Posts Tagged ‘Fukushima’
November 25, 2012
Japan:
¶ The US will help Japan by supplying liquified natural gas. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ Indian cabinet minister K. H. Muniyappa explained to residents of Bangarpet that dumping nuclear waste in the Kolar mine shafts is merely an idea, not a decision. The protests against the idea are still going on anyway. [Deccan Herald]
¶ The Australian government issued an energy white paper, which says fossil fuels will provide most of the electricity for the next 20 years. The climate commissioner contradicts this, saying the economy could be powered “almost entirely by renewable energy” in coming decades. [The Australian Financial Review]
US:
¶ A small leak at the new plant in Hanford, Washington, being built to vitrify radioactive waste from weapons production, combines with a recommendation leaked to the media that a supervisor should be fired to show there are questions that need to be asked about a $12 billion dollar project. [OregonLive.com]
¶ Some in Louisiana are questioning whether the collapse of a salt dome cavern at Corne Bayou, local earthquakes, and nearby drilling for oil are related. [Examiner.com]
¶ Residents of Long Island who went without power for weeks after Hurricane Sandy are finding their electric bills are just as high as ever. [NewsMax.com]
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Tags: electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, renewable power
November 24, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japan needs both to maintain a diverse energy mix and to diversify fuel sources. [The Japan Times]
¶ The upcoming elections in Japan have political parties arguing over energy in general, and nuclear energy in particular. [Utility Products]
World:
¶ A Scottish company selling solar panels has reported a ten-fold growth in sales over the past year. [Herald Scotland]
¶ The UK is bringing its energy plant to parliament. It will provide for the renewable energy legally required to meet 2050 carbon targets, but does not specify the shorter-term targets. It will add to the tariff on consumers’ bills, providing a modicum of support for renewable energy. [Wall Street Journal]
… Media prognosticators talk about effects from their own points of view. The actual cost to consumers may go down because of renewable additions. [The Week UK]
… Various environmental organizations are not happy with the bill. [Financial Times]
¶ Two days after the Indian Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that nuclear waste from Kudankulam would be dumped in abandoned mines at Kolar Gold Fields, an Indian cabinet minister clarified that there are no plans to put the waste anywhere in India. [Times of India]
US:
¶ Connecting the dots from different articles, ENEnews shows recent articles on inland tsunamis on lakes should be taken as warnings that Fukushima-like disasters could hit nuclear reactors on lake banks. There are 33 such reactors on the banks of the Great Lakes. [ENEnews]
¶ Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is urging Congress to enact legislation to prevent the NRC from relicensing nuclear plants more than ten years before their current licenses expire. [Worcester Telegram]
¶ Bechtel, which is building a plant in Hanford, Washington to treat high-level radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production, may have committed safety and health violations, an investigation found. [Big News Network.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 23, 2012
Quote for today:
“Last year every British household had £17 added to their annual energy bill to help build renewable energy infrastructure … which is now delivering 10% of Britain’s total electricity needs.
“By comparison every household also had £120 added to their energy bill simply due to the rising cost of gas on the global energy markets.
“Unlike the renewable support, that extra £120 didn’t build any extra electricity generation, it just covered the cost of buying ever more expensive fossil fuels.”
Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, a UK green energy company [Big Green Smile]
Japan:
¶ Toshiba says the robot it unveiled this week can withstand high radiation in nuclear disasters, and they say it can climb stairs. Reports did not say whether it could do anything to clean up the mess. [Columbus Dispatch]
World:
¶ The International Energy Agency says South Korea needs to rebuild public trust in nuclear power by boosting transparency and improving regulation, after safety scares have closed reactors and threaten to trigger blackouts over winter. [ABC Online]
¶ Frost & Sullivan, specialists in market research and analysis, released a report saying world-wide venture capital funding for renewable energy would triple by 2020. [pv magazine]
¶ A new Indian market in clean energy certificates has crashed as state distribution utilities have failed to honour their purchase obligations. [Power Engineering]
¶ China Daily says the Chinese government is moving to transform the way energy is developed, especially the use of renewable resources. [China Daily]
… OilPrice.com says we should not believe they hype; the Chinese renewable sector is in disarray. [OilPrice.com]
¶ The first commercial full-scale anaerobic digester that pumps renewable gas directly into the local distribution network has been officially opened by the Prince of Wales. [specifinder.com]
¶ The World Bank, which called for urgent action to stop catastrophic global warming, has financed $12 billion worth of fossil fuel projects over the last six years. Desertec says the Earth would be a lot better of if the money went to concentrated solar in the desert. [SmartPlanet.com]
¶ Last April Donald Trump told a Scottish parliamentary committee wind generators were ugly, noisy, and dangerous, adding that they would drive tourists away from Scotland and his golf course. Now, the Scottish Parliament committee has released its report, which states, “No witness provided the Committee with robust, empirical evidence that tourism is negatively affected by the development of renewable projects.” [Click Green]
US:
¶ The old steam generator from San Onofre arrived safely in Utah. It took 15 days to travel the 852 mile distance. [Deseret News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 22, 2012
Japan:
¶ The consulting company responsible for erroneous projections for the spread of radiation from reactors in the event of meltdowns was linked to the nuclear industry. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Kansai Electric Power Company has presented potential lenders with a business plan that includes reactivating two reactors, in addition to the pair that were brought back online this summer. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The European Parliament has decided against a moratorium on exploiting shale gas, despite admitted shortcomings and uncertainties. [Europolitics.info]
¶ The government of Norway has produced a plant that can capture carbon dioxide and sequester it in submarine aquifers. [Businessweek]
¶ The Indian renewable energy sector could create 2.4 million jobs by 2020. [EcoSeed]
US:
¶ Two natural gas generators proposed for southern California are not needed for the time being despite an ongoing outage at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, according to a draft decision by California Public Utilities Commissioner Mark Ferron. [U-T San Diego]
¶ The DOE, is trying to promote development of a small factory-built modular nuclear reactor. They are funding a prototype designed by a consortium of Babcock & Wilcox, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bechtel International. [New York Times]
¶ In Oxford Ohio, Miami University is digging hundreds of well to provide geothermal heat and cooling to its buildings. [Oxford Press]
¶ US demand for natural gas will increase in December and January because of outages at nuclear plants, according to a Barclay’s Capital report. [Platts]
¶ At a meetings of the board of the TVA, the MOX issue has not appeared on the agenda, and board continues to maintain its stated position against MOX use, despite pressure from the DOE. [The Aiken Leader]
¶ The city council of Los Angeles has entered into a $1.6 contract to buy electricity from a solar project on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. [Sacramento Bee]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 21, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO is showing plans for a building to cover Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3. [World Nuclear News]
¶ Toshiba has unveiled a new robot designed to help in cleanup at Fukushima. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ Wild mushrooms growing in widespread places more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Fukushima, have been found to be heavily contaminated with cesium. The central government has asked 17 prefectures to test mushrooms (there are 47 prefectures in Japan). [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ According to a newly released UN study, greenhouse gasses were at a record high at the end of 2011. [CNN]
¶ The International Energy Agency’s has released its World Energy Outlook, which projects energy trends to 2035. It states that global nuclear generating capacity will reach 580 GWe in 2035, 10% less than was forecast a year ago, and more than 50% less than forecast the year before. [Energy Tribune]
US:
¶ Algae-based biodiesel is being made available in California on a test basis. The fuel is a drop-in replacement for diesel. [Truckinginfo]
¶ The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may consider whether to require license applicants for emerging technologies to evaluate proliferation risks. [Nextgov]
¶ Vermonters are urging the Public Service Board to deny a Certificate of Public Good to Vermont Yankee. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
¶ Hurricane Sandy and inspections during shutdown both revealed problems at Oyster Creek, leading to citizens petitioning for decommissioning. [newjerseynewsroom.com]
¶ Texas Brine shut down one of its two vent wells burning off methane trapped under the Bayou Corne community after a small amount of potentially deadly hydrogen sulfide gas was released. Gasses started bubbling up just before the Bayou Corne sinkhole appeared. [The Advocate]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power
November 20, 2012
Japan:
¶ The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reported that 40% of the fish caught off the coast of Fukushima were still testing positive for radioactive contamination above the government’s safety own limits. Both TEPCO and the Japanese government are disputing the finding. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ Experts are puzzled by high radiation exposure found in residents who were well outside the exclusion zone established for the Fukushima Disaster. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ In Japan, shipments of solar cells have increased 80% in three months. [IBTimes.co.uk]
¶ Small Japanese political opposition parties are running on anti-nuclear platforms for the upcoming elections. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Nissan is improving the range and reducing the price of the Leaf, the world’s most popular electric car. [Washington Post]
World:
¶ Chinese car manufacturers sold only 235 electric cars worldwide in the second quarter, a decline of 31% from the first. US companies sold 7800 in the same quarter, an increase of 28%. [Caixin Media]
¶ A plan to provide 15% of Europe’s power from solar plants in North Africa appears to be stalling. Two important companies pulled out, and the Spanish government is waiting to sign on. The Chinese government might decide to invest in the project, however. [Today’s Energy Solutions]
¶ Worldwide renewable energy prices are dropping, and are going below the costs of power from fossil fuels in many places. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
US:
¶ Friends of the Earth is urging the NRC to commit to full transparency and public participation in proceedings that could determine the future of Southern California Edison’s crippled San Onofre reactors. [eNews Park Forest]
¶ Hurricane Sandy illustrates the idea that the conventional grid is not as able to stand up to nature as renewable energy sources on microgrids. [Christian Science Monitor]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 19, 2012
World:
¶ Siemens has overcome important problems with expense, weight, and maintenance of offshore wind turbines. A brand new 6.0 MW wind turbine uses 50% fewer parts than rival designs, weighs less, costs less, and is less expensive to install. [Inhabitant]
¶ From Green roofs to rainwater collection, green initiatives are taking off in Canada. [Huffington Post]
¶ The Bank of Georgia is offering special loans for hydroelectric projects of up to 20 MW. [The FINANCIAL]
¶ UK renewable energy supplier Good Energy has announced plans to launch the country’s first local electricity tariff , with local households near its wind farms set to benefit by cost reductions of more than £110 a year. [AOL Money]
¶ The primary task of the annual UN climate negotiations will be to prevent consumption of two-thirds of the worlds proven fossil fuel reserves. The International Energy Agency warned this week that the reserves cannot be used without risking dangerous climate change. [Aljazeera.com]
¶ Greenpeace lodged a formal complaint with the Public Protector and South African Human Rights Commission after the ministry of energy refused to release the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review. Greenpeace claims the review clearly shows South Africa does not have resources to build nuclear power plants. [News24]
¶ The World Bank, the CIA, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers are all calling urgently calling for action on global warming. The predictions are dire. [The Atlantic Wire]
US:
¶ GM and ABB showed off a use for Chevy Volt batteries that have reached the end of their automotive service life. At that point, only 30% of the battery’s life is used. A set of five batteries can provide 25 kWh of household power, or the batteries can be used for grid backup. [PACE Today]
¶ The coal-fired Comanche Power Station is finally at 71% capacity. It had been scheduled to start in 2009, but leaks and a whine heard three miles away delayed it. In 2011, it ran at 52% capacity. Paying for the plant will add $3.73 a month to average residential energy bill. [KREX News Channel]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 18, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japan has signed a memorandum of understanding to import rare-earth minerals from India. The rare-earth elements are used in the manufacture of such devices as LEDs and solar cells, in addition to computer chips. [Tengrinews]
World:
¶ Many power stations in the UK are coming to the end of their life and the Government estimates it will cost £110 billion to replace and improve electricity infrastructure over the next decade. A plan for the future of UK power generation is in the works. [Yahoo! News UK]
¶ Shams 1, a 100 MW concentrated solar power plant in the United Arab Emirates, won the Project of the Year Award from the Emirates Solar Industry Association. [AME Info]
US:
¶ In Hawaii, 15% of all new construction relates to installation of solar systems. State finances are being somewhat overwhelmed, as projections of rebates and other support proved inaccurate. [The Desert Sun]
… Hawaiian Electric Co. on Oahu has warned that the explosion of do-it-yourself solar could threaten parts of the power grid with power fluctuations exceeding output from power plants, leading to grid failures. [Los Angeles Times]
¶ A grass called Arundo donax is considered a noxious weed and banned as an invasive species in several states, but its rapid growth makes it a prime candidate for utilities wanting to convert from coal to biomass. [Tribune-Review]
¶ Government leaders in a number of rural states are unhappy with Environmental Protection Agency’s rejection of a request to relax ethanol standards that had argued they are hurting the economy. Wyoming is an example. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]
¶ Aspen Skiing Company opened a new $5.4 million project to capture methane waste from a nearby coal mine and use it to generate electricity. The methane waste from the mine has an estimated value of $1 million each month. [ESPN]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 17, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japan is having elections, and nuclear power will be clearly a major issue in the election. Shinzo Abe, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, the main opposition force, has called the zero-nuclear goal “irresponsible.” [The Japan Times]
… The ruling Democratic Party of Japan released a draft of its election manifesto that strengthens its anti-nuclear stance. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Trout caught near Fukushima Daiichi had levels of radioactive cesium that were over 100 times the official safe limit. [PanARMENIAN.Net]
World:
¶ A new report in the UK says that because of the growth of renewable generation, “By the time any new nuclear plant can be built in the UK, the market for its electricity will be disappearing, regardless of any possible increase in the overall demand for electricity.” [Solar Power Portal]
¶ Chinese solar panels, nearly all of which had previously been installed outside the country, are now being used within the country, propelling the it toward sustainability. [KQED QUEST]
¶ Ontario’s Energy Minister said on Friday the reports of cancellation of a plan to convert a coal-fired generating station in Thunder Bay to natural gas are wrong. [Winnipeg Free Press]
US:
¶ Attorneys representing nine national and regional organizations will argue on Monday that the NRC violated federal law when it issued a license for two proposed new reactors at Vogtle without fully taking into account the potential for a Fukushima-like disaster. [Clean Energy News]
¶ The Los Angeles City Council will vote on a $1.6 billion purchase of solar electric power. [KCET]
¶ The EPA has denied requests to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard, which requires ethanol be added to gasoline. The waver had been sought so grain could be used for food instead of fuel during a period of severe drought. [Farm Futures]
¶ The NAACP is taking on issues of power generation. People living within 3 miles of a coal plant are more likely to inhale pollutants that cause respiratory problems such as asthma, and such people are disproportionately of low-income groups and minorities. [UPI.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 16, 2012
Japan:
¶ A criminal complaint against 33 officials of TEPCO and the government was filed by 13,000 people, demanding that the accused be investigated and charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury. This is not the first such complaint. [The Japan Times]
¶ The first offshore wind generator in Japan is being readied for use. [The Denki Shimbun]
World:
¶ The issue of substandard parts in Korean nuclear plants is widening, and includes all 23 of the country’s reactors. They supply 35% of Korean electricity, and replacing the parts will require work done with the reactors offline, but the issue is not something the government can ignore. [OilPrice.com]
¶ For the second time, the Australian government has announced the end of its Solar Credits scheme would be ended earlier than planned. The credit only applies to the first 1.5 KW of a system, but the surprise announcement is being criticized widely. [RenewEconomy]
US:
¶ Google’s investments in renewable energy now approach $1 billion, and there is no indication that they are slowing down. Its latest investment is $75 million in a wind farm in Iowa. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]
¶ Riverkeeper filed a petition with the NRC to close Indian Point. The organization is claiming an accident in the plant could cause a hydrogen explosion, leading to releasing radioactive material that could reach New York City. [Poughkeepsie Journal]
¶ The California Independent System Operator is charging that JPMorgan & Chase Co. is standing in the way of renovations at the San Onofre nuclear power plant. [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
¶ The Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, which has been offline for over eighteen months, will not be able to restart until 2013 at the earliest, as new issues have come up. [Nuclear Street – Nuclear Power Portal]
¶ The NRC is investigating the emergency response at Oyster Creek during Hurricane Sandy. [newjerseynewsroom.com]
… The owners of Oyster Creek are considering closing the plant early because of competition from other forms of electrical generation. There is some evidence other plants may be decommissioned as well. [Nuclear Street – Nuclear Power Portal]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 15, 2012
Japan:
¶ Recovery efforts in northern Japan are suffering from a labor shortage. In some places only less than 50% of positions are filled. [The Japan Times]
¶ The study of the fault at Ohi may foreshadow similar problems at other nuclear power plants. One of the government panelists considering the fault maintains it is active, and all others say they believe it could be active. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ German utility RWE has increased its financial outlook. [Irish Times]
¶ The new energy policies that have Germans paying $5 per month more for electricity give the people something for which they are willing to pay more, which is clean energy. [Businessweek]
… In Germany, anybody can be a utility. The system is decentralized and democratic, which is why it is moving so fast toward renewable power. Germans are baffled about why the US is not following the same democratic path. [Truthdig]
¶ Political controversy about onshore wind continues in the UK. [Businessweek]
US:
¶ An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has rejected a contention by the Friends of the Coast and the New England Coalition opposing relicensing at Seabrook. The contention dealt with issues of degradation of concrete, but the board said it was filed too late. [The Union Leader]
¶ Cracks have been found in the head of the reactor at the Summer nuclear plant. The head is being repaired. [Equities.com]
¶ California regulators rejected a proposal by owners of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to map earthquake faults near it by firing air cannons offshore. [KPBS]
¶ The NRC postponed indefinitely a public meeting on restarting a reactor at the San Onofre nuclear plant. [U-T San Diego]
¶ A new US report debunks the idea that fracking can lead to energy security. [PR Watch]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, wind power
November 14, 2012
Science:
¶ Low doses of radiation among workers at Chernobyl have been shown to produce a measurable increase in likelihood of leukemia. [Atomic Insights]
Japan:
¶ TEPCO does not foresee resumption of operations at the world’s biggest nuclear plant any time soon. This increases costs, as the company has to buy fossil fuels to replace power from nuclear plants. [TODAYonline]
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Authority is conducting geological surveys under nuclear plants. Fukui is one. [The Japan Times]
… Another is Tsuruga. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ Worldwide carbon emissions set a new record in 2011. [Bloomberg]
¶ The list of countries willing to import food items from Japan is growing, though somewhat slowly. Germany has now been added to it. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ A transformation is underway with renewable energy in the Middle East and North Africa. And worldwide, more than half of all new projects are renewable. [Middle East Online]
¶ Australia could be 85% renewable by 2050. [Energy Collective]
US:
¶ Solar PV developer 8minutenergy Renewables has started work on a 266 MW solar farm in California, as a first step in a much larger project. [PV-Tech]
¶ MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., the power provider owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is targeting renewable energy for acquisitions. [Businessweek]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 13, 2012
Opinion:
¶ Three myths about clean energy: (1) It wastes taxpayer money, (2) It is a failing market, (3) EPA regulations are killing the coal industry. [Forbes]
Technology:
¶ Researchers at Utah State University have found a biological catalyst that can turn carbon dioxide into methane. [Phys.Org]
¶ Researchers in Israel have found a way to use iron oxide (rust) and sunshine to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. [TG Daily]
Japan:
¶ Continuing high levels of radioactivity in some fish caught off the coast of Fukushima has prompted an investigation to learn why they are not declining in all, as expected. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ A senior vice minister of industry, said he was “begging” the country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) to give utilities permission to restart nuclear reactors, giving some the impression that undue pressure was being applied. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ The President of Mongolia expects the country to produce 20% to 25% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020. He says Mongolia the potential to meet its entire domestic energy demand with renewable power. [Businessweek]
¶ Environmental groups worry that biofuel plants will burn wood faster than it can be grown, increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. [BBC News]
¶ According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide fossil fuel subsidies rose 30% between 2010 and 2011, to a level about six times that for renewable. [MarketWatch]
¶ Indian coal supplies are in a crisis. There are 33 power plants with only three days of supply left. [Hindu Business Line]
US:
¶ Opposition to building a dump for high-level radioactive waste is as intense in Nevada as ever. [Elko Daily Free Press]
¶ The Union of Concerned Scientists issued a study that found coal generating plants producing 59,000 MW of power have become too costly to continue running. This is in addition to 40,000 already scheduled to close or be converted. [Yahoo! News]
¶ A report from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says that returns on US solar and geothermal energy projects are above 10%, but financing is still difficult to get. [Hydrogen Fuel News]
¶ The US International Trade Commission has unanimously upheld a decision to introduce tariffs against Chinese solar imports that have depressed the US solar manufacturing business for several years. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 12, 2012
Japan:
¶ Weekly protests against nuclear power continue. Now, they are supported by geological evidence that the fault under the Ohi plant is active. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ In Japan, solar capacity is expected to increase rapidly. Rooftop systems currently account for 90% of those installed. [Digitimes]
World:
¶ Protests over a decision to build nuclear power plants in South Africa drew thousands of people. [AllAfrica.com]
¶ Chinese solar manufacturers are set to report losses of nearly $1 billion, and governments at different levels are working on bailing them out. [Businessweek]
¶ The International Energy Agency is forecasting that renewable power will become the second largest source of electricity by 2015. The problem is that more must be done, if we are to avoid environmental problems from fossil fuels. [Click Green]
US:
¶ A transformer fire broke out at the FitzPatrick nuclear plant, causing the second unexpected shutdown there in a week. [Auburn Citizen]
¶ Enhanced geothermal power is being tested in California with some success. It provides round-the-clock electrical generation with very low carbon emissions. The system can cause small earthquakes, and it remains to be seen whether this is a problem. [High Country News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 11, 2012
Japan:
¶ Disagreement remains over whether the fault Japan’s only operating nuclear plant is sitting on is active. One geologist on the governing panel investigating the issue insists the fault is active, and says it is “very silly” to allow the plant to continue operating. [Hindu Business Line]
¶ The Japanese government’s support of TEPCO has problems because the program was poorly thought out. There are growing fears about business performance, leaving many concerned about the future of the company.
World:
¶ After shutting down half its nuclear power plants, Germany is exporting more power than ever before. The sources of that power are renewable, but the switch over is not entirely painless. [Deutsche Welle]
¶ With two reactors shut down because of falsified documentation for parts safety, and one for cracks, South Korea may be facing power outages. The country may also be beginning to rethink its energy portfolio. [Alaska Dispatch]
US:
¶ Twelve days after Hurricane Sandy hit, the end of the power outage is finally in sight. Yesterday, there were still 225,000 customers without power, down from 2,400,000 at the peak. [CNN]
¶ NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane talked in an interview about the importance of studying the geological status and other natural conditions of nuclear plants. [Laramie Boomerang]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 10, 2012
Japan:
¶ Solar power is rising in Japan, and some of it is happening at the village level. [euronews]
¶ There are 130,000 tons of radioactive ash and sludge stored in northern Japan, and no good plan on what to do with it all. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ Chancellor George Osborne says the UK must become an international leader in the development of low-carbon technologies such as energy storage. [Solar Power Portal]
¶ A two-year study of performance of solar installations in the UK shows they do better than expected. [Click Green]
US:
¶ Renewable energy systems are rescuing schools from budget cuts. [The Truth Pursuit]
¶ At San Onofre, an NRC inspection report revealed seventeen years of bad record keeping on low-level radioactive waste, and maintenance workers discovered the oil in a diesel backup generator had coolant mixed with it. [OCRegister]
¶ An advisory panel to the NRC does not support requirements that 31 nuclear units install vent filters, saying a better regulatory step would be to require the plants to improve protection from radiation release. [Platts]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, solar power
November 8, 2012
Opinion:
¶ Nuclear Power and Superstorms Don’t Mix. [Time]
Technology:
¶ ABB, a Swiss engineering company, has designed a new high voltage DC circuit breaker, solving one part of the problem of long distance electricity transmission. [Power Engineering International]
¶ Japanese researchers are proposing solar PV systems that double as sails for ships. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ An old process that turned sugar into acetone for making gunpowder has been revisited for making fuels, with some success. [Economic Times]
Japan:
¶ Geothermal power may have an important place in the energy future of Japan. [The Green Optimistic]
¶ Seven Japanese companies have combined forces to open the largest solar and wind power project in the country to date. The PV capacity is 50 MW and the wind capacity is 6 MW. [PV-Tech]
World:
¶ The UK’s National Audit Office, says an “intolerable risk” is being posed by hazardous waste stored in run-down buildings at Sellafield nuclear plant. It says there is no long-term plan for waste, and costs of plant-decommissioning has also spiraled out of control. [BBC]
¶ Norwegian energy firm Statkraft will expand its Lower Roessaaga hydro power plant’s capacity by 90 MW. Hydro power already accounts for 95% of the electricity produced in the country. [Reuters Africa]
¶ Spain is signing into the Desertec Sahara Solar Project. [Businessweek]
US:
¶ The Obama victory is likely to extend renewable energy tax credits. [Businessweek]
¶ The NRC will consider a request by Friends of the Earth to keep San Onofre shut down until its licence is formally amended and current safety concerns have been addressed. [KCET]
¶ A new hybrid generating system, based on sun and wind, will be first built in California. [Hydrogen Fuel News]
¶ A study by Clean Power Research shows that solar power in New Jersey and Pennsylvania delivers value to the electric grid that exceeds its cost by a large margin, making it a bargain for energy consumers. [Melodika.net]
¶ Energy efficiency and increasing use of other power sources has cut US dependence on coal for electricity from 50 percent to 34 percent in just five years. Carbon emissions and acid rain have been reduced, air quality and human health have improved, and the cost of electricity has gone down. [Bangor Daily News]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 7, 2012
Technology:
¶ Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed a new, more efficient system for extracting oil from algae. [University of Michigan News]
Japan:
¶ Fukushima residents are not happy about procedures used reporting results of thyroid screening for their children. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ The costs of cleanup and compensation for the Fukushima Disaster may be $125 billion. [Economic Times]
… TEPCO is seeking more financial aid from the government of Japan. [BBC News]
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Authority has found more errors in the projections it recently announced about the spread of radiation during a potential nuclear crisis. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ The government of Australia is releasing a policy paper in which it rules out nuclear power. [Ninemsn]
¶ A report from Moody’s says the growth of renewable power in Europe has had a profound negative effect on thermal-based utilities there. Almost 100 gigawatts of renewable power have been installed in the last five years, and the pace of installation is increasing. [Financial Times]
¶ TransCanada Corp. has announced that the Gros-Morne wind farm, the final phase of the 590 MW Cartier Wind Energy project, has been completed. All of the power produced will be sold to Hydro-Quebec. [North American Windpower]
US:
¶ A steam generator from San Onofre is being hauled through California on its way to Utah, giving media a chance to comment and get photos of a vehicle nearly 400 feet long and pulled by up to five tractors. [Press-Enterprise]
¶ The EPA has issued a permit for five years of continued operation for the last coal-fired generating plant in Connecticut. [Waterbury Republican American]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 6, 2012
Japan:
¶ Questions are arising about how the radioactive low-level waste from the Fukushima Disaster is being handled. In some places, it has been being bagged and put in parks, where it was covered over with fresh soil. Now grass grows on the soil, and children play on the grass. [Alaska Dispatch]
¶ The inability of safety experts to agree on whether the fault under the Ohi plant is active raises questions about whether the plant is safe. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ British Prim Minister David Cameron put his weight into an internal government debate over wind farms, saying that the UK needs more wind turbines to power the electric cars of the future. [Telegraph.co.uk]
¶ South Korea is extending a probe into falsification of safety documents for parts at nuclear plants. Two nuclear plants have been shut down so far, and there is already some question about whether sufficient capacity remains to cover demand. [Reuters]
¶ Renewable sources provided 26% of the electric power in Germany in the first nine months of 2012. The share provided by solar PVs went from 4.1% to 6.1%. [Platts]
¶ Jordan is requiring all new residences to have solar hot water. [SBWire]
US:
¶ Extended outages of four nuclear reactors reduced overall output of the nuclear industry for 2012. [The FINANCIAL]
¶ Problems with safety of the nuclear industry were highlighted by Hurricane Sandy. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Campbell’s will be using waste from food processing to generate bio-gas to help power a soup plant. [Toledo Blade]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 5, 2012
Technology:
An assistant professor at Purdue University has invented a power inverter that is much less expensive and lighter, enabling less expensive renewable power. [Power Engineering Magazine]
Japan:
¶ Three Japanese firms are planning a submarine pipeline to bring natural gas from Russia to Japan. The pipeline will be 870 miles long, beginning on Sakhalin Island and ending near Tokyo. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ Stephan Kohler, who heads the German agency overseeing the country’s electricity grid, said that the current strong expansion of wind, solar and other renewable power sources will easily top the official target of 35% by 2022, and will hit nearly 50% by 2025. [Las Vegas Sun]
¶ South Korea shut down two nuclear reactors after discovering that they had parts with forged quality certificates. The plant operator found that 7,682 items had forged certificates. [CNN]
¶ The Group of 20 (G20) key global released a new manual on practices dealing with natural disasters. The Fukushima Disaster is an example of why disaster preparations must go beyond traditional practices. [Global Times]
¶ Smaller-scale renewable energy projects in Scotland are estimated to be generating £200m worth of power per year. Scotland now has about 280 independent, commercial-scale projects with a total capacity of 750 MW. [Click Green]
US:
¶ Hurricane Sandy has put global warming back into focus as a political issue. [CTV News]
¶ The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordered Xcel Energy to submit a study on financial viability of operating the state’s largest coal-burning power plant with added pollution control or to explore renewable alternatives. [Minnesota Daily]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 4, 2012
Japan:
¶ Four of the six members of the new Nuclear Regulation Authority were given ¥3 million to ¥27 million by the nuclear industry in the past four years as grants or donations. [The Japan Times]
¶ The new standards of the Nuclear Regulation Authority say that if a fault has moved in the past 400,000 years, it is considered active. The old standard was 120,000 to 130,000 years. [The Japan Time]
… The fault at the Ohi plant slid about 125,000 years ago. Ohi is the only nuclear plant running in Japan. Experts are disagreeing as to whether the fault is active. [Victoria Times Colonist]
World:
¶ Solar farms are being established in Scotland on a test basis. It is believed they could generate as much as £14,000 per acre per year for farmers. [Scotland on Sunday]
¶ Mexico is in a hurry to increase windpower capacity. The country has increased its wind power capacity by 119% this year. In 2006, it had 6 megawatts of capacity. Last year it had 519. Now it has over 1100. [Pueblo Chieftain]
US:
¶ The contractors building two nuclear reactors at Vogtle, in Georgia, have filed a lawsuit seeking more than $900 million from the plant owners. [Marietta Daily Journal]
¶ Hurricane Sandy showed how vulnerable US nuclear plants are to damage. [Huffington Post]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
November 3, 2012
Technology:
¶ Cool Planet Energy Systems hopes to sell biomass-based gasoline for about $1.50 per gallon by having small, distributed production facilities use local fuel sources. Potential fuels include waste wood, agricultural waste, etc. Investors include Google, GE, and BP. [greenbiz.com]
¶ A company in Western Australia has developed a system for “smoothing” the power supply from solar farms by use of an integrated cell battery management system. [Science Network Western Australia]
Japan:
¶ Experts for the Nuclear Regulation Authority disagree over whether a fault directly beneath the Ohi nuclear plant could open up in a future earthquake. More study is being done. Two reactors at Ohi are currently the only ones in Japan generating power. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ A former US Deputy Defense Secretary says the US has a need to see that Japan maintains its nuclear capability. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Japanese government had decided not to seek approval from the Diet for appointments to the country’s new Nuclear Regulation Authority during the current session. [The Daily Yomiuri]
World:
¶ The German exit from nuclear power and move toward renewable energy sources is reportedly already providing measurable economic and environmental benefits. One top expert says it is probably a game-changer for the nuclear industry worldwide. [Newsroom America]
¶ The German government’s decision to cut solar feed-in tariffs did not prevent unimpeded growth in the solar market in September. Germany will probably set a new record for installations this year. [Seeking Alpha]
US:
¶ According to a report from Pike Research, North America will add more than 400,000 megawatts of renewable capacity from 2012 through 2015, making it the leading region in the world for new renewable energy. [AZoCleantech]
¶ It looks more and more like Calvert Cliffs 3 will not be built. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board is terminating review of the reactor application, because UniStar failed to meet its 60-day deadline to find a U.S. partner. [So Md News]
¶ The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is asking owners of the Dresden nuclear plant, in Illinois, to explain how operators would handle a catastrophic flood at the plant. Relative to maximum flood waters, the plant is nearly 11 feet lower than current standards would allow. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ Employment in the US solar industry has grown 13.2% in the past year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The third of four old steam generators replaced at San Onofre is leaving for the scrap heap on a special, 400-foot-long vehicle. It weighs 350 tons, and will be on the road for three weeks in its trip from California to Utah. [Business Wire]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 2, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japan’s subsidies for renewable power suppliers has led to possibly more than $2 billion of investment since they were launched two months ago. In the first month of the new Japanese scheme’s operation, 33,695 companies and individuals registered to sell renewable energy. [PV-Tech]
¶ The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority is studying a fault running beneath the Ohi nuclear plant, which is the only nuclear plant currently running in Japan. [RTT News]
World:
¶ The UK’s Westmill Solar Co-operative has the world’s largest community-owned solar farm, after its board of directors successfully acquired a solar farm capable of producing 5 GWh per year. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]
¶ European renewables and gas companies launched a new partnership backing an integrated European energy policy for the future. The Energy Partnership aims to create a common pathway for the two industries towards low-carbon and cost efficient energy. [Energy Efficiency News]
US:
¶ Costs relating to the outage at San Onofre are $317 million and climbing. Southern California Edison, the owner, has seen a 55% drop in profits. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ Nuclear critics are saying Hurricane Sandy showed how vulnerable nuclear plants are. [National Journal]
¶ NRC staff will recommend a requirement that 31 nuclear reactors with similarities to those at Fukushima Daiichi be given containment vent filters possibly costing $16 million each to install. [Platts]
¶ Hawaii’s Department of Education is pushing installation of solar panels on every public school in Hawaii to cut electricity costs and to help achieve the state’s renewable energy goals. [Today’s Energy Solutions]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
November 1, 2012
Technology:
¶ Amonix Inc., based in Seal Beach, California, achieved a 33.5% outdoor efficiency rating with its concentrating photovoltaic modules. [solarserver.com]
Japan:
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Authority issued new guidelines to establish 30-kilometer-radius zones around nuclear plants for special disaster preparations. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ A Fukushima cleanup worker filed a legal complaint against TEPCO, saying the company sent crews in without proper protection or radiation risk warnings. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ According to the UK’s Office of Nuclear Regulation, a third of the US’s post-Fukushima nuclear concerns remain unresolved. [Businessweek]
¶ Tokelau, a tiny collection of atolls in the South Pacific, has become the first nation to support itself entirely with solar energy. [Wired.co.uk]
US:
¶ Between refueling outages and the hurricane, nuclear plant outages were at the second highest level since 1999. [Reuters]
¶ Oyster Creek is no long on alert status. [Press of Atlantic City]
¶ The US Department of Energy released a state-by-state status report on conditions after Hurricane Sandy. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ During a hearing of the Atomic Safety Licensing Board, the NRC and the owners of the proposed the Levy nuclear site admitted that they had not performed tests on the area where supply wells on the south side of the nuclear plant site will be dug. [Tampabay.com]
… Expert witnesses warned that construction and operation of the proposed dual reactors would deplete the region’s already endangered aquifer, cause saltwater intrusions. [Sacramento Bee]
¶ Representative Edward Markey says Hurricane Sandy shows the US should act faster on new post-Fukushima rules for the nuclear industry.
[Concord Monitor]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
October 31, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO is reducing its projected losses for this year from ¥160 billion to ¥45 billion ($564 million. [The Voice of Russia]
¶ A study by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare found poor monitoring of the radiation doses at Fukushima Daiichi. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ As a result of its deal with Hitachi, Britain will have advanced boiling water reactors. [World Nuclear News]
¶ South Africa has approved an initial $5,4 billion worth of clean energy projects that will allow it to develop 1,400 MW of renewable generation capacity of electricity, reducing dependence on coal-fired generation. [NewsDay]
¶ Based on the success it has had so far, the government of Scotland is seeking to move toward its renewable goals faster, and hopes to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015. [BBC News]
¶ Abu Dhabi is looking to making biofuels from algae. [Gulf Today]
¶ UK Energy minister John Hayes is suggesting a halt be made to the growth of wind farms. He says policy on wind turbines should not governed by “a bourgeois Left article of faith.” [The Week UK]
… Others in the governing coalition point out that John Hayes does not represent the government as a whole and cannot make policy by himself. [The Guardian]
US:
¶ Operations affected by Hurricane Sandy included an alert at Oyster Creek; shutdowns of one reactor at Indian Point, Salem, and Nine Mile Point; and reduced power at Millstone, Vermont Yankee, and Limerick. [Power Engineering Magazine]
… The alert at Oyster Creek is still in effect today (story filed at 3:40 am EST). [Newsroom America]
… A more serious problem at Oyster Creek was narrowly averted. [Center for Research on Globalization]
¶ Progress Energy Florida said it could take months more to decide whether to repair Crystal River or shut it down permanently. [Sunshine State News]
¶ Energy is being used more efficiently in the US, and more of it is coming from renewable resources. [environmentalresearchweb]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
October 30, 2012
Technology:
¶ Researchers at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have what promises to be a cost-effective alternative to standard batteries. Their battery is able to charge quickly and efficiently, and shows no energy loss after 1,000 charges. [R & D Magazine]
¶ Neste Oil Corporation, a refining and marketing company, has opened a pilot plant for producing microbial oil from waste and residues at its site in Porvoo, Finland. [Equities.com]
Japan:
¶ Six municipalities near nuclear plants voiced criticized the Nuclear Regulatory Agency for apparent errors in projections of the potentials for radioactive fallout in the event of meltdowns. [The Japan Times]
… The Nuclear Regulation Authority has acknowledged the error and apologized. A utility had found the errors in the forecast maps. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ TEPCO has surveyed the operating floor of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1. [The Denki Shimbun]
World:
¶ The French nuclear regulatory agency says the types of regulatory failures that led to the Fukushima Disaster are being repeated in other countries. [Businessweek]
¶ Nuclear plants in Canada are bracing for the storm, as Hurricane Sandy downgrades to a storm. [The Vancouver Observer]
¶ Hitachi has entered into a £700 million deal to complete two nuclear plants in the UK. [Evening Standard]
¶ Poland has already surpassed its planned output for renewable energy capacity for 2012. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The London Array Offshore Wind Farm has started generating electricity. It has a capacity of 630 MW. Located in the Thames Estuary, it will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. [Offshore Technology International]
¶ Given current rates of growth, renewable power will have a greater capacity than nuclear power in the UK by 2018. [The Guardian]
US:
¶ Oyster Creek declared an alert because of high water levels. A reactor at Indian Point was shut down. One reactor at Salem was shut down. Millstone reduced output to 75%. [Fox11online.com]
¶ Sixteen people have died in the US because of Hurricane Sandy. There is no power for 15,000,000. And it is not over yet. [CNN]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
October 29, 2012
Technology:
¶ The new solar cells designed by NREL scientists are 30% more efficient than older ones. (This is more information on a technology reported earlier.) [AZoNano.com]
World:
¶ The director of the Philippine Department of Energy cites renewable power sources as contributing to energy security. [Philippine Information Agency]
¶ The Indian wind energy saw debt funding totaling of $437.3 million (Rs 2348.30 crore) during the third quarter. [Economic Times]
US:
¶ Nuclear plants on the East Coast of the US are watching and waiting as Hurricane Sandy approaches land. [New York Times]
¶ Local solar companies hire local graduates. [El Paso Inc.]
¶ The Sustainable Energy Research Facility at Frostburg State University, which is opening today, is off-grid. It is heated and powered by renewable sources including solar, wind, hydrogen fuel cells. [ABC2 News]
¶ The US is cutting carbon emissions by moving from coal to natural gas and renewable sources. The problem is that the coal not used in the US is being burned anyway, because it is being exported to be used elsewhere. [MSN News UK]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
October 28, 2012
Science:
¶ Fracking can cause small earthquakes. This is a matter of concern, but the NRC says it is not interesting to them because the earthquakes caused in the past have been small. [Timesonline.com]
Japan:
¶ TEPCO is rapidly running out of space to store radioactive water at Fukushima Daiichi. The 200,000 tons already accumulated are in tanks, but there is no more space to install tanks. A treatment facility should be open next year. [The Japan Times]
¶ Fish off the coast of Fukushima could be too radioactive to be eaten for another decade. Since indications are that the plant is still leaking radioactive water, there is no way to calculate when levels will be safe. [WND.com]
World:
¶ Nuclear companies are hawking their goods in the developing world, because countries with nuclear plants are not anxious to have more. Developing countries are noticing. [The Guardian]
¶ In South Africa, wind is now the least expensive power source coming from new facilities. The country is large enough that wind could supply 25% of the power without any power storage, because the wind is always blowing somewhere. [Independent Online]
US:
¶ More than a dozen nuclear power plants are in the path of Hurricane Sandy. They are preparing for flooding and other damage. [MINING.com]
¶ The owner of the Kewaunee nuclear plant is opting for SAFSTOR, so it will be sixty years before the plant is decommissioned. [Green Bay Press Gazette]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
October 27, 2012
Science:
¶ Marine biologists are becoming alarmed at the fact that the oceans are becoming more acidic. The source of the acid is atmospheric carbon dioxide. [abc7news.com]
Japan:
¶ The reactors at Fukushima Daiichi may still be leaking radioactive materials into the sea. The levels of radiation in the aquatic life of the are not declining. [CRIENGLISH.com]
World:
¶ UK Environment Secretary Owen Patterson, who denied the idea that global warming was caused by human activity and opposed wind farms, is changing his views on both subjects. [Huffington Post UK]
¶ The UK’s largest coal-burning generating plant is converting to biomass. [CoalGuru.com]
… There are doubts about how sustainable biomass is, when it is used at such a great scale. [Energy and Environmental Management (EAEM) Magazine]
US:
¶ NRG Expert, a London and Toronto based energy intelligence and market research publisher, has calculated that by 2012, 16.25% of electricity generated in the US came from renewable power sources. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ Operators of East Coast nuclear plants are making preparations for Hurricane Sandy. [The Star-Ledger – NJ.com]
¶ The Florida Public Service Commission is reviewing the status of the Crystal River nuclear plant in a conference starting this month. Crystal River has been out of service since 2009. [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
¶ Ocean Renewable Power Company, of Portland, Maine, plans to put 24 underwater turbines into the Western Passage of the Bay of Fundy in 2014. Each turbine will generate 150 kW as the tide changes. [Lewiston Sun Journal]
¶ The George W. Bush Presidential Center is contracting to have all its power from wind. This supports a goal of getting the center LEED platinum certification. [Equities.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
October 26, 2012
Japan:
¶ Fish taken off Fukushima are still contaminated. This implies the plant is still leaking radioactive material into the ocean. [CNN]
¶ Fukushima Daiichi is running out of room to store radioactive waste water. [Newser]
¶ Japan is starting to work in the area of offshore wind power. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ The government of India is looking at fusion as a way to generate power. [Forbes India]
¶ China is failing to develop wind resources because of transmission grid monopolies. [Utility Products]
US:
¶ The California Public Utilities Commission has decided to investigate the outage at San Onofre with a view to determining whether it is right for rate payers to pay for the plant when it is not supplying power. [Los Angeles Times]
¶ The NRC takes no interest in the fact that a fracking well is near a nuclear power plant. [RT]
¶ The era of cheap natural gas is very likely coming to an end soon, according to an expert at Chevron. Fracking gives us access to plenty of fuel, but it will be expensive. [Live Trading News]
¶ Solar energy is good to go, but the US is not ready for it. This is partly because big, investor-owned utilities that provide about 85 percent of America’s electricity see solar as both a technical challenge and a long-term threat to their 100-year-old profit models. [Businessweek]
¶ Important market investors and managers are urging immediate extension of the production tax credit for renewable energy. The credit is set to expire on December 31. [Environment News Service]
Vermont:
¶ A federal U.S. District Court judge dismissed Entergy’s lawsuit against the state of Vermont for imposing a higher generating tax for power from the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power plant. [vtdigger.org]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
October 25, 2012
Japan:
¶ Many Japanese people have to store their own radioactive waste on their own property. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ Some rice harvested in Fukushima Prefecture has exceeded the limit for radioactive cesium. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ The electric supply in Japan will be sufficient for next summer, even if it is unusually hot. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ The Chinese government is ending its moratorium on new nuclear plants. It will approve a small number in the next three years, and none will be inland. [eco-business.com]
¶ Singapore has decided against allowing nuclear power plants to be built there. The decision would have been made regardless of the Fukushima Disaster. [AsiaOne]
¶ Ikea will spend $1.8 billion on new renewable projects. [solarserver.com]
¶ According to a report released in Australia, renewable energy investment is up $18 billion there, and the wholesale price has dropped $10 per megawatt hour as a result. Blaming rising retail electricity rates on renewable power is wrong. [The Australian]
US:
¶ According to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 100% of new electrical generating capacity added in the U.S. in September was from wind and solar sources. Wind accounted for 300 MW, and solar totaled 133 MW. [Electric Light & Power]
¶ Information is available on New York State’s Energy Highway. The plan is to spend $5.7 billion on 3.2 MW of generation and transmission facilities. [Power Engineering Magazine]
¶ A proposed new transmission line would link solar, hydro, and wind projects in Maine and Canada with Boston and other areas. [The Republic]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
October 24, 2012
Technology:
¶ Researchers from Penn State University in the US have developed sensors, driven by the heat of a nuclear reactor, that can monitor fuel rods in the case of a disaster. [The Engineer]
¶ A pilot project is testing technology that promises to ‘turn buildings into power stations.’ Steel and glass, which is coated to make it conductive, will be incorporated into buildings, so it’s the fabric of the buildings themselves that generates, stores and releases the electricity. [ITV News]
Japan:
¶ The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority has proposed a radius of 30 km from a nuclear plant as a rough standard for areas where special preparations against fallout exposure should be made. In some cases, it may not be enough. [The Japan Times]
¶ New robots are being prepared to examine the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi. [CNET]
World:
¶ Three leading UK scientists have called for a moratorium on the building of new conventional power plants following research indicating that renewables could be implemented much faster than the majority of people realize. [Solar Power Portal]
¶ The Isle of Wight, off the UK’s south coast, could become self-sufficient in renewable energy over the next decade thanks to an ambitious new project. [Energy Efficiency News]
¶ Two companies are planning to build a total of 3.5 gigawatts of wind capacity in the Firth of Forth. [Herald Scotland]
¶ Protesters against a rate increase have occupied the offices of a South African utility, charging that it is failing to switch from coal to renewable power sources. [The New Age Online]
¶ The government of China has released a white paper on energy policy, encouraging private investment. [The West Australian]
US:
¶ Experts say that because of low natural gas prices, the nuclear industry may be nearing its first round of retirements since the mid-1990s. [New York Times]
¶ The federal government will conduct a study into rates of cancer for people near nuclear power plants. [CNN]
¶ According to a new poll, the majority of people living in the lower Hudson River area want Indian Point to continue operating. [Newsday]
¶ Xcel is dropping the proposed upgrade at its Prairie Island nuclear power plant. [Mankato Free Press]
¶ Fracking has increased US petrochemical production for four years in a row, but the price of gasoline has not gone down. [Huffington Post]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
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