LANL contractor loses $millions due to radioactive leak
Radiation leak costs LANL contractor millions http://krqe.com/2014/12/30/radiation-leak-costs-lanl-contractor-millions/ LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (KRQE) – The contractor that runs Los Alamos National Laboratory is going to miss out on tens of millions of dollars from the federal government because of this year’s radiation leak.
The National Nuclear Security Administration finished its annual evaluation earlier this month and we’ve now learned the results.
The fee paid by the federal government has been reduced to $6.25 million.
That’s only a fraction of the $63.4 million the contractor could have earned if it had met all of its goals.
Beware the secretive Trade In Services Agreement
The Trade In Services Agreement Goodbye Privacy, Hello Censorship CounterPunchYet another tentacle in the octopus of multi-national corporations’ attempt to achieve dictatorial control, the Trade In Services Agreement (TISA) is intended to eliminate government regulations in the “professional services” such as accounting and engineering but goes well beyond that, proposing sweeping de-regulation of the Internet and the financial industry.
Another snippet of TISA’s text has been leaked, this time by the freedom-of-information organization Associated Whistleblowing Press. Continue reading
USA Energy companies waking up to the renewable energy future
Another Wake-Up Call For Energy Companies CleanTechnica December 30th, 2014 by Tina Casey “…Electricity generated by solar, wind, or geothermal offers a more solid fiscal footing, since once the equipment is up and running the fuel is virtually free.
Consumers have been getting the message about prices as well as community benefits. According to the latest Pew energy poll (h/t to fuelfix.com), Americans favor alternative energy by a whopping 60 percent to 30 percent margin.
Speaking of Republicans, that figure includes self-identified Republicans, which is the only demographic group in the survey to favor fossil energy over renewables. Did I say Republicans too many times in this article?
Where was I? Oh, right. Utility companies such as Duke Energy have been taking that message to heart and are rapidly increasing their renewable energy portfolios, as chronicled endlessly here at CleanTechnica and our sister site PlanetSave.
As for energy extraction companies, earlier this week we made the point that energy is fungible. If you think of energy to the energy industry as mobility to the auto industry, you can see why the reality is that the transition to a more safe and sustainable business model can be painful, it is doable.
Some extraction companies are doing it faster than others. For example Chevron (yes, that Chevron) is heavily invested in solar energy, and Saudi Aramco is busily transitioning its host nation’s domestic energy profile into renewables.
On the other side of the coin, there are still plenty of fossil-invested companies that don’t seem to be interested in any kind of transition at all, and that have been aggressively lobbying against renewables.
That would be Koch Industries and Exxon, for starters. If you can think of some other examples, drop us a note in the comment thread.
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Renewable energy: wind and solar parks in India
Gujarat: Hinustan Salt, SJVN to set up renewable energy plants, NITI Central, Shimla, Dec 30 (PTI) Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) along with Hindustan Salt will set up ultra mega hybrid renewable energy park, having up to 5,000 MW power generation capacity in Gujarat.
The proposed park would have both solar and wind plants. The park will be developed on the surplus salt pan land of Hindustan Salt.
It would have the generation capacity of 4,000-5,000 MW including about 3,500–4,200 MW solar and 600–800 MW wind capacities……http://www.niticentral.com/2014/12/31/gujarat-hinustan-salt-sjvn-to-set-up-renewable-energy-plants-294062.html
Norway’s Statkraft investing billions in renewable energy
Statkraft to invest billions in renewable energy http://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/article/statkraft-to-invest-billions-in-renewable-energy-20141230 Robin Whitlock 30 Dec 14 The Norwegian government is proposing to bolster Statkraft SF’s equity by NOK 5 billion allowing the company to invest in green projects in Norway and abroad.The planned investments by the company will take place over the next four years. The government’s proposal to inject money into the company was adopted by the Norwegian parliament on 11th December. A reduction in the dividend received by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries over the 2016-2018 period will result in an overall equity increase of NOK 10 billion which will enable Statkraft to acquire more capital in the market. This in turn will enable the company to make investments of NOK 60 billion.
Statkraft has established a strategy calling for major investments in renewable energy in Norway, Europe and emerging markets in Asia and South America.
“Statkraft has a long-term ambition to grow as an international company within clean energy” said CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen. “In addition to implementing the investment decisions we have made, we are working on concrete projects in all countries where we operate. The projects are primarily within hydropower and wind power, but we are also exploring opportunities within solar energy and biomass.”
The company will open hydropower plants in Kargi, Turkey, and Cheves in Peru. The Kargi project is being constructed in Turkey’s Corum province in the north of the country. It will have an installed capacity of 102 MW and will supply electricity to 150,000 households. The Cheves project is located in the Peruvian Andes and will have a capacity of 168 MW. It will be able to supply 840 GWh of clean hydropower per year, replacing fossil fuel thermal power plants. Cheves is a UN-approved project to be developed under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and it will be able to reduce Peru’s greenhouse gas emissions by 394,000 tonnes per year. Statkraft will also decide whether to continue with the Rapay hydropower project, also in Peru. This has been divided into two phases and could ultimately yield a total of 162 MW of new hydropower.
Statkraft’s plans for a major wind power project in Norway may be one of the largest ever investments made by the company in the country. The Fosen/Snillfjord project will be the subject of an investment decision during the course of 2015. The company is currently working hard with its partners in Fosen Vind AS to prepare the necessary documentation.
There are also plans for further growth in India and Brazil. Statkraft is working with Tata Power on plans to develop the 420 MW Dugar hydropower project in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
For additional information:
8 top events for renewable energy in 2014
The 8 Best Things to Happen to Renewable Energy in 2014 , Solar Energy, Author: Katie Valentine, Dec 30 14
“…….World’s First Solar Road Opens In Netherlands…….
“We used commercial solar cells, but in a new way, so these efficiency improvements are readily accessible to the solar industry,” Mark Keevers, a UNSW solar scientist who managed the research project, said in a statement.
The highly efficient solar cells might be cheaper to produce than some other record-breaking cells, too. The researchers said that the solar design could be particularly useful for solar power towers currently being designed in Australia. If the test’s results are able to be replicated on a larger scale, those involved with the research project hope that the discovery can ultimately drive down the cost of solar.
Scotland Has An Amazing Month Of Wind Energy Production……
World’s Largest Solar Plant Comes Online…….
The World’s Largest Tidal Array Gets The Green Light………
World’s Largest and Most Powerful Wind Turbine Comes Online……….
Solar Car Hits Speed Record, Could Soon Hit The Streets…….. tinyurl.com/nsfwrsd
US Navy ‘s move to renewable energy is benefiting surrounding communities
More Renewable Energy For US Navy CleanTechnica December 30th, 2014 by Tina Casey“……… Let’s gear up for the New Year with the Navy’s latest contribution to the US clean energy future.
Earlier this month, the Navy announced a renewable energy plan for seven installations in the Washington, D.C. area, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Washington Navy Yard, and the Naval Academy, Observatory, and Maritime Intelligence Center.
Also included in the renewable energy package are four installations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois Here’s the attraction of renewable energy as stated by the head of the Navy’s Renewable Energy Program Office:
The Department of the Navy has been aggressively pursuing cost-effective renewable energy that will provide long-term price stability and power diversity…Strategically placed renewable energy can create reliable access to energy for DON installations and provide a myriad of benefits to the surrounding communities.
That thing about benefiting the surrounding communities is not just an add-on, by the way. If you’ve been reading up on your US military clean tech news, you know that community stewardship is part and parcel of military sustainability (for more on that, see our recent interview with Rebecca Rubin, CEO of the sustainability consulting firm Marstel-Day)………….http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/30/more-renewable-energy-for-the-us-navy/
Westinghouse deal with Ukraine to supply nuclear fuel
Ukraine signs Westinghouse nuclear fuel deal Yahoo 7 News 30 Dec 14 Ukraine on Tuesday sealed an additional nuclear fuel supply deal with US giant Westinghouse in order to ease its energy dependence on Russia.
Westinghouse Electric Company said it signed a deal in Brussels with Ukraine’s Energoatom state nuclear power provider “to significantly increase fuel deliveries to Ukrainian nuclear power plants through 2020.”
No figures were immediately available for the value of a deal which Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had said would take place.
Nor were there details on the quantities of fuel or number of reactors involved………https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-signs-westinghouse-nuclear-fuel-083256995.html
Fukushima wants to host preliminary events for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
“We need to set a goal so that we can show how much Fukushima has recovered” from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori was quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency on Tuesday………http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/141216/fukushima-desires-host-preliminary-events-2020-tokyo-olympic
Big global corporations adopt on-site solar energy
Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Call them renewable energy pioneers. The number of high-profile companies calling for power procurement policy changes or making direct investments in clean energy sources grew exponentially over the past 12 months.
Over the summer, a dozen trend-setters — including General Motors, Hewlett-Packard and Walmart — wrote and signed the Corporate Renewable Energy Pledge asking utility companies to make it simpler for them to buy power generated sustainably through solar, wind, fuel cells and other alternative sources.
More than 19 big brands are on board, representing a combined demand of more than 10 million megawatt hours (MWhs) per year. Or, put another way, enough power to run 1 million homes for a year.
Then, in October, another group of companies lit up the RE100 campaign, which seeks to convince 100 of the world’s largest companies to switch over to 100 percent renewable power. First on board: BT, Commerzbank, FIA Formula E, H&M, IKEA, KPN, Mars, Nestle, Philips, Reed Elsevier, J. Safra Sarasin, Swiss Re and Yoox. (IKEA and Swiss Re were the founding sponsors.)
Both developments underscore growing frustration within the corporate world with the level of progress being made (or not made) by utility companies adding renewable energy-generating sources.
Many big companies buy renewable energy credits as a method of addressing their carbon footprint, and have done some for quite some time. Now, they are taking matters into their own hands, often in the name of guaranteeing price stability and energy independence decades into the future. No more baby steps……..
The Environmental Protection Agency provides a quarterly ranking of companies involved in on-site renewables projects through its Green Power Partnership program. Using that information as a starting point, here’s my list of 12 big companies taking clean power generation into their own hands. ………http://www.greenbiz.com/article/Apple-Google-Walmart-corporate-renewables-leaders?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRogv6rAZKXonjHpfsX74%2B4qX6%2BylMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4HSMdnI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFSLHEMa5qw7gMXRQ%3D
Electricity Utilities must change their business model as distributed energy races ahead
Report: Distributed-Renewables Disruption Will Reduce Utility Revenues By Up To $123 Billion A Year By 2025 Clean Technica, December 29th, 2014 by James Ayre
The ongoing growth of distributed renewable energy generation throughout the US and Europe will see utility-company revenues reduced by as much as $123 billion a year by 2025, according to a new report from the consulting company Accenture.
That new report — titled the Digitally Enabled Grid report — clearly states that if the utilities wish to maintain a market share comparable to that of today, the companies will need to “fundamentally transform their business models.”………
As noted by the report, solar PV is actually already at grid parity in some parts of the US, the EU, and Australia. The expectation is that Japan will follow in that direction as well in a few years.
While the utility companies certainly have their work cut out for them, they aren’t facing extinction like some have predicted — according to de Miguel anyways. “While the ‘death spiral’, as commonly defined, is a myth, the demand disruption caused by the growing adoption of energy demand-disrupting technologies is a very real threat to utilities’ business models. And in addition to the financial pressure, this will cause significant operational challenges for utilities, increase technical stress on the grid and open the market to new competition for energy products and services.”
Given the growing number of executives at the utility companies that seem to be aware of the issues (see graph below), it seems pretty likely that some of the companies will institute major changes of some sort in the relatively near future………..
Those interested can find the full report here. http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/29/report-distributed-renewables-disruption-will-reduce-utility-revenues-us123-billion-year-2025/
Renewable energy future bright for electric cars
Tony Earley: PG&E supports electric vehicles and a green future By Tony Earley Mercury News12/30/2014 Of all history’s surprises in recent years, few have been as unexpected or as uplifting as the incredible about-face in our country’s energy outlook.
Tamil Nadu wants unallocated power from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP).
TN govt opposes allotment of KNPP power to Telangana Says the state should get unallocated power as it provided land, water BS Reporter | Chennai December 29, 2014
In a letter, Tamil Nadu chief minister O Pannerselvam brought to the notice of prime minister Narendra Modi the state’s memorandum of request in June 2014, urging the Centre to allocate the entire 15 per cent (150 Mw) unallocated power in KNPP Unit-I and Unit-II to the state.
“As you are aware, Tamil Nadu has come forth with all necessary inputs like land and water for the expeditious completion of the project, while neighbouring states had not been supportive. The deft handling of the issue by the state government ensured there was no disruption in commissioning and running of KNPP,” the chief minister highlighted in the letter.
The Centre has allotted 50 Mw from KNPP to Telangana, which again is a power deficit state in the south…….http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/tn-govt-opposes-allotment-of-knpp-power-to-telangana-114122900428_1.html
Concentrated Solar Power market rising
Browse Report:http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/concentrated-solar-power-market.html
Growing concerns towards declining fossil fuel reserves, rising demand of power in industrial, commercial and residential sector is expected to bolster CSP market growth. Furthermore, rising concerns over greenhouse gases emissions and increasing prices of power generation from fossil fuels are expected to enhance the overall market growth. Rising awareness in several countries to reduce carbon emissions and the urge to find an alternate solution of clean and sustainable source is likely to bolster the overall demand. Key challenges faced by the market participants include immature technology and high cost of power generation which are expected to curb market growth. However, research and development is hopeful to overcome the challenge.
global-csp-market Growing popularity of CSP technology in power generation is likely to bolster the overall demand over the forecast period. CSP market is segmented on the basis of technologies such as Parabolic Trough, Tower, Fresnel and Dish Sterling. In terms of volume (MW), the Parabolic trough technology segment is likely to grow at a CAGR 20.3% from 2014 to 2020………http://www.energyblogs.com/tmr/index.cfm/2014/12/28/Global-Concentrated-Solar-Power-CSP-Market-is-Expected-to-Reach-USD-86747-million-in-2020
Solar energy storage now commercially viable
Storage is here’: Solar-plus-storage market will surpass $1B by 2018, Utility Dive By Robert Walton | December 17, 2014 10% of new commercial solar customers will pair their installations with storage by 2018, according to research published Thursday morning by GTM Research. Spurred by falling battery prices, the solar-plus-storage market will surpass $1 billion that year,………
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