January 8, 2013
Opinion:
¶ Forbes India enumerates five sustainable practices is says must be made mandatory in India. [Forbes India]
World:
¶ In Australia, the cost of solar power from PVs on household roofs has fallen to below half the cost of grid electric power. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Offshore wind is gaining in importance in China, and has become a major power source. [Your Renewable News]
¶ New solar farms in Wales will have sheep grazing between rows of solar PV panels. [Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine]
¶ The government of Uruguay is planning to have 90% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2015. Hydropower will account for 45%, biomass will be 15%, and wind will be 30%. (The country got 62% of its electricity from renewable sources 2008, and the change is mostly the addition of wind.) [Bernama]
US:
¶ California businesses are installing solar power to reduce costs and improve their bottom line. [North Bay Business Journal]
¶ A Circuit Court has ruled that the NRC must explain why they secretly exempted the Indian Point nuclear reactor from fire-safety rules. [Courthouse News Service]
¶ Georgia Power is seeking permission to retire four coal-burning generating plants with a combined output of 2061 MW. The costs of complying with EPA regulations and competition are making the plants uneconomical to run. [Electric Light & Power]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
January 7, 2013
Opinion:
¶ Rupert Murdoch says the fact that forest mass is increasing indicates that CO2 is good for the environment, and we should stop wasting money on renewable power when there are so many great opportunities to build infrastructure for non-renewable technology. [Daily Star Online]
Japan:
¶ Local governments are having difficulty preparing disaster plans. Nearly half say they do not know whether they can meet a March 18 deadline to prepare a plan, and 11% say they will not be able to do so. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ In Japan, the problem of dealing with waste without a storage facility leads the government to want to extract plutonium. The problem is what to do with the plutonium. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The Chinese have started construction of a new reactor at a large nuclear facility in Shandong. [South China Morning Post]
¶ Indian scientists say they have found a way to remove actinides, the most problematical components, from nuclear waste, leaving the remainder of the waste much less dangerous. [Deccan Herald]
¶ In 2011, Scotland had 36.3% of its electricity generated from renewable sources. For the first three quarters of 2012, the amount was increased by 15.2%. The Scots say they are on track to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. [John O’Groat Journal]
¶ Nicaragua, the second poorest country in Latin America, is moving to renewable power. It had got 70% of its power from oil in the past. The hope is to have 94% from renewable sources by 2017. The article includes a nice list of 45 countries getting more than 60%, and 13 getting more than 95%, of their power from renewable sources. [IBTimes.co.uk]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear waste, renewable power
January 6, 2013
World:
¶ German solar installations continued to grow at a record pace in 2012. New installations have a capacity of 7.6 GW, and this is far more than the 2.5 to 3.0 GW the government wanted to see added. The resulting reduction in the feed-in tariff appears to be slowing growth down. [Economic Times]
¶ Sri Lanka’s Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka says that country will not start work on nuclear power generation within the next decade, as the technical issues raised by the Fukushima Disaster need to be fully assessed. [Sunday Observer]
¶ The Bulgarian prime minister is instructing supporters of his ruling party to vote not to allow use of nuclear power in that country. [Novinite.com]
¶ Scientific experts have given approval to restart of two Belgian nuclear power plants that were shut down because of micro-cracks in reactor vessels. [Straits Times]
US:
¶ New wind farms are being added in New Hampshire, but opponents are calling for a moratorium on expansion of wind power. [NewHampshire.com]
¶ Twenty-four environmental groups have filed documents with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission saying it will not be possible for the NRC to assess adequately the environmental implications of long-term storage of spent fuel in two years, as planned. [Melodika.net]
¶ The Entergy wholesale nuclear fleet is projected to show poor cash flows until 2016. Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim, and Indian Point are members of that group of nuclear plants. [Rutland Herald]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
January 5, 2013
Economics:
¶ The microgrid is being developed, both technologically and economically, as a model for electric generation and distribution. [energybiz]
World:
¶ Emerging economies are expected to triple their renewable energy output within the remainder of this decade. [FuelFix]
¶ Germany’s environment minister, Peter Altmaier, has rejected a newspaper report suggesting the country was considering sending its nuclear waste to other countries. [Deutsche Welle]
US:
¶ MidAmerican Solar, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Renewables, is investing over $2 billion in solar power generation in California. [Businessandleadership.com]
¶ There are no big federal legislative issues for renewable energy being considered for the next year, but a number of small issues could advance renewables a good deal. [Inside Climate News]
¶ A federal working group will address air pollution and employment concerns relating to the Navajo Generating Station, the largest coal-fired power plant in the western United States. The plant is on an Indian reservation near the Grand Canyon. [Reuters UK]
¶ The haggling over the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump is continuing, with a lack of funds even to investigate the idea central to the issue. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
¶ A plan for an interim storage facility in Utah for spent nuclear fuel is officially dead, as the owner has asked the NRC to cancel its license. According to the owner, this was because of obstruction by the Interior Department. This leaves the US with no interim storage option. [World Nuclear News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
January 4, 2013
Japan:
¶ TEPCO will start decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi this year. The process will begin with removal of the fuel rods in the spent fuel pool of Unit 4. [RTT News]
World:
¶ The German Environment Minister said his country would never again return to nuclear energy, in response to a statement by a top EU official who doubted Berlin’s commitment to phase out nuclear power. [FRANCE 24]
¶ The German energy system is oversupplied. Prices of some future deliveries of electricity have fallen to a record low. [Businessweek]
¶ The amount of electricity generated from renewable resources grew by 27% in the UK in 2012. The fastest growth was in offshore wind and solar power. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]
¶ A new report on Scotland’s energy future indicates bills will be lower as a result of the change to renewable power sources. [SNP]
US:
¶ The States of New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont have filed comments saying that the NRC is not addressing the deficiencies identified in district court in Washington DC. The court ordered the NRC not to issue any licenses for nuclear plants until the deficiencies are addressed. [Rutland Herald]
¶ A new report on pollution from energy suppliers points a finger at coal plants. The plants are being sued by environmental groups. [Pittsburgh Business Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
January 3, 2013
Opinion:
¶ The renewable industry has to use better tactics in its fight against NIMBYism. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Japan:
¶ Japanese companies are looking at oceanic resources to develop fossil fuels. Methane hydrate production is seen as a possibility. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The renewable energy industry is expected to create 400,000 jobs in the UK by 2020. Most of these will be in northern areas. [The Finance Pages]
¶ The Kudankulam nuclear plant is to be commissioned within the next two weeks, according officials at the Indian Atomic Energy Commission. [India West]
¶ Planners have decided on a recommendation on whether the UK’s Hinkley C reactor should be built, but the decision will be secret until the government decides what to do. [Power Engineering Magazine]
US:
¶ The solar industry is set to lead job growth in the US this year. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]
¶ A new report from the World Wildlife Fund says eight of the eleven US energy companies on the Fortune 100 have not set greenhouse gas reduction or renewable energy goals. [Inside Climate News]
¶ Florida lawmakers are moving to repeal a law that makes customers pay now for a nuclear plant that might be built in the future. [Bay News 9]
¶ The Vermont Public Service Board continues to take the position that Vermont Yankee is in violation of agreements Entergy made when the plant was purchased. [Brattleboro Reformer]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear waste, renewable power
January 2, 2013
Science:
¶ A single, massive electromagnetic pulse, which could come from a solar storm, a high-altitude nuclear bomb, or a “pulse gun,” could take out all electronic devices in a broad area. The area could be as big as the continental US, and the effects could last for years. [Market Daily News]
Japan:
¶ Japan has no place to store the nuclear waste it has created on the long term. It also has no way to use it, though it intends to process it. It could be used to make nuclear bombs. [Chem.Info]
¶ Despite the current government’s desire to reestablish nuclear power, there is a good deal of opposition against the reestablishment of a “nuclear village.” [Deutsche Welle]
World:
¶ A writer doing research in the New Zealand Defense Department archives discovered documents saying that the governments of that country and the US developed technology for using explosives to create tsunamis with 33 foot waves. [Telegraph.co.uk] (Though the article does not make the point, this would make any coastal nuclear facility vulnerable.)
US:
¶ A Shell oil rig loaded with 150,000 gallons of diesel has run aground on the coast of Alaska. Stormy weather is making access very difficult. There is a potential for environmental damage, but none has appeared yet. [Juneau Empire]
¶ Court fights over Vermont Yankee are happening in both the federal appeals court in New York and the Vermont Supreme Court this month. [Rutland Herald]
¶ The fiscal cliff deal struck in Washington is providing a one year tax credit extension to renewable energy. [Innovation Trail]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear waste, renewable power
January 1, 2013
Japan:
¶ In an article on restarting the Japanese economy, the new Japanese trade and industry minster, Toshimitsu Motegi, says the NRA will have to give its approval before any nuclear reactors are restarted, and this process will take at least three years. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ The NRA has found the fire proofing at more than one fifth of the nuclear reactors to be inadequate, according to the Mainichi Shimbun, a major newspaper. The finding could delay their restart by several years in some cases. [Straits Times]
¶ The work of decontamination radioactive fallout on the ground and buildings in the village of Iitate seems endless. [Pollution Solutions]
World:
¶ Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral L. Ramdoss says the nuclear plant at Kudankulam is unsafe and should not be commissioned. Instead, electrical power should be generated by sun and wind. [The Hindu]
¶ Investment in renewable energy is a good bet for the UK’s farmers, according to a rural surveyor at consultant Bidwells. The technology is more widely accepted, and potential lenders more comfortable with it than they had been previously. [FarmersWeekly]
US:
¶ Duke Energy stock is not necessarily safe to own, an analysis suggests. Among the problems are the fact that it has large holdings of nuclear power plants, specifically that it owns Crystal River, and that solar PV rooftop installations are increasingly competitive. [Seeking Alpha]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
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 27, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japanese financial markets are being guided by the expectation that restarting nuclear plants will not happen easily. [Businessweek]
¶ After Tohoku Electric tried to make the case that faults under a nuclear reactor Aomori Prefecture are not active, the NRA says it is convinced they are, which implies that the facility’s sole reactor cannot be restarted. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Quebec’s only nuclear reactor, Gentilly-2, is closing today. Part of the reason for the plant’s closing is the current low cost of electricity. Decommissioning costs are estimated to be $6.3 billion. [Seven Days]
¶ A report by the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation says that recent drill showed staff at Sellafield did not have the capability to respond to nuclear emergencies effectively, and errors could have led to “a prolonged release of radioactive material off-site”. [The Guardian]
US:
¶ A 438 MW wind power facility being put online in Kansas is the largest wind farm ever put up in a single construction phase. [Bradenton Herald]
¶ Installations of wind power outpaced those of natural gas in the first eleven months of 2012. [PennEnergy]
¶ NRC officials asked the owners of San Onofre for more analysis on its damaged steam generators, as they consider the question of restarting the reactors. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]
¶ US sailors are suing TEPCO and Japan in a US District Court for lying about the dangers of Fukushima Disaster’s radiation risks. They were exposed to it when they were serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, which provided aid during the disaster. [Businessweek]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, wind power
December 26, 2012
Japan:
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Authority is considering distribution of iodine tablets to households living close to nuclear power plants. The iodine tablets are of value only in situations where nuclear waste or reactor contents are released in quantity. [The Japan Times]
¶ Some Fukushima farmers are returning to their land. [Deutsche Welle]
World:
¶ Russia is having a floating nuclear plant built. The two reactors used on the plant are the same type used in Russian icebreakers. They are each 35 MW. Presumably, the barge on which the plant is built is unsinkable. [Frontline]
¶ The Chinese government will be lifting economic regulations on the coal industry next year. [China Daily]
US:
¶ The State of New York is making $250 million available for renewable energy projects. [EmpireStateNews.net]
¶ Wind power in Maine is moving forward, with 500 MW online and another 2000 MW in the works. The fact that the Production Tax Credit is expiring is holding things up, however. [Seacoastonline.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, renewable 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 23, 2012
Japan:
¶ If Japan developed its geothermal potential, they could use it to replace 25 nuclear power plants, according to their Icelandic ambassador. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ Russia is lagging behind the rest of the world in developing renewable energy. [Russia Beyond The Headlines]
¶ The government of Vietnam will propose changes of electricity purchasing prices for wind farm projects and prioritized support fees for electricity to favor growth of wind power. [VietNamNet Bridge]
¶ The International Renewable Energy Agency, based in Abu Dhabi, says the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, could get a return of $200 billion from renewable energy by 2030. [China.org.cn]
US:
¶ The boom in natural gas brought on by fracking has marginalized coal, but not has not undermined renewables. [Red River Radio]
¶ Policy of the State of Rhode Island is being driven by renewable energy and climate change. [ecoRI news]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, renewable 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 16, 2012
Japan:
¶ According to exit polls, the Liberal Democratic Party, under conservative leadership seen as seen by some as pro-nuclear, has won a landslide election in Japan. [Business Insider]
¶ The election in Japan is not so much a referendum on nuclear power, as it is on Japan’s the status of the Japanese national defense. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The oldest nuclear plant in Spain has shut down. [Reuters]
¶ A prominent German doctor has criticized a World Health Organization report on the Fukushima Disaster for underestimating its impact on human health. [Newstrack India]
US:
¶ In a bipartisan action, twenty-nine lawmakers have sent a letter to President Obama calling for leveling the playing field in energy support. The letter says, “Minor changes to the federal tax code could provide the renewable energy industry access to large pools of low-cost private capital.” [PoliticalNews.me]
¶ A large oil spill is polluting the waters of New Jersey and New York City. [The Jersey Journal – NJ.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, renewable 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 14, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO says it accepts the findings of a parliamentary inquiry into the Fukushima Disaster that accused the company of collusion with industry regulators. It admits culpability for its poor safety culture and bad habits. [The Guardian]
¶ Nuclear power is turning out to be a hot campaign issue for the upcoming elections. [AFP]
¶ Yet another Japanese nuclear plant may be inoperable because it sits too close to an active fault. [Bloomberg]
World:
¶ World nuclear generating has declined 5% since 2006. [Treehugger]
¶ A report by the UK’s Committee on Climate Change shows that generating power from renewable sources will keep British household fuel bills lower than relying on fossil fuels. [Offshore Technology International]
¶ A new low-impact coal plant is starting to generate power in China. It has just 10 percent of a common coal-fired power station’s pollutant emissions and is expected to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions in the future. [Power Engineering Magazine]
US:
¶ The NRC will meet with owners of San Onofre on December 18 to discuss the utility’s proposal to restart Unit 2, but say that the meeting will be part of a long process, with a final decision on a restart months away. [POWER magazine]
¶ In the US, renewable electrical power capacity is now greater than nuclear and oil combined. [Justmeans]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable 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
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