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“There is money in energy efficiency”

There is money in energy efficiency Business World

21 July 09 Investments in energy efficiency projects are enjoying a resurgence of popularity in attracting investments, although they still have to play catchup to their more popular cleantech cousin, renewable energy. This was apparent from the Asian Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) held at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila last June 15-19.One of the concepts explored in the ACEF was the concept of an equivalent power plant, or “efficiency power plant,” as some of the speakers called it. An efficiency power plant is a visualization of savings in power capacity from energy savings, a concept that is useful considering that most laypersons struggle to conceptualize energy efficiency, unlike the popular images of renewable wind turbines and solar farms etched in many minds……………………..

Energy efficiency is a relatively inexpensive and proven way to contribute to climate change mitigation, and at the same time contribute to the bottom line. We should expect it to share the limelight with its more visible cleantech cousin, renewable energy, particularly with ADB’s announcement during the closing plenary (and in media releases) that its target for energy efficiency investments is $2 billion.

But until a way can be found to help businessmen and investors visualize what energy efficiency is and its viability as an investment vehicle, it will always remain the unsung relative of its more popular cleantech cousin, renewable energy.

BusinessWorld Online: Philippine Silicon Valley — By Dennis Posadas: “There is money in energy efficiency”

July 20, 2009 Posted by | 2 WORLD, climate change, ENERGY | | Leave a comment

Chinese villagers flee county in radiation scare, return amid official assurances of safety

Chinese villagers flee county in radiation scare

Freaking News 24/7 20 July 09 BEIJING — They fled in droves, terrified by rumors of a radiation leak, with many jumping empty-handed into motorcycle taxis and farm trucks they hoped would take them out of harm’s way. While most of the residents of Henan province’s Qi county had returned by Monday amid government assurances it was safe, last week’s mass exodus  — some residents estimated that hundreds of thousands of people left — illustrates how quickly rumors can spread and cause alarm in China……………..
………….. alarm spread as people began hearing word that explosions occurred at the irradiation plant……………..
……..Rumors can run rife in China, where many do not trust local officials and the government-controlled media because they downplay or in some cases boycott negative news fearing it will trigger social unrest.

Chinese villagers flee county in radiation scare, return amid official assurances of safety

July 20, 2009 Posted by | China, environment | , , , , | Leave a comment

The World from Berlin: Germany’s Radioactive Election Fever

Germany’s Radioactive Election Fever
SPIEGEL ONLINE Josh Ward 17 July 09 Two recent mishaps have provided an opportunity for anti-nuclear forces in Germany — and their flagbearer, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel — to take the offensive. But some German commentators think that, in trying to win votes for his party, Gabriel might actually drive them into the arms of the Greens.German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel is taking advantage of two recent accidents related to the country’s nuclear energy industry to press home his — and most of the country’s — opposition to nuclear energy………………….

……….The Krümmel nuclear power plant operated by the Swedish energy giant Vattenfall near Hamburg automatically shut down on July 4 after a fault in a transformer. And, on Tuesday, officials announced that the troubled Asse underground nuclear waste storage facility, a former salt mine, was having renewed problems with major water leakage………………….

……….According to a recent survey by the Forsa polling institute, almost two-thirds of Germans support the closing of the country’s remaining nuclear power plants.

The World from Berlin: Germany’s Radioactive Election Fever – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

July 20, 2009 Posted by | Germany, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear Title May Not Be Enough to Push Senate Climate Bill Over the Top –

Nuclear Title May Not Be Enough to Push Senate Climate Bill Over the Top The New York Times By KATHERINE LING Reporters Allison Winter, Alex Kaplun and Darren Samuelsohn contributed. 17 July 09 While supporters of nuclear energy ardently proclaim the power source is necessary to combat climate change, incentives for nuclear power may not be the silver bullet sponsors need to pass climate legislation in the Senate this year…………………………………The energy committee bill has several perks for nuclear energy including a Clean Energy Development Administration, training programs for nuclear education, and exclusion of new nuclear generation or capacity upgrades through efficiency at existing nuclear plants from the power sales baseline used to measure the renewable electricity standard (RE………………..The House climate bill, H.R. 2454 (pdf), also contains a Clean Energy Development Administration — although it prevents any technology from using more than 30 percent of total available funds. It also includes the exclusion of new nuclear generation from the power sales baseline used to calculate the RES………………………………..The underlying question for sponsors: If nuclear incentives are not enough to get undecided senators on board with cap and trade, what is the point of including them at all?…………………..The nuclear issue dominated much of the debate at a hearing on Tuesday………………………”What we are hopeful for in any climate bill are those provisions. One, the recognition of nuclear as a clean energy source so if someone has nuclear in their portfolio they should be recognized for that and, two, recognition that to move forward we are going to have to private-public partnership of government and private enterprise,” said Derrick Freeman, senior director, of NEI’s legislative programs.

Nuclear Title May Not Be Enough to Push Senate Climate Bill Over the Top – NYTimes.com

July 20, 2009 Posted by | climate change, politics, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Sloppy work at Perry nuclear power plant concerns Nuclear Regulatory Commission –

Sloppy work at Perry nuclear power plant concerns Nuclear Regulatory Commission CLEVELAND.COM  July 18, 2009 John Funk Plain Dealer Reporter

“The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is concerned about sloppy workmanship and employee inattention to detail at the Perry nuclear power plant.The NRC wants plant owner FirstEnergy Corp. to explain how it plans to correct these problems……………………..orkers have continued to make small mistakes on routine, day-to-day jobs, in a number of unrelated areas.

Such mistakes are not in themselves a safety concern, but they are often the first signs at a nuclear plant that the culture of “safety first” is eroding and attention to safety is slipping……………..”

Sloppy work at Perry nuclear power plant concerns Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Cleveland.com

July 20, 2009 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment