The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides on its web site many claims about the great progress and benefits achieved by promoting and subsidizing wind energy in the state – an initiative kicked off by former Governor Pataki and followed slavishly by each succeeding administration and legislature. Unfortunately, like other promoters of… Keep reading →
US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has alluded to the promise of small modular reactors (SMRs) multiple times over the past few months, noting that they may offer benefits in terms of financing, costs and security, but warning that realistic expectations suggest these reactors are unlikely to come onstream for almost a decade. “We remain very… Keep reading →
Ryan Lizza has written a very balanced, comprehensive article for the New Yorker about the politics behind the Keystone XL pipeline debate. It suggests that one driving force behind a loss of certainty about the pipeline’s approval has more to do with an ineffective Congress than with actual environmental concerns. The piece offers at least… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON: Budget crunch be damned, the Defense Department’s effort to get more energy-efficient is still in business, said the assistant secretary in charge. Even without the free-flowing supplemental funds and the flexibility of the “rapid equipping” initiatives that allowed for speedy spending at the height of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon is still trying to reduce its… Keep reading →
The 40+ year-old Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant will shut down by Q4 2014 due to high cost structure and low natural gas and wholesale energy prices. On August 27, 2013, Entergy Corporation announced plans to close and decommission the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vermont in Q4 2014, after the current fuel cycle. Once the plant… Keep reading →
Saudi Arabia has taken another step towards building up its nuclear power generation capacity by signing a Memorandum of Understanding for in-country collaboration with Westinghouse Electricity, Exelon Nuclear Partners and Toshiba. Nuclear could be a key tool in managing a mismatch between rising in-country energy consumption and a heavy dependence on oil exports to meet… Keep reading →
Chinese renewable energy entrepreneur Li Hejun has officially become a billionaire, thanks to a sharp rise in the market value of his company, Hanergy Solar Group. “Solar energy entrepreneurs and investors in China have been upbeat about the industry’s prospects after the government recently announced higher-than-expected prices will be paid for solar power.” [Forbes] The… Keep reading →
The US military’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels may help to advance emerging energy technologies by providing them with coveted assets, such as financial backing and testing opportunities. But there is no guarantee that these technologies, as applied to military-specific conditions, will be commercial successes in a civilian context. The Department of Defense holds an… Keep reading →
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell is “outraged” by reports of intimidation and needless show of force by Department of Environmental Conservation, the Bureau of Land Management and the state Department of Environmental Conservation who wore body armor to investigate a potential Clean Water Act violation, according to a statement released yesterday. “A State DEC Environmental investigator… Keep reading →
Dear State Public Utility Commission Chairmen and Chairwomen, Risk management isn’t a new concept for any of the utility companies you regulate, nor I’m sure, is it new for you and your team. When large storms or fires cause power outages, you monitor how quickly electric utilities return service to customers. When proposals for new… Keep reading →
