The Japanese government has softened its anti-nuclear power strategy, which could open the way to existing reactor restarts and possibly even new plant construction. The post-Fukushima shutdown of the country’s nuclear fleet has led to increased electricity prices, eroded the trade balance and spiked fossil fuel imports, which are unsustainable conditions according to a new Basic Energy Plan draft. [Financial Times]

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) launched a new website “dedicated to helping cleantech business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and researchers access information and resources that can speed innovation and commercialization,” the state agency said in a statement. “The site is a free professional networking tool that only requires registration to access the site. The purpose is to encourage collaboration between individuals and businesses in New York’s cleantech sector and to connect them with resources to help establish and grow their businesses.” [NYSERDA]

Crude oil continues draining out of the Cushing, Oklahoma storage hub through the southern leg of the Keystone Pipeline to the Gulf Coast refining center, putting upward price pressure on WTI. Inventories dropped by 1.07 million barrels last week, according to the American Petroleum Institute. [Bloomberg]