Posts Tagged ‘Fukushima’
January 11, 2013
Opinion:
¶ William S. Becker gives us “The Incontrovertible Business Case for Clean Energy,” in two parts. Huffington Post: [Part 1] [Part 2]
World:
¶ Chile has 3.1 GW of solar energy projects in planning. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ The Irish renewable electric provider, Mainstream Renewable Power, is making progress in its talks with the UK National Grid to export 5000 MW of electricity to Britain. [Irish Times]
¶ RWE’s renewable energy unit said a new law designed to ease grid-connection delays for German wind farms doesn’t go far enough in reducing investment risks. Utilities including RWE AG and EON SE had threatened to halt investments unless the issues are resolved. [Bloomberg]
¶ Restarting reactors in Belgium that had been shut down because of microcracks will be hazardous, according to a study commissioned by the Green Party group in the European Parliament. [EurActiv]
US:
¶ The city council of Carbondale, Illinois, named for local coal mines, has voted to make the city’s electric supply 100% renewable. The package deal provided a 2% cost above non-renewable, and a 22% cost reduction from aggregated buying, so there is substantial saving from going green. [The Southern Illinoisian]
¶ Tucson, Arizona is transitioning to a renewable water supply. [Tucson Citizen]
¶ The NRC still has no timetable for restarts of the Fort Calhoun or Crystal River nuclear plants. [POWER magazine]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
January 9, 2013
Science and Technology:
¶ Graphene oxides have been discovered to remove some dissolved radioactive materials from water quickly, and can be used in places like Fukushima for decontamination. [HispanicBusiness.com]
Japan’s news is now in the World section.
World:
¶ Some areas of Wales are leading the way in rooftop solar installations. In Wrexham, 5% of homes have PVs supplying their power. [WalesOnline]
¶ Algeria is planning on spending $60 billion developing renewable energy. [ESI Africa]
¶ Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing $500-million in a portfolio of wind power farms owned by Chicago-based clean energy developer Invenergy LLC. [National Post]
¶ Cleanup and decontamination at Fukushima are alarmingly slipshod. [Asahi Shimbun]
US:
¶ Ratepayers in southern California are paying $1.1 billion per year in costs relating to the San Onofre nuclear plant while it sits idle because of equipment problems. [Los Angeles Times]
¶ The owners of Fort Calhoun still hope to restart the reactor in the first quarter, despite work that still remains to correct a problem an NRC official called a “significant technical challenge” with the unit’s containment. [Platts]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | 1 Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, wind | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, wind | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, technology | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
December 6, 2012
Japan:
¶ A potential scandal is brewing as scientists who set radiation exposure limits were having trips to conferences paid for by utilities. [TIME]
¶ Polls show the pro-nuclear Liberal Democratic Party may regain control of parliament in the upcoming election. The Japanese are very dissatisfied with the current state of their economy. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ The established parties have lost appeal, but the newer anti-nuclear parties have not established themselves yet, leaving anti-nuclear voters with a dilemma. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Italian utility Enel has pulled out of the project building the Flamanville reactor in France, which is experiencing cost overruns. According to analysts, this casts doubt on the long-term future of nuclear power in France. [Reuters]
¶ The increases in costs for reactors in France is having a negative effect on nuclear power in India. [The Hindu]
US:
¶ The Hoosac wind project, in northwestern Massachusetts, is expected to be online by the end of the month. [Renew Grid]
¶ Five new members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are strong supporters of fossil fuels industries, which contributed $1.7 million to their election campaigns. [ThinkProgress]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, renewable power, wind power
December 5, 2012
Technology:
¶ A research team at the University of Colorado is receiving $9.2 million from the US DOE to genetically modify E. coli so it makes gasoline. [Phys.Org]
Japan:
¶ A team of researchers say they have developed a way to remove cesium from water inexpensively, potentially making decontamination of soil and water of cesium from the Fukushima Disaster much easier. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Nearly half the cleanup workers at Fukushima were hired illegally. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ The UK is providing funding for climate projects in other parts of the world. [E&T magazine]
¶ Rich countries are being accused of using a double standard at Doha, subsidizing fossil fuels at home and pushing climate change on the rest of the world. [India Today]
US:
¶ Nearly half the new generation capacity added in 2012 is from renewable resources. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ The US government is opening two new offshore wind sites on the Atlantic coast. One is off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island; the other is off the coast of Virginia. [Energy Efficiency News]
¶ The New England Coalition has asked the Vermont Supreme Court to order Vermont Yankee to shut down. [WCAX] (There is more coverage at the Reformer, but it will require a subscription after December 12. [Brattleboro Reformer])
¶ According to the NRC, Seabrook is safe to run even though concrete in its buildings is degrading. [Reuters]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, technology, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, technology | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
December 3, 2012
Japan:
¶ The United Nations’ special rapporteur on the right to health raised concerns that the Japanese government is not screening enough of its people, and had been overly optimistic with radiation exposure thresholds. [Radio Australia]
World:
¶ The amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere last year was 3% more than the year before, most of the increase from China. Of the top ten polluters, only Germany and the US reduced their CO2 emissions. [Huffington Post]
¶ The head of EON SE’s trading unit says Europe should consider cutting costs for consumers by rewarding renewable power and energy efficiency through the region’s carbon market rather than through expensive subsidies to utilities. [Businessweek]
¶ The government of the UK released an Energy Bill it hopes will increase the amount of power generated by renewables capacity from the current 11% to 30% by 2030. [EcoSeed]
¶ The wealthiest countries are providing five times as much aid for fossil fuel as they are to combat climate change. [BusinessWeek]
US:
¶ The TVA is building higher flood barriers at Watts Bar, and other nuclear plants will have to build higher barriers as well. Weather systems are changing, and old calculations were already excessively optimistic. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]
¶ In addition to generating power, Xcel Energy buys and sells electricity in a trading room that operates around the clock, every day of the week. The company estimates that in the past 12, it has made almost $245 million on energy trades. [Denver Post]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, 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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, technology | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, wind | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | 2 Comments »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar, technology | Leave a Comment »
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]
Posted in nuclear power, renewable power, solar | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
geoharvey 