California Energy Update 8/3

California Got 20% of Its Power from Renewable Sources in the First Half of 2012 Treehugger For the first six months of 2012, California generated one fifth of its electricity from renewable sources. The California Public Utilities Commission just released its first/second quarter 2012 renewable energy progress report to the Legislature, and ...

California weighs innovative community solar bill San Jose Mercury News Senate Bill 843 aims to bring an additional 2 gigawatts of renewable energy online within the territories of the state's three largest utilities: PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. Two gigawatts is nothing to sneeze at: One ...

Stake Vampire Power With Help From EUMV. Patch.com Energy Upgrade California in Mountain View held a workshop Aug. 1 detailing ways you cut, on average, a third of your power bill with little to no cost by simply … unplugging everything?Actually, it's a bit more

California's pioneering energy storage mandate moves forward GigaOM California lawmakers passed a bill in late 2010 that fell short of requiring utilities to invest in energy storage but did give the California Public Utilities Commission the task of looking into whether a mandate is a good idea and what that mandate ... See all stories on this topic »

6 Ways California Is Planning to Adapt to Climate Change Mother Jones The report, put out by the California Energy Commission and Natural Resources Agency on Tuesday, combines the work of dozens of research teams and will lay the foundation for a climate change adaptation strategy for the state, due out by the end of ...

California on course for renewable energy UPI.com California's mandated target set in 2003, known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard, says utilities must average 20 percent renewable energy in the power they sell customers from 2011-13, increasing to 33 percent by 2020. From 2003-11, California ...

JPMorgan Chase denies manipulating California's electricity market Sacramento Bee Energy trader JPMorgan Chase & Co. denies charges that it manipulated California's electricity market for extra profit. The Wall Street giant calls itself the victim of strong-arm tactics by state officials – and is demanding that they return millions ...

Two California Projects Selected for Transformational Energy Storage Research ... ScoopSanDiego.com The Department of Energy today announced that 19 transformative new projects will receive a total of $43 million in funding from the Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to leverage the nation's brightest scientists, engineers ...

Emanuel Deflects Solyndra Questions to White House NBC Chicago (blog) When asked about the California-based green energy company that filed for bankruptcy after receiving a massive government loan, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said it's not a topic that concerns him and quickly pivots the discussion to city issues he finds more ...

Power purchase agreement brings solar energy to Coconut Island UH System Current News A power purchase agreement recently signed between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and San Mateo, California-based solar energy company SolarCity will provide renewable solar energy to the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology on Coconut Island for ...

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• CPUC says California is meeting and exceeding renewables target
• California Utilities Exceed Renewable Power Goals
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Yucca Mountain

Court Weighs an Order on Nuclear Waste Site in Nevada New York Times WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court indicated Friday that it would issue an order for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to resume an evaluation of a possible nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, a volcanic ridge in the Nevada desert, unless ...

Court seeks signs from Congress on Yucca Las Vegas Review - Journal In five pages of discussion that accompanied the order, judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia indicated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission defied federal law when it suspended work on a Yucca Mountain license application in 2010.

Appeals court puts off ruling on Yucca Mountain The Associated Press Appeals court puts off ruling on Yucca Mountain. By By FREDERIC J. FROMMER – 1 minute ago. WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court has put off deciding whether to force the government to act on a license for a proposed nuclear waste dump in Nevada.

Is Harry Reid a racist? Power Line (blog) With the Huffington Post's complicity, Reid tries to make it appear that his outrage stems from Magwood's alleged failure to keep his word that he would oppose storing nuclear material in Yucca Mountain. But Reid and the friendly HuffPo reporter fail to make ... See all stories on this topic »

In ruling, judges confirm Washington state's main allegation in Yucca Mountain ... Access Washington “Today's order confirms that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission violated the law in dismantling the process for licensing Yucca Mountain,” said Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna. “While we are disappointed that the NRC was today not ... Court re-energizes fight for nuclear-waste repository The Seattle Times - ‎ Court re-energizes fight for nuclear-waste repository. Regardless of President Obama pulling the plug on a nuclear-waste dump in Nevada, a federal court said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is obligated to continue trying to license Yucca Mountain as a ... Court Weighs an Order on Nuclear Waste Site in Nevada New York Times - ‎ WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court indicated Friday that it would issue an order for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to resume an evaluation of a possible nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, a volcanic ridge in the Nevada desert, unless ... Yucca Mountain decision put off Mid Columbia Tri City Herald - ‎13 hours ago‎ Supporters of opening a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., see indications that an appeals court may order the project to move forward, even though the court issued an order Friday delaying a decision. The District of Columbia Circuit U.S. ... Court delays action on Yucca Mountain Greenville News - ‎14 hours ago‎ Yucca Mountain as a solution to dispose of the nation's stockpiles of nuclear waste — including tons of waste at Oconee Nuclear Station — has been on hold for years, but in the coming winter one court has signaled it could take action thawing the ... In ruling, judges confirm Washington state's main allegation in Yucca Mountain ... Access Washington - back. In ruling, judges confirm Washington state's main allegation in Yucca Mountain lawsuit. OLYMPIA – Although stopping short of ordering action for the time being, the United States Court of Appeals today agreed with Washington state and seven other ... Court seeks signs from Congress on Yucca Las Vegas Review - Journal - ‎Aug 3, 2012‎ WASHINGTON - A divided panel of federal judges Friday put off deciding whether to force the government to restart licensing for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site. A court order put the case on the back burner until December. In the meantime, one judge ... Court refuses to order Congress to spend last $10 million on Yucca Mountain Las Vegas Sun - ‎Aug 3, 2012‎ Court refuses to order Congress to spend last $10 million on Yucca Mountain. By Karoun Demirjian (contact). Friday, Aug. 3, 2012 | 12:02 p.m.. In a welcome reprieve for opponents of the nuclear waste repository, the federal appeals court will not force the ... US appeals court delays decision on Yucca Mountain licensing suit Platts - ‎Aug 3, 2012‎ US appeals court delays decision on Yucca Mountain licensing suit. Washington (Platts)--3Aug2012/1251 pm EDT/1651 GMT. The US appeals court on Friday said it will wait until Congress sets the fiscal 2013 budget before it decides whether to order the US ... Post-Yucca Mountain bill still a work in progress Las Vegas Review - Journal - ‎Aug 2, 2012‎ WASHINGTON - A new plan to manage thousands of tons of the nation's nuclear waste was unveiled this week by a senator who conceded it is very much a work in progress. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural ...

Boots and Oil: Review of 'SuperFuel' Thorium

Boots and Oil: Review of "SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy ... He began writing about Thorium in 2009. The book appears to have been published in late spring of 2012. The central theme to the book could be stated as an ... greg-bno.blogspot.com/.../review-of-superfuel-thorium-green....

Candu update 8/3

Candu expands cooperation with China World Nuclear News 03 August 2012. Candu Energy has signed an agreement with three China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiaries to expand their cooperation in the development of thorium and recycled uranium as alternative fuels for new Candu reactors. World Nuclear News
Candu reaches agreement with Chinese companies Mississauga It's a further evolution of the existing reactors that are optimized for use of recycled uranium and thorium fuel. "Candu is committed to customer-driven partnerships and innovation and we will continue to work closely with the Chinese regulator as well as our ...		Candu expands deal for alternative reactor fuels Canada.com - ‎Aug 3, 2012‎ Candu Energy Inc. said Thursday it has signed an expanded agreement with China National Nuclear Corp.'s subsidiary companies to continue work on using recycled uranium and thorium as alternative fuels for new reactors. The company said the 24-month ... Candu Energy Pursues new Reactor Sales in China Uranium Investing News - ‎Aug 3, 2012‎ Candu Energy Pursues new Reactor Sales in China. Friday August 3, 2012, 9:48am PDT. Globe and Mail reported Candu Energy Inc. is pursuing new reactor sales in China. As quoted in the market news: Mississauga, Ont.-based Candu Energy announced ...

15% nuclear option backed

15% nuclear option backed The Japan Times If the remaining reactors operate at 80 percent of capacity and no new ones are built, nuclear power would account for 15 percent of Japan's total energy supply. In fiscal 2010, the figure stood at 26 percent. "We should strictly check nuclear reactors and not ... The government must make energy scenarios more realistic The Daily Yomiuri In June, the government presented three scenarios on the ratio of nuclear power in the nation's energy sources in 2030, setting the ratio at zero percent, 15 percent or 20 to 25 percent. Aimed at overhauling the current basic energy plan, all of the scenarios ...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120805a2.html

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YOU'RE INVITED! Free nuclear webinar

YOU'RE INVITED! Free nuclear webinar
Wicked Local
In addition to insights into the challenges the post-Fukushima fixes present, the NRC meeting will be notable for the participation of two well known critics of nuclear power –

David Lochbaum, front, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, will make a presentation Tuesday during a live NRC webinar.

Read more: YOU’RE INVITED! Free nuclear webinar - Wareham, MA - Wicked Local Wareham http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/news/x1253626795/YOU-RE-INVITED-Free-nuclear-webinar#ixzz22bcfN9JR

Hamaoka No. 5 seriously contaminated with seawater

Hamaoka No. 5 seriously contaminated with seawater

by Will Davis

New interviews given by representatives of Chubu Electric Power Company and Japanese regulatory bodies now indicate that the previously announced seawater leakage into Hamaoka No. 5 and the resulting damage may be far worse than had previously been released or assumed.

On May 6, 2011, the Prime Minister requested that Chubu Electric shut down Hamaoka No. 4 and No. 5 reactors, which were operating at the time, due to seismic and tsunami considerations. Chubu agreed (and also agreed not to restart No. 3; the other two older plants are shut down permanently and decommissioning.)

During the May 14th shutdown of No. 5 plant, which is an ABWR type boiling water reactor rated 3926 MWt / 1325 MWe, there was a rupture of tubes in the plant's main condenser, which uses seawater on the secondary side. Chubu detected the seawater's ingress when conductivity measurements began to rise in the condenser and in the reactor. Following achievement of cold shutdown, Chubu entered the main condenser and discovered damaged tubes. Of course, Chubu had notified NISA immediately upon detection of the problem, and NISA has been involved ever since.

Chubu's investigation indicates that something over 400 cubic meters of seawater were added to the reactor system water inventory. A recent Reuters report is quoted as indicating about 5000 liters of seawater may have entered the reactor.

Seawater contamination in Hamaoka No. 5

 

http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com/2012/08/hamaoka-no-5-seriously-contaminated.html

 

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NEI Disappointed by Court Ruling on Petition Tied to Yucca Mountain Project

Nuclear Energy Institute FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

• Contact:202.739.8000
• For Release:August 3, 2012

NEI Disappointed by Court Ruling on Petition Tied to Yucca Mountain Project

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled today in Aiken County et al v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the case be held in abeyance for up to four months pending congressional action on fiscal year 2013 appropriations related to the federal government’s nuclear waste management program. Aiken County petitioned the court in 2011 for a writ of mandamus ordering the NRC to complete its review of the Yucca Mountain repository license application and issue a final decision approving or disapproving the application. The lawsuit was filed in response to the Department of Energy’s attempt to abandon the license application pending before the NRC on the proposed repository for used nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants and high-level radioactive waste from U.S. defense programs. Following is a statement regarding the court’s ruling by Ellen Ginsberg, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s vice president and general counsel.
“The nuclear energy industry is disappointed that the Court of Appeals did not take the opportunity to directly address the unambiguous statutory obligation imposed on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. However, it is noteworthy that both the concurrence by Judge Kavanaugh and the dissent by Judge Randolph agree that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has a clear statutory obligation under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Although he supported holding the case in abeyance, Judge Kavanaugh rejected the NRC’s bases for its action and opined the NRC ‘appears to have no legal authority to defy the law.’

“In his dissent, Judge Randolph describes the issue perfectly, consistent with the industry’s view, in stating that the court’s responsibility in deciding whether to order compliance with the law ‘has never depended on the possibility that a later Congress might do something to excuse the violation.’

“Like Judge Randolph, we believe the court should have acted under the current circumstances. As the judge stated, ‘There is no reason to delay issuing a writ of mandamus to correct this transparent violation of the law.’”

Nuclear Energy Insider: Safety Upgrade Strategies Unveiled for Post-Fukushima US Nuclear Industry

This October will see the US nuclear industry come together to hammer out implementation strategies in the $23.5 billion safety upgrade industry 

http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/8/prweb9754413.htm 

VICE ADM. RONALD M. EYTCHISON: Spent Nuclear Fuel is the Energy of the Future

Energy of the future is here

http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/08/03/energy-of-the-future-is-here.html 

Energy and Commerce Report Shines Spotlight on Solyndra Scandal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2012	CONTACT: Press Office  (202) 226-4972
In Case You Missed It… Energy and Commerce Report Shines Spotlight on Solyndra Scandal Watch Bret Baier’s coverage of the committee’s report HERE Obama admin. knew was cheaper to cut off Solyndra-Republicans The Obama administration ignored warnings from its own analysts to cut its losses on a $535 million loan to Solyndra, and instead restructured the deal, leading to bigger costs to taxpayers when the solar panel maker went bankrupt, Republican investigators said on Thursday. In its final report on its 18-month probe into the failed loan, the Republican-led House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee said the Democratic administration rushed into the deal, then helped keep the company going despite a series of red flags and explicit warnings. The 147-page report highlights analysis done by a financial analyst at the White House Office of Management and Budget who flagged early in January 2011 that the government would recover more of its money if it allowed the struggling company to go bankrupt instead of giving Solyndra another chance. Instead, the Energy Department restructured the loan, which put the government behind private investors in the eventual bankruptcy. … Read the full article online here. Solyndra Report: Obama Admin. Restructured Loan Because of PR Concerns Senior Obama Administration officials decided to restructure the government's half-billion-dollar loan to the California solar energy firm Solyndra even after government analysts had concluded it would cost taxpayers far less to allow the company to fail, according to a newly released report on the investigation into the Solyndra matter by House Republicans. The decision appeared to be made at least in part out of concern with how it would look if Solyndra -- the first recipient of government funds meant to spark growth in the nation's production of cleaner burning fuels -- went bust, according to the report, which quoted extensively from internal administration emails. … Read the full article online here. GOP probe: Solyndra a ‘cautionary tale’ A House GOP report capping a probe of the Obama administration's backing for Solyndra calls the solar firm's collapse a “cautionary tale” of political pressures and misguided policy leading to the loss of about a half-billion taxpayer dollars. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans on Thursday released a report on their investigation of Solyndra, the solar panel-maker that struggled after receiving a $535 million Energy Department loan guarantee in 2009 and went belly-up last year. “Solyndra is a prime example of the perils that come when the Federal government plays investor, tries to keep a company and industry afloat with subsidies and attempts to pick the winners and losers in a particular marketplace. Policy and political pressures inevitably come into play to the detriment of taxpayers, as it did with Solyndra,” states the 154-page report available here. … Read the full article online here. White House analyst warned saving Solyndra could cost more than letting it fail As the Obama administration moved last year to bail out Solyndra, the embattled flagship of the president’s initiative to promote alternative energy, a White House budget analyst calculated that millions of taxpayer dollars might be saved by cutting the government’s losses, shuttering the company immediately and selling its assets, according to a congressional investigation. Even so, senior officials in the White House’s Office of Management and Budget did not discourage the Energy Department from proceeding with its plan to restructure a federal loan to Solyndra — a move that put private investors ahead of taxpayers for repayment if the company closed, the investigation by Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee found. … Read the full article online here. ### Energy & Commerce Online | Press Release Permalink

China Energy Update 8/3

CNOOC-Nexen deal seen helping China's South China Sea thrust Reuters The acquisition of Nexen (NXY.TO) -- which faces reviews by both the Canadian and U.S. governments -- will not be an instant game changer, however, because deepwater technology will take years for China to master, say experts on China's energy sector.
Endgame looms for Sinopec, ENN's $2.2 billion China Gas bid Reuters HK) and ENN Energy Holdings are finding the odds increasingly stacked against them in their $2.2 billion bid for China Gas Holdings (0384.HK) as regulatory hurdles remain uncrossed and key shareholders of the target company place new obstacles in their ... See all stories on this topic »
China: Google's Android Leads the Smartphone Market; Olympic Badminton ... Minyanville.com Sinopec and ENN Energy's $2.2 billion bid for China Gas was announced in December, but it still has not received anti-monopoly approval from China's Ministry of Commerce, or MOFCOM. The regulatory approval was one of the preconditions laid out in the ...
Does Canada need an energy champion? Equities.com It's not a strategy peculiar to China. Across the world, major oil-producing countries beef up and are biased toward domestic producers even if they allow foreign players to enter the market. Leaving OPEC producers aside, even the Western energy-producing ...
Argentina looks to China to fund shale oil UPI.com BUENOS, Argentina, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Frustrated in its attempts to draw Western investors into Spanish oil company YPF it nationalized in April, Argentina is looking to China to fund its future plans to produce shale oil and natural gas. Argentina ranks behind the ...
Cnooc Ltd: Unit Signs Pact on Clean Energy Development Fox Business ... China's largest offshore oil producer, said Friday its wholly owned unit signed an agreement with China United Coalbed Methane Corporation Ltd, or CUCBM, on exploration, development, production and sale of coalbed methane, a type of clean energy ...
Hawaii's Kahuku Wind Farm Is An Industry Pioneer, Despite Fire Setback Huffington Post A picture taken on November 5, 2009 shows cars and people passing near wind power turbines in Dali, in the China's southwestern Yunnan province. In energy-hungry China's southwestern Yunnan province, power is being produced at wind farms, dams ...
China Seeks New Technology in Oil Deal Voice of America This is just the latest in a series of Chinese foreign investments that are helping fuel China's rapid economic growth and increasing energy supplies. But the latest Chinese move is raising concerns in the U.S. Congress. Tar sands projects run by Nexen are ...
China may buy Canadian oil — thanks to Obama Baltimore Sun When President Barack Obama blocked the Keystone XL pipeline, Republicans said the move would encourage Canada to pursue oil deals with China instead of the United States and cede a massive chunk of North American oil assets to the communist ...		RealClearEnergy - China's Overseas Energy Investments Last week's bid of $15 billion by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation for Nexen, Inc., the Canadian shale oil developer, has prompted the Heritage ... www.realclearenergy.org/.../chinas_overseas_energy_investme...

[Ajisai] Protest started “Against Tanaka, the new chairman of nuclear

[Ajisai] Protest started “Against Tanaka, the new chairman of nuclear ...
By Mochizuki
[Ajisai] Protest started “Against Tanaka, the new chairman of nuclear regulatory commission”. Posted by Mochizuki on August 3rd, 2012 · No Comments. Ajisai protest on 8/3 has started. Today, they added the new comment to yell, “Jinjian ...
Fukushima Diary

Appeals court puts off ruling on Yucca Mountain as nuclear dump

Yucca Mountain Waste Site Ruling Put Off by Appeals Court Businessweek “Here, the law mandates that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission act on the license application, and the agency still has a significant amount of appropriated money available to at least begin that task,” U.S. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh said in a statement ... See all stories on this topic »
Appeals court puts off ruling on Yucca Mountain as nuclear dump Washington Post The NRC cited “budgetary limitations” imposed by Congress in approving the shutdown. The court on Friday ordered updates by Dec. 14 about congressional action on the commission's budget for 2013. Judges Merrick Garland, a Democratic appointee, and ... See all stories on this topic »
Appeals court puts off ruling on Yucca Mountain Fox News A U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia panel won't rule before year's end on whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must act on a license for the Yucca Mountain site. The dump's supporters argue NRC broke the law last fall by letting the ...		Court seeks signs from Congress on Yucca Las Vegas Review - Journal - ‎ WASHINGTON - A divided panel of federal judges today put off deciding whether to force the government to restart licensing for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site. A court order put the case on the back burner until December. In the meantime, one judge ... Court refuses to order Congress to spend last $10 million on Yucca Mountain Las Vegas Sun - ‎ Court refuses to order Congress to spend last $10 million on Yucca Mountain. By Karoun Demirjian (contact). Friday, Aug. 3, 2012 | 12:02 p.m.. In a welcome reprieve for opponents of the nuclear waste repository, the federal appeals court will not force the ... US appeals court delays decision on Yucca Mountain licensing suit Platts - ‎ US appeals court delays decision on Yucca Mountain licensing suit. Washington (Platts)--3Aug2012/1251 pm EDT/1651 GMT. The US appeals court on Friday said it will wait until Congress sets the fiscal 2013 budget before it decides whether to order the US ...