Posts Tagged ‘renewable power’
August 12, 2012
Japan:
¶ Increasing numbers of Japanese are embracing geothermal energy, a power source most rejected in the past. [Greener Ideal]
¶ A study of butterflies in the Fukushima area shows high percentages with genetic damage. Over 50% in the third generation of those studied showed damage from the Fukushima Disaster. [Power Engineering]
¶ Canvassing public opinion on the future of nuclear power, the Japanese government has so far received over 50,000 comments. Usually 1,000 is considered a high number of responses. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The government of Scotland says the goal of meeting 100% of current energy demand with renewable sources by 2020 is achievable. [Power Engineering]
… Solar power is becoming a popular money-saving option for home owners in sunny Scotland. [Scotsman]
US:
¶ The State of Alaska hopes 50 percent of its energy will be renewable by 2025. [KTVA CBS 11 News Alaska]
¶ Nevada’s first wind farm is operational and is generating power commercially. It is rated at about 150 megawatts. [Melodika.net]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
August 11, 2012
Technology:
¶ Researchers at Berkeley have found a way to turn many kinds of metal oxides into PVs, possibly reducing costs. [Ars Technica]
Japan:
¶ The Onagawa nuclear plant was closer to the epicenter than Fukushima, and experienced a tsunami, but IAEA inspectors say the plant was “remarkably undamaged.” [World Nuclear News]
¶ Masao Yoshida, manager of Fukushima Daiichi at the time of the disaster, has spoken about the disaster for the first time in a video released to the public. [The Australian]
World:
¶ Cracks have been found in a Belgian reactor vessel, and it is shut down for closer inspection. [Energy News Live]
… The cracks may cause the reactor to be shut down permanently. Since the issue seems to result from faulty manufacturing, and many reactor vessels were built by the same manufacturer, regulators from a number of countries are meeting to review the situation. [Market Watch]
US:
¶ A huge sinkhole associated with leaking gas has appeared in Louisiana. The sinkhole may indicate collapse of a brine cavern in a salt dome. One and a half million barrels of liquid butane are stored underground in the area and there are natural gas pipelines nearby as well. Clearly, there is concern that a disaster of major proportions could happen. [CNN]
¶ President Obama is considering waving ethanol rules because of the bad corn crop, resulting from widespread drought. [gulfnews.com]
¶ San Onofre has more WORST fatal flaws than you can shake a stick at. [MWC News]
¶ Vermont Yankee has one of the reactors listed as suspect because it was manufactured by the Rotterdam Drydock Company, the maker of the cracked Doel 3 reactor. The cracks are said to be manufacturing flaws. [SimplyInfo]
¶ The case of a Certificate of Public Good for Vermont Yankee, now before the Vermont Public Service Board, may be affected by the NRC’s decision to halt licensing. [Brattleboro Reformer]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
August 10, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO management was reluctant to use sea water to prevent meltdown at Fukushima, because doing so would ruin the reactors. [The Japan Times]
¶ Just after Unit 3 exploded, Fukushima Governor Sato demanded that TEPCO announce “there was no concern that radiation from reactor 3 may affect human body because the wind blows from North-West.” [Infoshop News]
¶ Asahi Shimbun has an interview with anti-nuclear physicist, Yuko Fujita. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ At the anniversary of the bombing, Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombs, talk of the lie of nuclear safety, comparing the meltdowns to the bombs. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The government of India is not reconsidering nuclear power as a result of the Fukushima disaster, according to the Minister of State. [NetIndian]
¶ Belgian regulators have closed down a reactor at Doel because of possible cracks in the reactor vessel. [Financial Times]
US:
¶ Some clarity is provided on the NRC’s order to stop licensing. The hold on licensing will have no effect on anything other than the actual issuance of licenses. The processes proceed without slowing. The next license to issue will be the relicense of Indian Point (September 28, 2013). [Power Engineering]
¶ A spokesman for the nuclear industry says he is not too worried about the NRC order against issuing licenses. Work will go on unabated. [energybiz]
¶ The Sierra Club is charging that the fossil fuel industry is using underhanded tactics to discredit the growth of renewable energy. [EcoSeed]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
August 9, 2012
Japan:
¶ In an address to people gathered for the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, Prime Minister Noda reiterated his government’s commitment to reducing the country’s dependence on nuclear energy. [RTT News]
World:
¶ Microgrids and solar power could be the answer to India’s power crisis. [OilPrice.com]
¶ Australians are converting to solar PVs, even after government support declines. [Energy Collective]
¶ German state development bank KfW plans to put about 100 billion euros ($123.6 billion) into financing the shift to renewable energy in Europe’s biggest power market. [Reuters Africa]
US:
¶ The Obama administration is putting seven large renewable energy projects on the fast track. [The Guardian]
¶ US wind power capacity has reached 50 GW. (Though the article does not say so, this means about 0.0001% of the potential has been developed) [EcoSeed]
¶ Today, the NRC will explain why cracks in the Davis-Besse containment building are okay. [Plain Dealer]
¶ The New York Attorney General is disputing the cost estimated by Entergy for decommissioning Indian Point, saying it is about one seventh of the actual amount, arguing that the deficiency is sufficient reason to deny relicensing. [Poughkeepsie Journal]
¶ NRG Energy, which produces enough electricity to power 20,000,000 homes in the US, is starting to make significant profit from renewable energy. Solar projects are being finished ahead of schedule, and the company is increasing investment in the field. [Recharge]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
August 8, 2012
Japan:
¶ Radioactive cesium, presumably from the Fukushima Disaster, has been found in the sea at some distance from the plant. Places where it was found include seas off Niigata Prefecture, on the west coast, Shizuoka Prefecture, south of Tokyo, and Iwate Prefecture, to the north. [FIS]
World:
¶ Investments in renewable energy are only going in one direction – up. [OilPrice.com]
US:
¶ The NRC has frozen all licensing of nuclear reactors until the situation of its waste confidence rule is resolved. The waste confidence rule was overturned by a Federal Court of Appeals as a result of a lawsuit brought by the Attorney General of New York. [Environment News Service]
¶ Entergy will ask the Vermont Public Service Board for permission to install a new diesel backup generator at Vermont Yankee. [Power Engineering]
¶ San Onofre may lose the right to pass the cost of its new steam generators on to the public, because they failed too quickly. [North County Times]
¶ A new business partnership will bring solar trackers from AllEarthRenewables to southwestern and central Vermont. [VTdigger]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
August 7, 2012
Japan:
¶ Yukio Edano, the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, told reporters, “I don’t think the zero scenario is negative for Japan’s economy. On the contrary, it can create growth” by driving technological innovation in renewable energy and energy efficiency. [The Wall Street Journal]
¶ Now under state control, TEPCO has released videos showing what was going on when the Fukushima Disaster was unfolding. They show confusion. [The Washington Post]
… The videos show officials at TEPCO considered shooting holes in the sides of reactor buildings to reduce hydrogen buildup during the disaster. [Bloomberg]
World:
¶ Pakistan is trying to build 143,000 megawatts of solar electric capacity. [The Business Recorder]
US:
¶ After noncompliant rebar was found to have been installed for the foundation for a new reactor at Vogtle, owners have been trying to find a way to use it instead of removing it. The latest suggestion is that they make up for its deficiencies by pouring stronger concrete. The NRC has said they could proceed at their own risk while it evaluates the question. [The Augusta Chronicle]
¶ Walmart has put up its first megawatt wind turbine as part of a program to have its power be 100% renewable. [Forbes]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
August 6, 2012
Japan:
¶ The approval rating for the Japanese government has fallen to 22%, leading to calls for new elections. The issue of energy is one of the most important of people’s concerns. [Express Tribune]
¶ According to the doctors attending them, Fukushima cleanup workers are getting depressed and anxious to the point of hopelessness. The doctors warn that errors, or even sabotage, could result. [USA Today]
¶ Close to 70% of those who attended government meetings on nuclear power want to close all nuclear facilities by 2030. Business leaders take a very different view, making the decision on how to proceed difficult for the government. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Untruth and unethical practice have been long dominant in the nuclear power industry. Workers at nuclear plants concealed problems, going without dosimeters, as a standard practice for years, according to a number of contract employees. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ After the blackout that left 600 million people without power, many Indians are noticing that solar power continued to be reliable in poor villages. The idea that India should rely more on solar power, including for grid electricity, is becoming more popular. [energydigital]
¶ Lithuanians will be able to vote in a non-binding referendum on construction of a nuclear plant. A recent poll says 48% oppose the plant, and 19% favor it. [Bloomberg]
US:
¶ US and Japanese groups are preparing for the arrival of 40,000 tons of debris from last year’s tsunami on the West Coast. [ABC Australia]
¶ Global warming makes thermal power plants, powered nuclear and fossil fuel, inefficient. When temperatures rise, output declines, and this has been a problem for a number of US nuclear plants this year. [Truth-Out]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
August 4, 2012
Japan:
¶ Another Friday protest at the Prime Minister’s residence drew thousands of people. [The News International]
¶ The Environment Ministry conducted a survey of 160 sites for radiation. The highest reading found was 165,000 Bq/Kg in soil at the bottom of a river in Fukushima Province. [Infoshop News]
US:
¶ Mitt Romney wants to “allow the wind credit to expire, end the stimulus boondoggles, and create a level playing field on which all sources of energy can compete on their merits.” The record shows, however, that wind has received only a small fraction of what oil, coal, and nuclear have each year. [Huffington Post]
¶ An Appeals court is putting off ruling on forcing the NRC to act on a license for Yucca Mountain until after mid December. The timing is intended to clarify whether Congress will appropriate funds to evaluated use of Yucca Mountain. [Las Vegas Sun]
¶ After anti-nuclear activists and labor organizations struck a deal, the executive committee of the California Democratic Party passed a resolution asking for an independent design review and public hearing on the problems at San Onofre. [San Diego Free Press]
¶ Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill that will have significant impacts on the markets for conventional and renewable energy resources. Among other things, the new law enables net metering of smaller projects. [JDSupra]
¶ California got 20.6% of its electrical power from renewable sources in the first six months of 2012. This means the state is exceeding its renewable power goals. [Natural Resources Defense Council]
¶ A new 400 MW solar facility is proposed for Texas. It is expected to create 800 long-term jobs and put $700 million into the local economy each year. [Renewable Energy World]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, renewable power, solar power
August 3, 2012
Japan:
¶ Prime Minister Noda will meet with leaders of the protesters who demonstrate outside his residence every Friday. The meeting will probably take place next week. [The Japan Times]
¶ Unit 5 at Chubu Electric’s Hamaoka nuclear plant had sea water leak into the pressure vessel after the earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Now, radioactive water is leaking in the reactor building, indicating serious corrosion. A Chubu Electric spokesman says the company is considering whether the reactor should be decommissioned. [Reuters]
¶ Nuclear advocates in Japan are arguing that the presence of nuclear plants is good for the country because it shows the Japanese have the capacity to make nuclear bombs. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Germany installed 4,300 MW of solar capacity in the first half of 2012, bringing its total to 28,000 MW. This is an increase of slightly more than 18% over a six month period. [REVE]
¶ Nuclear power is too expensive for much of the world. The initial investment is too high to justify, low natural gas prices and recession are depressing potential markets, it takes years to get a reactor online, and wind and solar are less expensive. [Financial Times]
¶ Renault is running a sales promotion in Spain, in which purchasers of gas-powered station wagons, mini-vans, and sedans get a free electric microcar. [Green Car Reports]
US:
¶ Projected costs to repair the containment building at Crystal River, which were $900 million to $1.2 billion, are still rising, and the owners say they will probably not decide what to do with the plant until next year. [Reuters]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power
August 2, 2012
Japan:
¶ Shunichi Tanaka, who was nominated to head the new atomic regulatory authority, said he expects the reactors at Ohi to shut down if an active fault is found underneath them. [The Japan Daily Press]
… He also advocates a very cautious approach to restarting more nuclear reactors. [The Daily Yomiuri]
¶ Fukushima residents gave government officials an earful at a public meeting on nuclear policy. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Prosecutors from three districts are opening criminal investigations relating to the Fukushima Disaster. Both TEPCO executives and government officials are under scrutiny for professional negligence resulting in death, injury, and economic loss. [The Japan Times]
¶ Solar electric generation is growing so rapidly in Japan that some experts expect the country to be the second greatest producer, after Germany. [NewScientist]
World:
¶ A massive blackout hit India, possibly the worst blackout ever. Solar panels maintained electricity for poor, off-grid villages, while wealthier people supplied by grid electricity went without. [Energy Matters]
US:
¶ The NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board considering a license for a new reactor at Calvert Cliffs has decided to delay its decision by a month. Peter Bradford of the Vermont Law School, a former NRC commissioner, said during panel discussion “whatever the NRC licensing board decides … the proposed reactors at Calvert Cliffs and South Texas are not going to be built-in the foreseeable future,” adding that nuclear reactors “always cost too much compared to available alternatives.” [Southern Maryland News]
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Tags: electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
August 1, 2012
Japan:
¶ Former Prime Minister Kan held a press conference, in which he announced he wants to get Japan away from nuclear power by 2025, increasing dependence on renewable resources. He is working politically with others to get the plan to do this through the parliament. [The Wall Street Journal]
World:
¶ The Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency are both predicting solid growth in nuclear power generation by 2035. Their work does not address important economic, scientific, and political facts that might indicate otherwise. [Inter Press Service]
¶ While other solar manufacturers are losing money at the moment, First Solar is profitable because its business model includes development of power plants. [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
US:
¶ Apparently differing from yesterday’s news reports that San Onofre’s reactors might be back online by the beginning of 2013, the owners, Edison International, say there is no timeline to restart the reactors. The statement seems to indicate they are still unsure of how the restart would be done, and have not yet decided whether to replace steam generators in both reactors. [Reuters]
¶ Edison International also says its Edison Mission Energy unit could file for bankruptcy unless bondholders agree on a plan to restructure $3.7 billion of debt. [Fox Business]
¶ Millstone is in talks with the NRC about using new Areva fuel assemblies. Since these are hotter in the spent fuel pool, the plant will have to construct a large number of additional dry casks. [I checked into what this might imply – it looks like denser uranium fuel is likely what is intended, rather than MOX.] [theday.com]
¶ New Jersey power company PSEG is asking the state’s regulators to approve an investment of up to $883 million for an expansion of the utility’s solar power programs. [Reuters]
¶ New York utility ConEd has bought two California solar farms with a combined output of 70 MW. [Fresno Bee]
¶ New England’s governors agreed to release a request for proposals to increase renewable power production in their states. [North American Windpower]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
July 28, 2012
Japan:
¶ The Japanese Science Ministry is trying to justify withholding SPEEDI fallout information about the Fukushima Disaster from the public because it was based on “assumptions.” (We might note that all precautions are based on assumptions.) [The Japan Times]
¶ Decontamination work is not going ahead in most areas evacuated after the Fukushima Disaster. [Asahi Shimbun]
US:
¶ The NRC has issued a bulletin on a potential design flaw at US nuclear power plants. It is possible no one thought to install equipment t0 detect the loss of one of three phases in three-phase offsite power, which could affect key safety equipment. (One wonders what else they might have forgotten to install.) [Reuters]
¶ The NRC says that after some study, its current position is that storing spent fuel in spent fuel pools is “adequate” to assure public safety. It will continue to study the issue for as long as five years. [Union of Concerned Scientists]
¶ A new report from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory provides information on potentials of various sources of energy in the US. According to the report, the potential for PVs is 280,613 TWh per year, and the potential for wind is 49,769 TWh per year; the report deals with other sources as well. By comparison, the current US production of nuclear and coal combined is 2,514 TWh per year. [REVE]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, wind power
July 27, 2012
Technology:
¶ Researchers have found technology that may make it possible to produce photovoltaic cells form virtually any semiconductor, without doping. The cells would have low cost and be highly efficient. [Electronics News]
Japan:
¶ Hokuriku Electric Power Co. has submitted plans to tunnel under a reactor at its Shika nuclear power plant to investigate a fault. Separately, it has confirmed that one of the reactors at the plant has had several tons of seawater leak into its pressure vessel, causing extensive corrosion. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ A Malaysian project addresses poverty in a sustainable and comfortable “smart village.” The village produces both energy and food of its own. [CNN]
¶ In Zimbabwe, solar power makes it possible to cut the electric bill, lower carbon emissions, and take a bath in the cold of winter. [AllAfrica]
¶ In Germany, 26% of electricity supplied in the first half of 2012 was from renewable sources. The “alternative energy” portion of production rose from 3.8% to 22% in ten years. [Clean Technica]
US:
¶ The Vermont Public Service board has denied requests from the Windham Regional Council and the New England Coalition in the case on the Certificate of Public Good for Vermont Yankee. [Brattleboro Reformer]
¶ The US House of Representatives passed a bill that prevents the NRC from taking any “significant regulatory action” until unemployment drops below six percent. [Las Vegas Sun]
¶ Vermont Yankee accidentally drained 2500 gallons of water from its spent fuel pool into a wastewater system. [vtdigger.org]
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Tags: Germany, New England Coalition, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, Vermont Yankee
July 25, 2012
Japan:
¶ Investigations into the Fukushima Disaster have still not provided a complete understanding of what happened. [The Daily Yomiuri]
… The government will continue investigating, using the new nuclear regulatory agency, when it is set up. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Japanese government is having difficulty finding regulators for their new agency who are knowledgeable on the nuclear industry, but are not too close to it. Cronyism is a serious problem, and is blamed for the Fukushima Disaster. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ A group of retired nuclear engineers is seeking the assistance of the United States as they seek to replace younger workers at Fukushima Daiichi. They had made the offer to TEPCO, because as older people they were less vulnerable to the effects of radiation, but the utility rejected the offer. [Infoshop News]
¶ Fukushima cleanup workers may have been illegally recruited, and may be illegally underpaid. [The Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Now that the investigative reports have been issuing, prosecutors are beginning to accept criminal complaints relating to the Fukushima Disaster. [AsiaOne]
World:
¶ Areva, the French utility known for its nuclear power plants, is investing in biomass technology. The involvement in biomass is not new, as the company already has 5 GW of biomass generating capacity. [Platts]
US:
¶ In the middle of a court case over fish kills in the Hudson River, effecting the operation of Indian Point, the NRC has decided to change to newer data, indicating the number of fish killed is only 0.1% of what earlier studies had found. [newjerseynewsroom.com]
¶ NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane says the matter of Yucca Mountain was not currently before the NRC, though the matter of nuclear waste storage is. She studied Yucca Mountain five years ago, and concluded, “Yucca Mountain is neither seismically nor volcanically stable.” [Bloomberg]
¶ The first commercial tidal energy project in the US was dedicated Tuesday in Eastport, Maine. [The Boston Globe]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
July 24, 2012
Technology:
¶ Scientists are working on a way to prevent zirconium based cladding of nuclear fuel rods from reacting with steam. [Lincoln Journal Star]
Japan:
¶ A government report says the underlying cause of the Fukushima Disaster was belief in a “myth of nuclear safety.” Managers and officials simply did not believe a major accident was possible, so dangers were ignored, with both preventative measures and disaster preparations unaddressed. unaddressed[The Japan Times]
… The same report says TEPCO is still failing to ensure safety properly and is unwilling to examine the problems that caused the Fukushima Disaster. [Wall Street Journal]
… In addition, the report suggests all nuclear power plants are vulnerable to the same problems that underlay the Fukushima Disaster. [The Guardian]
¶ Many hospital patients being evacuated because of the Fukushima Disaster died because of lack of planning and preparation. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Consumers are avoiding beef from the areas around Fukushima. [The Japan Times]
… Nevertheless, octopus from the northern coast of Fukushima prefecture have returned to market. [The Japan Times]
¶ A citizen’s group has found high levels of radioactive cesium at the side of a river 178 km (110 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. [Infoshop News]
World:
¶ Falling costs of photovoltaics and lithium batters are bringing Australia to the point that off-grid power is economically competitive with grid-based power. [Newsmaker]
US:
¶ The Oyster Creek plant was shut down yesterday because of loss of offsite power. [Star Ledger]
¶ The governor of New Jersey has signed a bill to maintain encouragement of solar power in that state. [Bloomberg Business Week]
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Tags: distributed power, electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power
July 23, 2012
Japan:
¶ The Japanese government is preparing a plan to abandon use of nuclear power altogether by 2025. The group drafting the plan is headed by former Prime Minister Kan, and is working at the request of the secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party. [NHK World]
¶ An official of the subcontracting company accused of faking dosimeter readings admits to the fact he did it, but claims it only happened once. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ A new government report says the Japanese nuclear industry and regulators ignored safety risks. [ABC Radio Australia]
¶ The Japanese are turning more to distributed power and renewable energy. Such power generation can be under local authority, which makes it very attractive to local and regional governments. [The Mainichi]
World:
¶ The head of public affairs at the Swiss Association of Electricity Companies says local photovoltaic panels can replace half of the nuclear generated electricity provided to Switzerland. [Swissinfo.ch]
US:
¶ The Agua Caliente solar farm in Arizona is about two-thirds finished, but is already delivering 200 MW of power to the San Diego area, lightening the load imposed by the shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear plant. [Clean Technica]
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Tags: distributed power, Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
July 21, 2012
Technology:
¶ A transparent solar cell can operate in windows with a small reduction in transmitted light. It is 4% efficient in converting sunlight to electrical power. Made from a “polymer-like” material, it is said to be of low cost to manufacture. [Science Daily]
Japan:
¶ Contract workers doing cleanup at Fukushima Daiichi have said they were instructed to cover their dosimeters with lead so they could work in highly contaminated areas longer. The government is investigating. [Deutsche Welle]
¶ The Friday protests outside the prime minister’s residence just get bigger. Though the number in Tokyo seems to have decreased from last week, the movement has spread outside the capital. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who is a member of the same political party as the current prime minister, has joined the protesters, and is encouraging the government to pay attention to the wishes of the people. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Testing for radiation in fish indicates that in some areas in the Pacific Ocean the majority are contaminated with radioactive cesium. [PEJ News]
US:
¶ The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a report on renewable power generation in California. Electricity from renewable sources provided 19% of all retail electric sales in 2010, up from 4% in 2000. Nevertheless, some approaches have been shown to be better than others. [North American Windpower]
¶ GE is reorganizing its energy business into three subsidiaries. The change should be completed in 2012. One of the subsidiaries will focus on power generation, including both renewable and nuclear systems. [Solar Novus Today]
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Tags: nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
July 15, 2012
Opinion:
¶ The fact that the NRC has exclusive authority over radiological safety violates the principle of engineering redundancy, which is vital to safety. This constitutes a threat to the safety of the people the NRC is supposed to be protecting. [Redundancy and the function of safety regulation]
Japan:
¶ Only nine people, chosen by lot, will be able to speak at a public meeting on the new Japanese nuclear regulatory agency. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ A tiny village 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Ohi reactors, populated almost entirely by old folk, is the first in Japan to get 100% of its power from renewable sources, achieving grid independence. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ More off grid villages are getting power by using solar panels. More than 1000 villages in Assam have been electrified by using PVs, and they may have more reliable electric power than the cities provided by the grid. [daijiworld.com]
US:
¶ The NRC has rejected a request to allow non-compliant rebar already installed in the Vogtle Unit 3 basemat. Southern Co., the owner, will request a license amendment. [equities.com]
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Tags: Fukushima, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
July 13, 2012
Japan:
¶ A set of 1198 census evaluations of animal populations compares the Fukushima Disaster to Chernobyl. The idea that nuclear disaster creates a sort of wildlife refuge where things can grow in abundance is a myth. [New York Times]
¶ Evacuees from Fukushima are dying of fatigue and stress. [The Japan Daily Press]
¶ Jobs lost when nuclear plants close may be more than replaced by jobs in the renewable electric sector. A combination of reports indicates that for every job lost in the japanese nuclear industry, renewable power might create ten. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ Some scientists have revised the estimates on Fukushima radiation doses from high to safe. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ In the UK, prices are going up for both nuclear plants and the electricity nuclear plants generate. [Bloomberg]
US:
¶ The NRC has released a detailed report on the steam generator tubes at San Onofre. Reports differ on the meaning of the report, and I am sure there will be updates on this. The Associated Press report indicates 3420 tubes in one generator need to be replaced, nearly five times the maximum at which the generator needs to be retired. [Associated Press]
… Another take on the same data is that things are bad, but no worse than had been previously acknowledged. [Orange County Register]
¶ US anti-nuclear groups are warning that the mindset that underlay the Fukushima Disaster also characterize the NRC. [Environment News Service]
¶ Solar Power works in the rain forest of southeastern Alaska. [Juneau Empire]
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Tags: electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
July 12, 2012
Technology:
¶ New amorphous silicon photovoltaic cells can capture power both as heat and electricity. [Ecoseed]
Japan:
¶ A doctor who has specialized in health of A-bomb victims is concerned about the symptoms he is seeing in Fukushima residents. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Ohi Unit 4 reactor will be restarted on July 19. [Kuwait News Agency]
¶ TEPCO says the debris in Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 have been removed. [Power Engineering]
World:
¶ Australian group Beyond Zero Emissions has a plan to make that country 100% renewable in ten years. [REVE]
¶ Ireland plans to get 40% of its electric power from renewables by 2020. [Environmental Expert]
US:
¶ Former New York City mayor Ed Koch wants Indian Point closed. [Metrofocus]
¶ A report from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board calls for prompt action because of deficiencies in safety and safety culture. [Huffington Post]
¶ The Palisades nuclear plant is producing power again after an unplanned shutdown to fix a leak in the safety injection refueling water tank. [Nuclear Street]
¶ Honeywell is evaluating safety upgrades at its Metropolis Works nuclear conversion facility. Completion of upgrades will take 12 to 15 months, during which time staff will be at 50%. [NASDAQ]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power
July 6, 2012
Technology:
¶ Graphene added to photovoltaic cells may improve efficiency by over 50%, and double-sided cells could be 50% more efficient as well. [Home Heating Guide]
¶ A new wind turbine design is being built in the UK. It is intended to be mastless for urban installation. [Specifinder]
… The article does not have a picture, but one can be seen at the McCamley website.
Japan:
¶ This BBC article lists the main points and recommendations of the parliamentary report on the Fukushima Disaster. [BBC]
¶ The report puts safety of the entire Japanese fleet into question, by implying the other reactors are vulnerable. [Atlantic Wire]
World:
¶ Worldwide nuclear electric production dropped by 4.3% in the aftermath of the Fukushima Disaster. [Bloomberg Businessweek]
¶ A report from the Confederation of British Industry says the government can cut its deficit in half by embracing renewable energy. [Solar Power Portal]
¶ The International Energy Agency projects 40% growth in the renewable sector in the next five years, increasing from recent growth of around 20%. [Engineering News]
Palestinians are installing PVs to reduce dependence on Israel. [Al-Monitor]
US:
¶ Departing Chairman Jaczko says the agency may not be able to renew licenses for operating nuclear plants for “a few years” because of a federal court ruling, but the plants may continue to operate anyway. [Platts]
¶ The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is still divided and does not know what to do about nuclear safety, according to departing chairman Jaczko. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ We can cut the price of solar power in half by cutting the red tape. [Forbes]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
July 5, 2012
Opinion:
¶ Can a nuclear disaster happen here?
Japan:
¶ The Japanese Parliament released its report on the investigation into the Fukushima Disaster. A one sentence summary: “Japan’s Fukushima nuclear crisis was a preventable disaster resulting from ‘collusion’ among the government, regulators and the plant operator.” [Reuters]
¶ Some say TEPCO is repairing the damaged reactors at Fukushima Daini. [Associated Press]
… Another take on the situation is that they are considering decommissioning the plant. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ Because of ongoing fallout from Fukushima Daiichi, at the Fukushima Daini plant, it is safer inside the reactor buildings than outside. [Wall Street Journal]
World:
¶ The Brazilian national energy agency says electricity from home solar panels is now cheaper than power supplied by many of grid suppliers. [Clean Technica]
US:
¶ Economics may close the San Onofre power plant. [Washington Times]
¶ The Connecticut Attorney General has come out against Indian Point license renewal, based on dangers to human health and safety. [Stamford Advocate]
¶ Californian electric customers have installed over a gigawatt of solar capacity. [PV Magazine]
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Tags: electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, photovoltaic, renewable power
July 4, 2012
Opinion:
¶ As I see it – the future of electricity generation.
Japan:
¶ The Japanese government will not allow people who have worked in the nuclear industry in the last three years to work for the new regulatory agency. [Power Engineering]
¶ Yusuhara, in Kochi Prefecture, is considered a model in use of renewable power generation. [Power Engineering]
¶ Japan is still struggling to define its energy future. Some experts see the nuclear industry as desperate, commenting, “But basically, there is very little they can do to turn the clock back.” [Reuters]
World:
¶ Grameen Schneider Electric will equip nearly 200,000 households in Bangladesh with home solar systems. [Construction Week]
US:
¶ Dominion, owner of the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, wants to increase the number of dry casks on site. [The Day]
¶ The Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation found a lot of flotsam from Japan in a survey it conducted in Alaska. Tests were conducted and nothing was found to be radioactive. [Alaska Dispatch]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
July 3, 2012
Japan:
¶ After 15 months, 40% of the people evacuated from Okuma, in Fukushima Prefecture, have given up on the idea that they will ever return home. [Daily Yomiuri]
¶ Mitsui OSK has built a hybrid ship to use for ferrying cars. It has solar, battery, and diesel power systems. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ G24 Innovations is starting to sell photovoltaic cells built in a factory in Wales. They produce power from ambient light. [RECHARGE]
¶ GE is supplying a wind farm in Sweden with ten 2.75 megawatt wind turbines. [The FINANCIAL]
US:
¶ The Union of Concerned Scientists is requesting the NRC to rule that all spent fuel at US nuclear reactors be moved to dry cask storage, allowing only five years to cool in spent fuel pools. [San Diego Reader]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, solar power, wind power
July 2, 2012
Japan;
¶ The Unit 3 reactor has been restarted at Ohi. Demonstrators at the site are described as raucous. [CNN]
¶ As time passed, and rain fell, hundreds of protesters remained, blocking the road to the Ohi reactors. Residents of Ohi generally were not protesting, as most of the people in the town are employed or otherwise subsidized by the owner of the plant. [The Japan Times]
¶ Demand for electricity for the month of June fell 4.1% from 2011 to 2012. [Reuters Africa]
¶ KEPCO, owner of the Ohi plant, also restarted a mothballed oil powered plant this weekend. [Reuters]
¶ Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank Corp., is keeping a commitment that his company would build at least 10 renewable power facilities with a combined capacity of more than 200 megawatts. He contrasts his company’s actions with those of politicians who fail to keep their commitments. [Wall Street Journal]
US:
¶ There were about three hundred protesters at the VY gate. Forty entered the grounds and were arrested. [Rutland Herald]
¶ Locked out workers at Pilgrim are losing health care benefits. [Boston Herald]
¶ As government incentives disappear, installations of solar power systems decline, but not by much. The lack of incentives has been made up for by a decline in prices. [knoxvillebiz]
¶ Public Service of New Mexico is adding geothermal generating to its power portfolio. [REVE]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, renewable power, Vermont Yankee
July 1, 2012
Japan:
¶ Reactors at Ohi are restarting. Many people are protesting. Protesters in Ohi say they are attempting to block access to the power plant. [CNN]
¶ The Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization designed the first nuclear safety drill since the Fukushima Disaster. The drill did not include dealing with meltdowns for fear that doing so would be too upsetting to citizens. [The Japan Times]
¶ Protesters are attempting to blockade roads to the Ohi reactors. [Emirates 24/7]
¶ A problem developed in the cooling system at Fukushima Daiichi’s Unit 4 spent fuel pool. [The Japan Times]
… Latest word is that a temporary cooling system has been started. [Australian Broadcast Corporation]
World:
¶ The UK has had large gains in renewable electricity production. Wind is producing 50% more than last year. At the same time, consumption of electricity has declined slightly. [Clean Technica]
¶ A new 32,000 ton metallurgical grade silicon producing plant in Iceland, which will require 52 megawatts to operate, will be entirely powered by renewable resources. [MELODICA.NET]
US:
¶ New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he is likely to sign new legislation to that will reinvigorate the state’s solar industry. [CleanEnergyAuthority]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, renewable power, wind power
June 30, 2012
A quote for today:
“A lot of people think that Fukushima is behind us, in fact it’s ahead of us.” Jean-Christophe Niel, head of ASN, the French nuclear safety authority. [quoted in RFI]
Japan:
¶ The weekly protest at the Prime Minister’s residence has grown from 300, in April, to a huge number, yesterday. Police claim there were 17,000 people in the crowd, organizers say 150,000, and various media put the number at between 20,000 and 200,000. [Japan Daily Press]
¶ The Japanese government is presenting three plans for the future of energy production, so they can be debated publicly. [Reuters]
¶ The Anglican Church in Japan is calling for the abolition of nuclear power. [Anglican Communion News Service]
US:
¶ A rally to shut down VY is scheduled for July 1. [OpEdNews]
¶ The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is making new rules for wind, solar, and energy storage. A projection used as a basis, dating from 2010, is that 60% of new energy resources will be solar and wind by 2019. [Forbes]
¶ The US Senate confirmed Kristine Svinicki and Allison Macfarlane to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [The Hill]
¶ Decommissioning Zion is costing upwards of $100 million more than anticipated. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ The DOE gave Southern Company a sweetheart deal to finance building two reactors at Vogtle. Critics say the deal is excessive. [Inter Press Service]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power, wind power
June 28, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO denies its report on the Fukushima Disaster is a cover-up. [Australian Broadcast Company]
¶ Individual Japanese stockholders are starting to hold corporate managements accountable. [New York Times]
… Nevertheless, all nine Japanese utilities decided to continue with nuclear power. [Asahi Shimbun]
… And in particular, TEPCO shareholders voted in favor of a return to producing nuclear power, despite protests at the shareholders meeting. [euronews]
¶ Radiation readings in a drain under Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 are the highest yet recorded there, at 10,300 millisieverts per hour. [the Telegraph]
¶ The volume in loans for green power generation and other environmentally friendly projects in Japan has been increased by a multiple. [Utility Products]
¶ TEPCO is pulling out of a scheme to supply and run two reactors in Vietnam and ending its export of nuclear expertise. [The Japan Daily Press]
US:
¶ NRC attorneys are agreeing with environmental groups, including the New England Coalition, along with over twenty others, that the Seabrook relicense has to be delayed. [Seacoastonline.com]
¶ The NRC says a new study on the environmental impact of Indian Point on Hudson River wildlife shows older studies overestimate the actual damage by 1000 times. The data supporting the new study was supplied by Entergy, the plant’s owner. [Bloomberg]
Posted in nuclear power, solar | 1 Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, New England Coalition, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
June 24, 2012
Japan:
¶ The size of the crowd protesting restarting nuclear reactors at the prime minister’s residence was larger than previously reported in mainstream media. According to organizers, there were 45,000 people involved. There were also protests elsewhere, in Japan, in the US, and in Brazil. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Amid the oil and gas wells of British Columbia, Dawson Creek (pop. 11,583) provides more electricity than it needs from wind and solar power. [Leader-Post]
US:
¶ In Michigan, debate is starting over a ballot initiative to put green energy requirements into the constitution. [Battle Creek Enquirer]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, renewable power
June 18, 2012
Technology:
¶ The price of solar power has fallen to the point that it is becoming competitive with fossil fuels. [The Conversation]
¶ Energy storage is becoming increasingly important as the world switches to renewable power. [The Motley Fool]
Japan:
¶ In a press conference, the Japanese trade minister said the new regulatory agency, which is set to begin operations in August, will make its own decisions on the 48 reactors that remain idle, independently of the cabinet. If this is true, then it could be that no additional reactors will be started before fall. [The Daily Yomiuri Online]
¶ In the days following the Fukushima Disaster, the Japanese government received accurate radiation maps from the US Energy Department, but chose not to use them as people evacuated. Some went into areas with high radiation. [The Asahi Shimbun]
¶ The Japanese government approved billions of dollars of subsidies for renewable power. [Eco-Business]
¶ There is a building boom for solar electric installations in Japan. [Bloomberg BusinessWeek]
¶ Those who wish to return to widespread use of nuclear power in Japan do not have a clear path ahead. [Wall Street Journal]
World:
¶ Worldwide wind generating capacity increased by 40 GW in 2011. [REVE]
¶ German utility company RWE AG has decided not to replace its German reactors with new reactors outside the country, but is thinking about cooperating with communities to build solar farms. It may enter the private consumer solar business, as well. [Wall Street Journal]
US:
¶ The US is now producing more renewable energy than nuclear. [geoharvey page]
¶ A former nuclear waste dump in Pennsylvania is being closely guarded by Homeland Security after nuclear materials there were found to include materials that should were more “complex” than expected. [Centre Daily Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power, wind power
geoharvey 