Technology:
¶ Big companies are putting big investments into development of power storage technology. [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
Japan:
¶ The government has acknowledged that most Japanese people favor doing away with all nuclear reactors. [The Japan Times]
¶ Aomori Prefecture is no longer allowed to ship Pacific cod after two cases in which fish with exceptionally high readings of radioactive cesium were found. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ E.ON and RWE, the two largest electricity utilities in Germany, have both said they will not build any more fossil fuel generation plants. The plants are simply not needed, despite phasing out nuclear power. New fossil fuel plants already being constructed are being fitted out for a baseload/peaking combination. [CleanTechnica]
¶ German renewable development has slowed in some respects, as the country has to deal with the changes caused by a huge increase in renewable power, high feed-in tariffs, and an old grid. [Power Engineering Magazine]
¶ Indian grid-tied solar power has risen from 2.5 megawatts in 2011 to 1040 megawatts in 2012. [Invest in India]
¶ The Indian government estimates the potential for that country’s small hydro power capacity is 19,750 megawatts. [Invest in India]
US:
¶ Exelon is dropping plans to build a nuclear plant in Texas. The price of natural gas is low, and nuclear power will be unable to compete in the marketplace for the foreseeable future. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ Public lands are being made available for solar farms. [Solar Novus Today]
¶ A new facility in Tulare, California, will produce jet fuel from algae fertilized with gas emissions from a waste treatment plant. They expect to make about half a million gallons per year initially, and hope to expand to six times that eventually. [Biofuels Digest]
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