in euronews]

Prime Minister Noda has ordered the restart of two Ohi Reactors. [Article in the New York Times]

Ruiko Muto lives a Thoreau-like life in a rural setting in Fukushima Prefecture.  She is a bit of a hermit, making grass tea and acorn curry, and reading by an oil lantern.  Now she is an important voice of the Fukushima protest movement. [Article in Asahi Shimbun]

World:

Geothermal energy could provide all the domestic heat and about 20% of the electricity for the United Kingdom. [Article in Electric Light and Power]

The British Energy Secretary says the U.K. is committed to its renewable power goals. [Article in iStockAnalyst]

The Natural Resources Defense Council has released a scorecard ranking G20 nations and their commitment to clean energy development.  We refrain from comment on how the US does. [Article in EnergyBoom]

US:

The U.S. military wants to get 3 gigawatts of renewable generating capacity, and is willing to deal creatively to get it. [Article at AOL Energy]

Entergy has postponed an emergency drill at Pilgrim.  Striking members of the plant’s union say this is an indication of Entergy’s valuing profits above safety of workers and the community. [Article in the Boston Globe]

June 14 Energy News

June 14, 2012

Technology:

A new catalyst may lead to artificial photosynthesis and solar manufacture of fuels. [Article in Scientific American]

A new report indicates offshore wind costs may be reduced by a third by 2020. [Article in REneweconomy]

Japan:

The new Japanese nuclear regulatory body will review the 40 year operating limit. [Article in Power Engineering]

As the last of local politicians agree to the restart, Japanese media says restarting of the Ohi reactors may begin this weekend. [Article in the Washington Post]

World:

World nuclear production of electricity fell by 4.3% in 2011. [Article at Utilities-ME]

US:

Part of Seabrook’s administrative building had to be evacuated because of an ammonia spill. [Article in the Boston Globe]

An agreement among senators of both parties backs both nominees to the NRC board. [Article in the Wall Street Journal]

Davis-Besse is running again after refueling and maintenance. [Article in the Toledo Blade]

Nine states have joined with the New England Coalition and other advocacy groups to support Vermont in its appeal of Judge Murtha’s decision. [Article in Power Engineering]

June 11 Energy News

June 11, 2012

Technology:

Alta Devices has provided details on new solar film technology allowing for flexible, highly efficient photovoltaic cells. [Article in Compound Semiconductor]

Japan:

Inpex, the largest oil and gas company in Japan, is increasing its purchases of overseas assets. [Article in Financial Times]

The Japanese government expects that 18% of Fukushima evacuees will be unable to return home for at least another ten years. [Article in the Japan Times.]

A group of 1800 people have filed a criminal complaint against 33 TEPCO executives, saying they should be held responsible for the Fukushima Disaster. [Article in the Japan Daily Press]

A panel of scientists appointed by the governor of Fukui Provence has approved restart of the Oi reactors. [Article in the Business Week]

World:

Cuban officials say they will increase the share of renewable power in their electric production from 3.8% to 16.5% within the next eight years. [Article in Fox News Latino]

GE will be investing $900 million in wind generators in Turkey, over the next three years. [Article in REVE]

US:

Workers at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant, who have been locked out during labor negotiations, say the plant is not safely run by people temporarily assigned to replace them. [Article at socialistworker.org]

June 9 News

June 9, 2012

Japan:

TEPCO has put a 60-ton cover on the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 at Fukushima Daiichi. [News release from TEPCO]

World:

German solar power farms supplied 10% of the electricity used in Germany in May. [Article from Federal News Radio]

A 9000 GWh per year solar farm is being planned for Tunisia to sell electricity to Europe. [Article at Tunisialive]

US:

A federal appeals court ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to redo environmental analysis that allows nuclear waste to be stored at plant sites for 60 years after the plant closes.  The order says that the NRC may not depend on an underground waste storage facility, like the one proposed for Yucca Mountain, because it might not happen. [Article at the Wall Street Journal]

Even if Yucca Mountain opened tomorrow, it would not solve the problem. [Article in the New York Times]

The NRC may not issue new licenses or renew old ones until the storage is worked out.  [New York AG Press Release]

Rep. Edward Markey is demanding answers from the NRC about how Pilgrim’s emergency response capability can be maintained while the plant’s full-time staff is off work during a labor dispute. [Article in Power Engineering]

Opinion:

Depending on nuclear power is like depending on narcotics. [geoharvey blog page]