solar « nuclear-news

Is AREVA losing faith in the ‘nuclear renaissance’ ?

Areva Switching From Nuclear Power To Solar ? The Oil Drum by Big Gav February 14, 2010

French energy company Areva (best known for its nuclear power business) has purchased solar thermal power company Ausra – yet another example of a promising Australian technology company ending up with foreign ownership.

One possible positive interpretation of the news is that Areva are losing faith in the oft-predicted but unrealised “nuclear renaissance” and now see the real future growth opportunities in large scale solar power, with nuclear power (at best) a legacy business……………. Continue reading →

February 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, climate change, France | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

While nuclear power plants close down, wind and solar plants go up in E.U.

The EU also decommissioned more coal and nuclear power plants than were installed in 2009, signaling a dynamic shift toward renewable energy.

EU Shifts Toward Renewable Wind Power 12 Feb 2010 CalFinder The winds of change are blowing strong in the European Union. According to statistics released by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), wind energy accounted for 39 percent of new power capacity in the EU in 2009, far outstripping natural gas and solar power. The EU also decommissioned more coal and nuclear power plants than were installed in 2009, signaling a dynamic shift toward renewable energy….Wind power, as mentioned, accounted for 39 percent of new capacity in Europe. Natural gas landed in second place at 26 percent and solar energy comprised 16 percent. Considering the imbalance in new-vs-withdrawal of coal power plants, data suggests that renewable energy accounted for better than 60 percent of new energy capacity in the EU last year…..http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/wind-power/european-union-shifts-toward-renewable-wind-power/

February 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, EUROPE, renewable | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | 1 Comment

World’s largest renewable energy plant planned in India

India plans for the world’s largest renewable energy power plant Ecofriend 11 Feb 20210 After China’s ambitious plan to develop a 20GW wind farm, India has also announced a green energy power plant that will generate up to 13GW of renewable electric power, which is expected to outpace China’s wind energy development. The power plant will be developed by a consortium between Airvoice Group and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, which is a joint venture between the government of India and the state of Himachal Pradesh. The project will involve the generation of 10GW of electricity from solar thermal energy and 3GW from wind turbines. The power plant will be built in a rural area of Karnataka. The developers estimate that over $50 billion will be invested in the project over the next 10 months and the first phase would be commissioned in the next 36 months….http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/india-plans-for-the-world-s-largest-renewable-energy-power-plant/

February 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, India, renewable | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

National renewable energy standard needed in USA

Renewable energy executives urging U.S. clean power standard Energy Digital, by Sarah Wolfe 11 Feb 2010

With China moving ahead of the pack in alternative energy production, executives from the US wind, solar, biomass and geothermal sectors are pushing for a federal standard for renewable energy that could create more jobs and economic growth for the nation.

With a federal standard, a larger percentage of power generation would need to come from sustainable resources in the US. Continue reading →

February 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, politics, USA | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

With nuclear power failing financially, AREVA moves into solar

this acquisition of Ausra is a good sign of where the market is heading. Given that the nuclear renaissance simply isn’t materializing as expected, it’s wise for Areva and other big energy conglomerates to hedge their bets

Areva gets deeper into renewables with Ausra purchase the energy collective, by Tyler Hamilton on 02/08/2010 France’s Areva SA is known mostly as a designer of light-water nuclear reactors, builder of transmission and distribution systems, and a miner of uranium, so the announcement today that it has purchased 100 per cent of concentrated solar power company Ausra Inc. came as a surprise. Continue reading →

February 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, renewable | antinuclear, AREVA, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

China leading in providing renewable energy jobs

James M. Gentile: Who Will Win The Race For Jobs In Renewable Energy? THE HUFFINGTON POST February 8, 2010 When it comes to renewable energy innovation and equipment manufacturing, China is challenging the West, and the outcome will decide where millions of jobs go in the future. Continue reading →

February 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, climate change, renewable | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

Renewable energy -pressure on U.S. Congress to set standard

Wind, solar groups push US renewable energy standard. Feb 10, 2010 Stimulus funds powered most renewables to expand in 2009* Energy groups stress domestic job creation* Call for federal energy standard, extended tax credits By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment CorrespondentWASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Continue reading →

February 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

“Solar panel loans’help UK homeowners to profit from feed-in tariff

‘Solar panel loans’ to help homeowners invest in green energy New source of funding intended to take the costs out of renewable power THE INDEPENDENT (UK) By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, 2 February 2010
Homeowners will soon be able to take out “solar panel loans” to cover the high costs of renewable energy. Solar panels typically cost up to £12,000 to install yet take decades to pay for themselves in energy savings. Continue reading →

February 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, renewable, UK | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

UK solar feed-in tariff – a huge leap forward

Overwhelming public support for feed-in tariffs in the UK (even the famously oil-friendly IEA supports feed-in tariffs!) shows that the political will is there, if only the entrenched interests of the fossil fuel lobbies would get out of the way.

UK Solar Now Affordable? Feed-In Tariffs Announced, treehugger by Sami Grover 2 Feb 2010 This morning the UK government posted its official announcement about a renewables feed-in tariff. ……. while the run up to this announcement was marked by skepticism and concern from industry and green groups alike, worried that the feed-in tariffs would be too low, now the scheme has been announced, some at least are still hailing this as a huge leap forward for green tech in Britain. Continue reading →

February 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, renewable, UK | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

Renewable energy employing 7,000 in Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley awash with smart grid development Smart Meters 1 Feb 2010 Clean technology, or cleantech, covers a wide array of technologies including construction materials, electric vehicles, renewable power, and smart meters. Silicon Valley – long a hotbed of cutting-edge development – is now becoming a global center for solar power and smart grid innovation. Continue reading →

February 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

Renewable power for electric cars, but not nuclear!

Nuclear power isn’t clean or safe; it’s a menace HeraldNet By Eric Teegarden 312 Jan 2010 “…………We probably have less than two generations to transition. Right now things are not looking good.We stand at a crossroads concerning how we fuel our vehicles and power our homes. Electric vehicles (EVs) are a good replacement for carbon-fueled cars, but only if we charge them with renewable energy (geothermal, wind, solar, tidal, even biomass). Continue reading →

February 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ENERGY, USA | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

Europe’s ‘supergrid’ paves way for baseload renewable energy

Getting connected: Europe’s green energy ‘supergrid ‘By Matt Ford, for CNNJ anuary 31, 2010 It is a criticism frequently leveled at those promoting wind or solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels: what happens when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine?Well, now there is a smart answer, at least in Europe — we’ll simply and instantly switch to another source of clean, green power. Continue reading →

February 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, climate change | antinuclear, energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

China leads in solar energy, using U.S. technology

Obama can take heart in the fact that China’s two big solar farms will use U.S. technology. The big photovoltaic farm will use panels built by Arizona’s First Solar ( FSLR – news – people ) and the solar thermal farm will use technology developed by California’s eSolar.

The World’s Biggest Green Energy Projects Forbes.com Jonathan Fahey, 01.29.10, The U.S. and Europe have led the way in renewable power, but right now China has the grandest plans. Continue reading →

January 30, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change, renewable | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar | Leave a comment

Latest poll shows that the young, and women, oppose Obama’s nuclear power policy

A Run at the Latest Data from ABC’s Poobah of Polling. Gary Langar The Numbers The President and Nuclear Power

ABC News January 28, 2010“…………..Obama’s been most popular by far among young adults, a group critical to his election. Yet they oppose nuclear plants by significant margin. Support’s highest among seniors, long Obama’s weakest support group by age; they favor nuclear power by a vast 67-28 percent. Continue reading →

January 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear spin, reactor, reactors, renewable energy, renewables, solar, uranium | Leave a comment

Young Americans want clean jobs, not dirty nuclear power

Dirty talk in SOTU: why my generation’s jobs must be clean The Huffington Post Jessy Tolkan 28 Jan 2010 “….After outlasting the Bush Administration’s team of deniers over the last decade, it’s a victory that Team Obama has identified the need to solve the climate and energy crisis as the path to securing our nation’s future. Continue reading →

January 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive, reactors, renewables, solar | Leave a comment