January - Please scroll to bottom for previous months or years.
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China Coal Crunch Expected to Worsen (posted 01/31/05)
China's coal shortage is expected to worsen this year in the face of increasing demand, the China Daily reported on Friday, as it struggles to clean up the world's deadliest mining industry.
Colorado Power Plant to Co-Fire Biomass (posted 01/31/05)
"Using the biomass at the power plant is an environmentally friendly alternative and transforms a traditional waste stream to a fuel source. "
"Dangerous" Global Warming Possible by 2026 - WWF (posted 01/31/05)
World temperatures could surge in just two decades to a threshold likely to trigger dangerous disruptions to the earth's climate, the WWF environmental group said on Sunday.
Employees work to revive Athens, Ala., nuclear reactor by 2007 (posted 01/31/05)
Two decades after TVA's oldest nuclear reactor was shut down because of safety concerns, nearly 2,500 contract and staff employees are working around the clock here to revive the idled unit by May 2007.
Environmentalists Sue Feds To Stop Mining Companies from Dumping Mountain Tops into Valleys (posted 01/31/05)
Environmentalists have sued the federal government in an attempt to stop coal mining companies from lopping off the tops of mountains and dumping the rocks and dirt into valleys.
Environmentalists Sue To Stop Logging of Sequoias (posted 01/31/05)
Environmentalists sued the federal government Thursday over plans to log in central California's Giant Sequoia National Monument, home to two-thirds of the world's largest trees.
General Motors to Triple Fuel Cell Vehicle Test Fleet (posted 01/31/05)
The automaker hopes to operate a fleet of 40 fuel cell vehicles, powered by hydrogen, by 2008
Genoil Hopes Hydrogen to Boost Energy from Oil
Many energy analysts believe hydrogen fuel cells will play a big role in the future as an alternative energy in an increasingly fuel-needy world.
Intensive Hands-On Solar Electric Design & Installation Workshop
Globalization Activists Debate IMF, World Bank (posted 01/31/05)
There has been change. We are much more attentive to the question of growth and to the question of poverty reduction
Indian Village Beats Tsunami with Tree Power (posted 01/31/05)
On Dec. 26, as the killer tsunami struck down thousands of people and homes in Tamil Nadu state, the casuarina and eucalyptus trees which had been planted to appease the weather gods saved the lush green village of Naluvedapathy.
Iraqi crude production stood at 2.11-mil b/d last week: US (posted 01/31/05)
These figures compared with a post-war production high of 2.67-mil b/d and remain below the Iraqi oil ministry's target output level of 2.5-mil b/d, the report said.
Japan, Canada Should Link to EU on CO2 - Analyst (posted 01/31/05)
Japan and Canada should link up to the European Union market for greenhouse gases as the best way to meet their pledges under a UN scheme for fighting global warming, a leading analyst said on Friday.
Japan Military Medical Teams Battle Mosquitoes in Aceh (posted 01/31/05)
Japanese teams fanned out from their base in Aceh on Saturday to spray ditches and pools of stagnant water as the country's relief operation in Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged province reached full strength.
Nissan Chief Says Hybrid Cars Make No Sense (posted 01/31/05)
said on Saturday that building fuel-sipping hybrid vehicles makes little sense in today's world because of their high costs.
Nuclear body bares candidate sites for radioactive waste disposal (posted 01/31/05)
The semi-governmental Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute on Friday disclosed the names of 25 sites that its predecessor selected in the late 1980s as candidates for the disposal of highly radioactive nuclear waste.
OPEC Sees No Harm From $50 Oil, Holds Output (posted 01/31/05)
OPEC producers agreed on Sunday to keep output limits on hold, convinced that oil prices near $50 a barrel are not stifling world growth.
Outdated price band goes, quotas rolled over (posted 01/31/05)
OPEC ministers meeting in Vienna Sunday agreed to suspend their existing price target of $22-28/bbl and leave crude output quotas unchanged for the time being, encouraged by the global economy's apparent ability to cope with higher oil prices.
Plan to Keep EU Farmers on Land May Snag (posted 01/31/05)
Countryside funding under the mammoth EU farm budget has yet to be set for the 2007-2013 financing period, although limits on so-called market measures like subsidies are already fixed.
Power Plant Measure Hits Snag (posted 01/31/05)
Ambitious legislation to set up a new way to finance power plants in Idaho ran into friction Wednesday in a House committee, but backers say they still think it can succeed.
Reader Response Forum: "The West Wing" Tackles Ethanol (posted 01/31/05)
Here's your chance to chime in. "King Corn," this week's episode of "The West Wing" was largely based on ethanol -- and it wasn't a flattering portrayal either.
Refusal to Raise Bills Pays Off for Scottish & Southern (posted 01/31/05)
UTILITY group Scottish & Southern Energy has netted around 300,000 new customers since August, having refused to hike bills despite soaring oil prices, an influential committee of MPs heard yesterday.
Safety Fears Shut Nuclear Plants (posted 01/31/05)
TWO nuclear power plants supplying more than half of Scotland's electricity are to be shut down for repairs.
Strong Opinions Aired Over Wind Farms (posted 01/31/05)
New Zealand
PASSIONATE views from both sides of the wind farm debate have been aired to a Wellington City Council committee aiming to set development guidelines.
Student Wins Prestigious Award for Ocean Energy Invention (posted 01/31/05)
won the $100,000 Grand Prize scholarship in the individual category for inventing the "Gyro-Gen," a gyroscope that converts ocean wave energy into electricity.
Venezuela, China ink raft of energy agreements over weekend (posted 01/31/05)
Venezuela and China over the weekend signed a number of cooperation agreements that would significantly boost China's presence in the OPEC nation's oil industry.
Wind Power, Biogas Fuel Livestock Facility (posted 01/31/05)
Pigs never looked so friendly before. Environmentally friendly that is. Colorado Pork, a concentrated animal feeding operation in Lamar, Colorado, has wind energy and waste to energy technology at the facility to help power the company's operations.
Energy Bills First Step in Emissions Plan (posted 01/28/05)
MAINE: The plan's 54 detailed policy recommendations are reflected in at least a dozen bills this session with more sure to come over the next few years.
Algeria Hit by Worst Snow in Half a Century (posted 01/28/05)
The heaviest snow in more than 50 years fell on the Algerian capital on Thursday, paralysing traffic, killing 13 people and isolating nearly a third of the North African country's provinces
One Dead, 83 Missing as Cyclone Hits Madagascar (posted 01/28/05)
About five or six tropical cyclones hit Madagascar every year. The island suffered its worst damage in decades last year when cyclones Elita and Gafilo struck in January and March, killing 295 people, ravaging crops and leaving 300,000 homeless.
ConocoPhillips, US Reach Clean Air Act Settlement (posted 01/28/05)
The US Department of Justice said Thursday ConocoPhillips , the largest domestic refiner, will pay a $4.5 million fine and spend $525 million to cut harmful air emissions from nine US petroleum refineries in seven states.
Scientists Say Valdez Spill Impacts Slow To Fade (posted 01/28/05)
Crude oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill still lingers in Alaska's Prince William Sound and nearby areas, with parts of the environment still far from recovery
Tax Credit Uncertainty Slowed US Wind Growth In '04 (posted 01/28/05)
The US wind energy industry grew at a slower rate last year because of uncertainty that its tax credit would be renewed, according to an industry group.
Would You Like a Slice of Bonneville's Power Pie? Get in Line (posted 01/28/05)
Like its sister agencies, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Western Area Power Administration, Bonneville was chartered by federal law to develop and manage its regional hydro system for the public benefit.
Bush Air Pollution Plan Up Against Deadlocked Senate Committee (posted 01/28/05)
Supporters of President Bush's air-pollution plan on Wednesday
renewed their push to win its enactment but appear to lack the votes to advance
it in the Senate.
One Month Later, Picture of Tsunami's Toll on the Environment Emerges (posted 01/28/05)
Though the forests that cover much of Aceh were left largely untouched by the Dec. 26 disaster, environmentalists fear these areas could be hurt in the rush to rebuild.
Small Town in Jungle Creates Dilemma for Authorities (posted 01/28/05)
said authorities were "negligent" in not stopping the occupations immediately and are now more vigilant against settlers. More than 5,000 people -- mostly loggers, farmers and ranchers -- have illegally occupied parts of the reserve for more than a decade
Senate Panel OKs Bush's Pick for U.S. Energy Secretary (posted 01/28/05)
The Republican-controlled Congress is expected to have enough votes to later this year give oil companies access to the Alaskan refuge.
Bill Introduced to Boost Water Supplies (posted 01/28/05)
Water Efficient Technology act (WET) today in the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives. The bill would raise $10-20 million annually to increase the productivity of the state's water supplies by fixing leaking pipes, funding infrastructure, water-efficient technology and other water projects.
Barring last-minute surprises, OPEC (posted 01/28/05)
With international crude prices still in the mid- and high $40s per barrel, it will be difficult for OPEC to justify any attempt to reduce production at its upcoming Jan 30 meeting in Vienna
Effect of Venezuela border closure (posted 01/28/05)
Traders were divided as to whether a diplomatic dispute between
Colombia and Venezuela could delay thousands of tonnes of Colombian coal from
reaching the US market.
Debate on waste management planned in France (posted 01/28/05)
a formal request to the National Commission on Public Debate to organize a debate this fall on "general options concerning management of high-level and long-lived (nuclear) waste.
Federal agency may appeal power plant OK (posted 01/28/05)
Federal wildlife officials are considering appealing a permit for a proposed power plant in Southern Illinois that they believe will harm the air at Missouri's Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.
Environmental group's study criticizes Manatee FPL plant (posted 01/28/05)
"Pollution on the Rise" study identified Florida Power & Light Co.'s Manatee plant as having the eighth-highest increase in sulfur dioxide output and the 10th-highest increase in carbon dioxide emissions from 1995 through 2003.
Canada's Richway to invest 2 bln yuan in China power plants (posted 01/28/05)
Canadian energy company Richway Group has signed an agreement with the government of northwestern China's Shaanxi province to invest 2 bln yuan in four new power plants in Xi'an which will be fueled by crop straw
'Green Tags' Support Wind Farm Development (posted 01/28/05)
A green tag is proof that a unit of electricity, for instance, one megawatt-hour, has been generated from a renewable energy source.
Wisconsin-Based Utility Expands Green Energy Portfolio (posted 01/28/05)
JUST as a wise investor maintains a diverse investment portfolio, a successful utility needs to make certain that it has a diverse portfolio of generation sources,
DOE Completes Testing of Four NEVs from GEM (posted 01/28/05)
Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEVs)
Each vehicle required less than seven hours to fully charge using a standard household outlet. Each GEM went a distance of between 5.4 and 5.9 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which means that the fuel costs were less than two cents per mile.
National Home Builders Association Unveils New Green Home Guidelines (posted 01/28/05)
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has unveiled new voluntary guidelines to help mainstream home builders to incorporate environmental practices into every phase of the home building process while putting a priority on housing affordability.
Protonex to Demonstrate NGen Fuel Cell Power System (posted 01/28/05)
In this industry first product demonstration, Protonex will demonstrate its 30 W portable fuel cell power system that is fully integrated with a chemical hydride fuel cartridge. The cartridges are easy to replace and have three times the stored energy of conventional military batteries.
Iceland promises to break dependence on oil and gas with hydrogen (posted 01/27/05)
Hydrogen, tested in buses from Amsterdam to Vancouver and used in the rockets of the US space shuttle, is a clean power that promises to break dependence on oil and gas -- at least in Iceland.
Attiyah believes natural gas to be the fuel of the future (posted 01/27/05)
Qatar's Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah said that the demand for energy will continue to grow mainly due to the increase in population numbers and general spread of prosperity especially in China, India and parts of Latin America.
Iraq signs first contract to develop oil field (posted 01/27/05)
The Iraqi Oil Ministry signed a $ 136 mm deal to develop an oil field in the northern city of Arbil, the first contract of its kind since the ouster of former President Saddam Hussein.
Saboteurs strike Iraq's oil industry on daily basis (posted 01/27/05)
Insurgents are carrying out at least one attack a day on Iraq's vital oil infrastructure, at times shutting down all fuel lines to Baghdad, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban said.
US ignored oil smuggling warning in light of UN oil-for-food program (posted 01/27/05)
The United States ignored warnings Iraq and Jordan were involved in large-scale oil smuggling outside the scope of the UN oil-for-food program in early 2003, a newspaper investigation reported.
Georgia could triple oil production in 2005 (posted 01/27/05)
The forecast is based on the readiness of foreign oil companies that work in Georgia to significantly increase investments in exploring and producing hydrocarbons in the country
India asks Iran to negotiate with Pakistan on gas pipeline (posted 01/27/05)
To give the proposal a concrete shape, a high-level delegation from Iranian petroleum ministry will visit New Delhi in February
US opposes Pakistan-Iran pipeline (posted 01/27/05)
Washington has asked Pakistani officials not to approve the gas pipeline project with Iran.
China calls for joint energy cooperation with Japan, Russia and South Korea (posted 01/27/05)
"By creating an energy cooperation framework in Northeast Asia, we can ensure a stable supply of oil and natural gas, as well as stabilize oil prices from the Middle East to Asia,
China believes Bohai Bay Basin may hold 20.5 bn tons of oil (posted 01/27/05)
Exploration teams believe the Bohai Bay Basin in northern China may hold 20.5 bn tons of oil reserves, enough to sustain the country's energy needs for a "considerable" time.
China to ease power shortage by 2006 (posted 01/27/05)
The power shortage in China may be short-lived. China's State Development and Reform Commission said it should be over by 2006.
The sleeping Asian giants have woken up (posted 01/27/05)
As the global economic engine heats up, especially in the Southern part of the globe, the issue of security in the energy sector is increasingly coming under focus.
Australia could power China into becoming world's second biggest economy (posted 01/27/05)
Australian natural gas deposits would be needed by China as its economy rivalled that of the US.
Venezuela pledges support for Chinese oil exploration (posted 01/27/05)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has pledged support for Chinese companies to take part in oil exploration and pipeline construction projects in his country.
US reviews oil supply relationship with Venezuela (posted 01/27/05)
The US is currently reviewing Venezuela's position as a leading oil provider following damage to its reputation as a reliable supplier during the presidency of Hugo Chavez.
Venezuela will no longer tolerate US interference (posted 01/27/05)
Rodriguez Araque told in Caracas that as far as Washington DC is concerned "it is intolerable that any foreign country should interfere in matters which are the exclusive responsibility of the government of Venezuela...
Venezuela to increase oil output by 66 % in 5 years (posted 01/27/05)
The United States is the largest consumer of Venezuelan oil, absorbing about 85 % of its export.
IEA’s short term US energy outlook (posted 01/27/05)
Consumer prices for heating fuels are relatively unchanged since the December Outlook, leaving projections for household heating fuel expenditures about the same as previously projected, despite continued warm weather in the middle of the heating season.
Hybrid's next step is good PR (posted 01/27/05)
Nine years after Toyota introduced the first gas-electric hybrid, automakers expect to sell 200,000 hybrid vehicles this year in the United States
US oil demand expected to climb in 2005 (posted 01/27/05)
Oil and gasoline prices surged well beyond record highs and the price of natural gas remained near seasonal highs throughout much of the year. America's hunger for energy, however, was not quenched by the higher prices as demand grew by more than 3 %, according to government data.
Plentiful jobs and good pay lure students back into petroleum industry (posted 01/27/05)
A resurgent interest in oil and gas careers may help avert a looming labour crisis in the energy industry. Students are flocking back to petroleum education programs, enticed by plentiful job prospects, handsome salaries and cash bonuses.
Shortage of commercial divers crimps continuance of Gulf oil flow (posted 01/27/05)
Three months after Hurricane Ivan tore through the Gulf of Mexico knocking over oil and natural gas platforms and burying pipelines under mudslides, a shortage of commercial divers is crimping the ability to get oil flowing again.
Alaska oil spill worse than feared (posted 01/27/05)
Up to 1.28 mm litres of thick fuel oil -- more than eight times the original estimate -- are believed to have leaked into the Bering Sea
We must reverse complacency over oil-spill management (posted 01/27/05)
Overall trade volumes are expected to double in the next 10 years. As corporate mergers in oil and shipping companies continue, spill-response contractors are following suit, downsizing capacity while risks increase.
US demand exceeds gas reserves in western states (posted 01/27/05)
An environmental group says the government's own research shows that natural gas resources in several Western states would satisfy national demand for only a short time.
North Dakota tribes protest off-reservation oil leases (posted 01/27/05)
the Three Affiliated Tribes at New Town wants to prevent oil development from disturbing religious and cultural sites.
Canada Worried by China Buying its Resources (posted 01/27/05)
Canada is concerned by the prospect of China buying up its natural resources firms and is reviewing tougher investment safeguards
Tightening Clear Skies Bill Would Kill It - Lawmakers (posted 01/27/05)
Any move by Congress to regulate carbon dioxide emissions would derail a controversial Bush administration plan to reduce other pollutants from coal-burning power plants, Republican lawmakers said on Wednesday.
Aquila to burn biomass in Canon City (posted 01/27/05)
Aquila's W.N. Clark Generating Station is undergoing a process that could help maintain the health of the state's national forests and reduce the toxic emissions from the coal-fired power plant.
Pennsylvania utilities may shut off heat without approval under new bill (posted 01/27/05)
An arctic chill had enveloped Western Pennsylvania in January 1976 when Sophia Easer's body was found in her house in the Pittsburgh suburb of Munhall. She had huddled beneath a rug, trying vainly to escape the sub-zero temperatures.
Low-income Texans could get help on electricity bills under legislation (posted 01/27/05)
Low-income Texans and those who fall behind in paying their bills could more easily get electric hookups or more easily prevent disconnections under legislation announced Tuesday.
Bill would convert waste products into energy sources (posted 01/27/05)
It’s a way to give farmers an outlet for the wastes that pile up on their lands and to reduce foreign energy imports
Chinese scientists to build first wave power station (posted 01/27/05)
Chinese scientists are working on the world's first wave power station, which can supply a small coastal village with electricity.
In Venezuela, clouds are forming over oil (posted 01/27/05)
Venezuela may be increasing tension in energy markets with decisions that are confounding international oil companies, but the government there says it is merely seeking more income and new markets for its oil.
Barring last-minute surprises, no OPEC cuts seen in Vienna (posted 01/27/05)
Comments from Kuwait, Iran, the UAE, Nigeria, Libya and Indonesia in the runup to the meeting suggest that OPEC will opt to maintain the current 27-mil b/d official ceiling until the Mar 16 meeting in Isfahan, Iran.
Iraq's oil ministry moves to develop Suba-Luhais oil field (posted 01/27/05)
The oil ministry awarded Jan 14 BP and Shell separate contracts for technical studies of the South Rumaila and Kirkuk oil fields, where the bulk of Iraq's crude reserves lie underground.
House plans to pass broad US energy bill by mid-February: Barton (posted 01/27/05)
The top US House member on energy issues Wednesday said the chamber should approve a comprehensive energy bill sometime in February.
Leaders Share Vision For Solar Power Future (posted 01/27/05)
Several Congressional lawmakers today embraced a proposal from U.S. solar energy manufacturers to speed the commercialization of solar electricity in domestic markets, putting the U.S. back at the forefront of the burgeoning photovoltaic (PV) industry.
California Group Aims to Stop Nuclear Power Plants' Relicensing (posted 01/27/05)
The group's goal is to change California law to prohibit the relicensing of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and San Onofre nuclear generating station near San Clemente.
Fitch: Another Strong Year Predicted for U.S. Coal Industry (posted 01/27/05)
While prices for coal vary depending on energy content, sulfur content, ash content, transportation costs, and dependability of supply, spot prices for coals mined domestically have increased anywhere from 75% to 30% over the year to record or near-record levels.
Acevedo: Govt. must redefine energy policy (posted 01/27/05)
The federal government will have to redefine its energy policy because there is not enough natural gas in Mexico and although we could be taking advantage of the Burgos Basin's huge potential, we are still importing this fossil fuel, said Energy Undersecretary José Acevedo Monroy.
CFE to offer internet through power lines (posted 01/27/05)
Mexico's State-owned power company Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) is close to completion of tests of power line communications (PLC) technology after two years work. This would allow users to access internet, voice and data traffic services through power cables.
Biodiesel Plant Backers Looking Outside Alamosa (posted 01/27/05)
The location has riled many South Side residents who maintain that their neighborhood is the dumping ground for projects that devalue their properties and endanger their lives.
Indigenous Peoples Claim Their Own Space (posted 01/27/05)
More than 300 million strong, the world's indigenous peoples are beginning to make themselves heard
Response Prevented Tsunami Deaths From Disease (posted 01/27/05)
The swift response to the Asian tsunami prevented a second wave of deaths from disease and malnutrition but the task of rebuilding is far from complete, a top UN official said exactly one month after the cataclysm.
French demand hits record 84,706MW Wednesday (posted 01/27/05)
France has been hit by a cold wave with temperatures falling six degrees below seasonal averages of the last 30 years
Spanish demand hits record 41,430MW (posted 01/27/05)
during the cold weather-induced demand surge and that the electricity system functioned normally and without glitches
Cattle Starve as Rainless Portugal Faces Drought (posted 01/27/05)
Portugal's driest January in a century threatens to bring on the worst drought in more than a decade.
Severe Drought in Ecuador Threatens Country's Power (posted 01/27/05)
Ecuador is going through the driest period in the last 40 years.
US Navy Surveying Waters Near Tsunami Epicentre (posted 01/27/05)
Singapore media have published reports saying the tsunami may have reduced water depths in the Aceh sea bed by as much as a thousand metres (3,000 ft). But some experts say such a massive change may not be plausible but that the sea bed likely changed.
Scientists Debate Climate Change Amid Stark Warnings (posted 01/27/05)
World scientists gather next week to discuss the climate change crisis threatening the planet amid stark warnings that the time for talking is over and action is urgently needed.
Gases Could Raise Temperatures 11 Degrees (posted 01/27/05)
Greenhouse gas emissions could cause global temperatures to rise by up to 11 degrees Celsius, according to first results from the world's largest climate modelling experiment.
Blair Calls on US to Take Climate Change Seriously (posted 01/27/05)
The United States, realising it cannot defeat global threats like terrorism alone, must cooperate to fight other planetary challenges like climate change, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday
Mexico's Pemex Reports 4th Pipeline Leak Since October (posted 01/27/05)
naphtha, a light hydrocarbon fuel used in the petrochemical industry, had leaked from a pipeline in Veracruz state
Early Settlers Made Australian Desert, Study Finds (posted 01/27/05)
Settlers who came to Australia 50,000 years ago and set fires that burned off natural flora and fauna may have triggered a cataclysmic weather change that turned the country's interior into the dry desert it is today
US Allows Drilling on Sensitive New Mexico Lands (posted 01/27/05)
The Bush administration has approved oil and natural gas drilling on federal lands in the Otero Mesa in Mew Mexico, despite pleas from the state's governor and environmentalists to protect the desert grassland from energy exploration.
Ford Agrees to Sell Two Electric Trucks to Lease Holders (posted 01/27/05)
electric vehicle activists characterized it as a symbolic victory for non-polluting cars and trucks in California, and urged Ford to resume its discontinued electric vehicle program.
Climate change crisis in 10 years – claim (posted 01/25/05)
A report published today by the International Climate Change Task Force has warned that climate change will reach a critical and irreversible state within 10 years unless immediate global action is taken to reduce emissions, prompting fresh calls for transport and energy policy reviews by green groups.
Mystery oil spill ‘worst since Prestige’ (posted 01/25/05)
Wildlife experts carrying out a rescue operation along the Southern Californian coastline after a mystery oil spill claim that the incident is the most serious for seabirds since the notorious 2002 Prestige disaster off Spain.
Ford relents to EV protest (posted 01/25/05)
Ford has agreed to sell its Ranger EV (electric vehicle) models to protesting owners, after a week-long campaign by the Jumpstart Ford coalition.
Energy transportation firm penalized $500,000 for Ariz. pipeline rupture (posted 01/25/05)
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners will pay a $500,000 civil penalty for environmental damage caused by a July 2003 gasoline pipeline rupture in Tucson, Ariz., the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality said.
Liquefied natural gas gains as U.S. import (posted 01/25/05)
Once or twice a week, a tanker unloads millions of gallons of frosty liquid at a terminal on the Chesapeake Bay, bringing to the United States a fuel that many economists believe will help temper energy prices in the coming decades.
Recent Worldwide Earthquake Activity (posted 01/25/05)
Go for one week's ride on the Earth.
Make global warming an issue (posted 01/25/05)
Re-print, originally Posted on Mon, Mar. 15, 2004
Walter Cronkite
The contempt of the Bush administration for environmentalists and their concerns is well known by now. While evidence of man- made environmental damage mounts, the Bush team resists its implications like a defeated army whose rear guard fights off its pursuers as it retreats.
Iraq's SOMO sees 2005 minimum crude export level of 1.5-mil b/d
Iraq aims for a sustainable average export rate of 1.7- to 1.75-mil b/d for 2005, but ongoing attacks against the country's besieged pipeline network and technical problems may hamper Iraq's export target goals
Tankers delayed by up to ten days at Iraq's Basra Oil Terminal
Iraq can export slightly above the 80,000 bbl/hour level. "The pipelines cannot handle higher levels," the agent said.
Kuwait says "good possibility" OPEC will cut output in Q2
Kuwaiti oil minister and OPEC President Sheikh Ahmed Fahed al-Sabah said Wednesday maintaining the OPEC ceiling when ministers meet Jan 30 would send a "positive signal" to markets but there was a strong possibility the group would cut output in March.
China's Dec crude imports set new record high of 12.1-mil mt
The country's strong demand for oil has pushed overall crude imports volume for 2004 some 34.66% higher from a year earlier to a new record high of 122.72-mil mt
US senator reintroduces bill to outlaw power market manipulation
Cantwell, who has been a particularly vocal critic of Enron Corp's trading practices in Western wholesale power markets during the region's 2000-2001 energy crisis, said her bill--Electricity Needs Rules and Oversight Now (ENRON)--would broaden language contained in last year's failed comprehensive energy bill
U.S. Electric Transmission System Must Be Upgraded to Meet Consumer Demands
results of a consensus strategy to improve the nation's electricity transmission system
Leak at Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant Was From Non-Radioactive Source
Plant operators shut down the Fermi 2 reactor about 4:20 p.m. Monday after discovering that cooling water was leaking into the containment structure -- a steel and concrete structure that surrounds the steel reactor vessel.
Officials to feds: Reject LNG plant
Building a liquefied natural gas terminal on the waterfront in Fall River would pose serious safety, homeland security and environmental hazards, local officials and members of Congress told federal regulators yesterday.
Foes bring LNG fears to Washington
A key federal regulator assured Massachusetts officials yesterday that no decision has been made on a request to build a liquified natural gas terminal in Fall River and that safety concerns will weigh heavily when his agency makes its call.
Challenges and Opportunities for New National Energy Appointees (posted 01/25/05)
"There's no question that the senior Administration and Congressional advisors don't want to hear the expanded options -- the Secretary of Energy's job is to continually bring these options to the table for consideration."
Biodiesel to Grow in 2005 With New Tax Incentive (posted 01/25/05)
"Because it can be used in today's diesel vehicles, biodiesel offers a seamless transition to a cleaner burning American fuel immediately."
Strong Response for Nevada Solar Incentive Program (posted 01/25/05)
Nevada's statewide program to encourage the use of solar energy is getting an enthusiastic response. In fact, applications continue to pour in requesting almost a full MW of solar power.
Partnership for Bacteria-Derived Hydrogen (posted 01/25/05)
Through the Department of Energy, the Bush Administration has appeared more interested in producing hydrogen through "clean coal" or nuclear power, but that inclination hasn't stopped a variety of proposals from making themselves heard.
U.S. Solar Industry to Unveil Solar Road Map (posted 01/25/05)
Next week, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the U.S. solar industry's main trade and lobby group will unveil a report detailing what current industry leaders are proposing to expand the nation's use of solar energy.
SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY OUTLOOK #05- 4 (posted 01/25/05)
category G4 (severe) geomagnetic storms occurred on 21 January, all due to clouds of magnetic material from solar flares on the Sun that impacted Earth.
2005 - Oil Shocks & Greening Need More Agile Billing? (posted 01/25/05)
2004 saw two events that will have profound implications on the operations of retailers.The Unplanned Failure of Aging Power Transformers is Imminent (posted 01/25/05)
Many of the largest and most costly groups of assets in the electric utility sector are likely going to die in the next 5 years or so.
Supercapacitors: Novel High Octane -- High Protein Elements in Electric Energy Storage (posted 01/25/05)
In 2001, the Energy Storage Council ESC was founded as a unified voice in Washington D.C. and key state capitals for the energy storage community.
LNG: Just Say Maybe (posted 01/25/05)
The vast majority of new power plants coming on line today are fueled by natural gas, the cleanest of fossil fuels. But prices for this fuel have more than doubled over the past few years because drilling for new supply has been hampered by a variety of factors, including the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) syndrome.
OPEC unlikely to adjust output if prices stay firm: Iran official (posted 01/25/05)
If the upward trend in crude oil prices continues and reserves are in a favorable condition, then the possibility of a change in the ceiling is very small
US senator seeks probe into California heavy crude oil prices (posted 01/25/05)
US Sen Dianne Feinstein (Democrat-California) Monday asked the US Government Accountability Office to investigate why the price differential between California crude and benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude has grown since September 2004, and to see if market manipulation was the cause.
San Antonio Power Line Suit 'is a Certainty' (posted 01/25/05)
The debate over the route for City Public Service's Cagnon-Kendall power line is far from over, despite the City Council's 6-4 vote early Friday giving CPS permission to begin acquiring the easements.
Nevada Governor to Push for Energy Programs (posted 01/25/05)
An energy conservation study released this month implies that Gov. Kenny Guinn will ask the state Legislature to adopt aggressive energy conservation measures this year.
Hybrids in carpool lane raise red flags (posted 01/25/05)
There is growing angst over the hybrid-carpool issue, after a recent study in Virginia where hybrids have clogged the carpool lanes in the suburbs around Washington, D.C., to the point of rendering them useless.
Demolition of buildings at Hematite could start this year (posted 01/25/05)
the company is in the process of packaging 1,100 cubic yards of uranium-contaminated soil from the grounds of the former processing plant
Con Edison Sets New Records for Winter Electric Use (posted 01/25/05)
On January 22, a new Saturday peak-load record of 7,934 megawatts was reached, followed by a new Sunday record of 7,846 on January 23. Both days eclipsed marks established last winter.
Utilities crack down on electricity theft (posted 01/25/05)
Stealing electricity from an electric utility is a surprisingly common crime. Navigant Consulting Inc. of Chicago estimates that power theft, often via meter tampering, totals about $6-billion a year in the United States - more than bank robberies, jewel thefts and shoplifting combined.
China moves to open oil exploration to private firms (posted 01/25/05)
The move should pave the way for more private investment in energy, according to government officials.
Quakes Spark Panic; Japan Warships Arrive (posted 01/25/05)
Almost a month after the tsunami killed as many as 234,000 people across the Indian Ocean, a strong earthquake hit Indonesia's eastern Sulawesi island, killing one person, and a tremor rattled the provincial capital Banda Aceh, sending frightened tsunami survivors running into the streets.
Panel Urges US to Do More on Climate "Time Bomb" (posted 01/25/05)
An international panel of experts urged Washington on Monday to join other nations in a drive to avert the "ecological time bomb" of global warming.
Some Baltic Sea Fish Too Toxic to Eat (posted 01/25/05)
Some fish from the Baltic Sea may be too toxic to eat because of industrial poisons that are also harming wildlife from seals to eagles
Chirac Demands Measures to Save Animals, Plants (posted 01/25/05)
French President Jacques Chirac proposed on Monday creating a global network of experts to help save tens of thousands of endangered animals and plants from extinction.
Report Says Global Warming at Critical Point (posted 01/25/05)
Global warming is approaching the point of no return, after which widespread drought, crop failure and rising sea levels will be irreversible, an international climate change task force warned Monday.
Coalition Says Improved Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy are Better Options than Increased Natural Gas Production or Imports (posted 01/25/05)
heavily weighed towards natural gas as well as coal, oil, and nuclear power interests rather than towards the energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that are able to offer far better options for addressing the nation's natural gas crisis.
UN Storm Brews over Hurricane-Global Warming Link (posted 01/25/05)
Sea surface temperatures and rainfall averages have risen, he
said, which provides fuel for hurricanes.
"These are all factors related to global climate change and they're clearly
affecting the environment in which hurricanes are forming in
At Least 14 Killed as Kenyan Tribes Clash over Scarce Water Supplies (posted 01/25/05)
The fighting started Saturday when Maasai herders destroyed pipes used to pump water from a river into farms belonging to Kikuyu. The Maasai said the irrigation scheme denied them water for their livestock
Colorado Scientists Find Chemicals in Waters (posted 01/25/05)
Scientists have discovered that byproducts of such everyday activities as using anti-bacterial hand soap or zapping mosquitoes with bug spray are winding up in streams and groundwater from the Denver area to remote spots in the Colorado mountains.
Growing Demand for Liquefied Natural Gas Raises Safety Questions (posted 01/25/05)
For years, liquefied natural gas (LNG) was too expensive. It really was not needed. Even today, there are safety and terrorism worries, exaggerated or not, about shipments of the fuel.
Wal-Mart tries to get Louisiana open for C&Is (posted 01/24/05)
Competition, Wal-Mart argues, would lower C&I costs and benefit all electric customers by promoting more efficient generation while boosting the Louisiana economy.
Khelil says OPEC does not want oil price below $10, above $50/bbl (posted 01/24/05)
Algerian oil minister Chakib Khelil said Monday that OPEC would adopt a consensus decision at its next meeting in Vienna Jan 30 and while he could not predict the outcome, he believed the consensus would be in defense of a stable oil price.
Bad weather conditions close several Mediterranean ports (posted 01/24/05)
"Any delay would usually push the market up. Rates will
firm."
China eyes coal liquefaction to cut 10% oil import needs by 2013 (posted 01/24/05)
"The fluctuating international oil market has a negative impact on China's robust economy, thus making coal liquefaction even more important in terms of energy safety and China's sustainable development,
Two Utility Measures Are Gaining Support in Utah (posted 01/24/05)
Two bills that will ideally foster better competition for utility dollars cleared their first hurdles Friday.
Crop of Kilowatts; Corn-Fed Generator to Plug into Power Grid (posted 01/24/05)
Virent Energy Systems this spring will build a hydrogen generator that will supply a small amount of electricity to the power grid.
Lawmakers Hear of Struggle to Help Those Without Heat (posted 01/24/05)
Rhode Island Committee held the first in a series of hearings yesterday to look at how assistance can be given to poor families who cannot afford today's record-high energy costs.
Sales of hybrid vehicles doubled in 2004 (posted 01/24/05)
U.S. sales of hybrid cars and trucks nearly doubled in 2004, and industry analyst J.D. Power and Associates suggests that such growth will continue for a number of years.
Report Says Indiana Utilities Can Cut Mercury Releases into Air By 90 Percent (posted 01/24/05)
Indiana utilities easily could release 90 percent less mercury into the air by the end of the decade without huge rate increases, according to a report released Wednesday by a national environmental group.
Rising Coal Prices Are Pressuring Power Rates (posted 01/24/05)
The Holland Board of Public Works now pays 30 percent more than it paid a year ago for coal shipments for which it contracted for next spring and summer.
Russia Beefs Up Security at Nuclear Plant Near the North Caucasus (posted 01/24/05)
due to the deteriorating situation in the North Caucasus and the construction of a second generating set at the station
Nepal Set to Ratify Kyoto Protocol (posted 01/24/05)
Nepal is going to ratify the Kyoto Protocol since a country like ours can make a decent income through carbon trade by signing the protocol.
EPA, Navajo EPA Inspect, Cite Facilities for Underground Storage Tank Violations (posted 01/24/05)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency recently inspected nearly 50 underground fuel tanks sites in an effort to increase compliance and prevent petroleum releases to the environment.
Indonesia's Tsunami Death Toll Rises (posted 01/24/05)
But four weeks after giant waves killed as many as 234,000 people across the Indian Ocean region, workers are still pulling hundreds of bodies from the mud and rubble each day
Tanker Spills Oil After Hitting Vietnam River Pier (posted 01/24/05)
An oil tanker leaked thousands of tonnes of diesel oil into a river in Vietnam's rice basket Mekong Delta region but damage from the spill seemed limited after the remaining oil was transferred to other ships, state media said on Saturday.
Asian Quake Made Water Levels Jump in Florida Wells (posted 01/24/05)
The undersea earthquake that triggered last month's deadly tsunami in Asia caused water levels to jump by up to 4 inches (10 cm) in monitoring wells deep under Florida some 8,000 miles (12,800 km) away, scientists said on Friday.
Spain Rejigs CO2 Emission Plan in Favour of Coal (posted 01/24/05)
Spain has given extra pollution rights to coal-fired power stations at the expense of cleaner gas-fired plants in its final plan to limit carbon dioxide emissions
Iraq oil ministry to install security system for pipeline network (posted 01/24/05)
The ministry has issued a tender for a consultancy company to "design a system to protect the pipeline," the official said. The oil ministry had posted the tender for the system on its website, calling for engineering services to prepare a tender document for a security system for selected existing buried pipelines in Iraq.
Audit of grid owners surprises some (posted 01/24/05)
Less than two-thirds of gas and electric transmission providers are following the commission's Standards of Conduct as outlined in Order 2004.
Big power users in Texas still in dark over energy shopping (posted 01/24/05)
Power users are embracing competition but the shopping process still confuses many even after three years of having an open market in Texas
The Bush administration and automakers are touting fuel-cell vehicles as a nonpolluting technology, but engineers at the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment at MIT say the nonpolluting claim is not necessarily true.
ICAP plans found to cost much more than they (posted 01/24/05)
installed capacity programs of various designs add $19 billion/year to the cost of power and fail to deliver benefits cheaper market solutions offer.
Love That Dirty Water (posted 01/24/05)
(It Can Power Your Home)
A quarter of the people in the world still drink filthy water and live miles from electrical power; nearly half the world lacks sewage treatment. Environmental engineer Bruce Logan and his team at Pennsylvania State University are working to remedy all three problems at once.
Ford Unveils Mercury Meta One Hybrid Concept Car (posted 01/21/05)
a hybrid vehicle that uses a twin-turbocharged V-6 diesel engine to produce as much torque as a V-10 gasoline engine, but with much lower fuel consumption
GM Showcases Opel Astra Hybrid Concept Car (posted 01/21/05)
Opel Astra diesel front-wheel drive concept vehicle. Equipped with a two-mode full hybrid and 1.7-liter CDTI engine, the Opel Astra delivers up to 25 percent improved fuel economy while maintaining performance
2004 is Fourth Warmest Year on Record (posted 01/21/05)
"Climate of 2004 Annual Review" that the average global temperature in 2004 was 0.97 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average established since record keeping began in 1880.
Tire-burning power plant worries some Wilkinson County, Ga., residents (posted 01/21/05)
While some residents are excited about a new industry coming to Toomsboro, Carolyn Smalley is worried about the water.
SALAZAR CALLS FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY (posted 01/21/05)
Sen. Ken Salazar suggested Wednesday to the incoming secretary of energy that the rest of the nation would benefit from a law like the one in Colorado that requires utilities to use renewable energy.
Mobile risk 'lower with hands-free'
RADIATION from mobile phones could be cut in half by using hands- free kits, according to new research.
750-MW Colo. Coal plant given green light (posted 01/21/05)
Besides building the $1.35 billion power plant in Pueblo, Colo., under the agreement Xcel will meet its resource needs by issuing requests for proposals for fossil-fuel and renewable resources and energy conservation programs.
N.J. places moratorium on offshore wind (posted 01/21/05)
Codey issued an Executive Order on Dec. 23, stopping projects
from obtaining permits or financing from the state.
China, Canada issue statement on energy cooperation (posted 01/21/05)
The statement showed the commitment of the countries to increasing energy security and promoting environmental sustainability in the energy sector. The cooperation will cover energy issues including sources of supply, energy efficiency and new technologies.
Oil prices on a tightrope Agency warns of another possible surge (posted 01/21/05)
After last year's record-breaking rally, crude oil prices might surge again this year if global demand does not slow, because the world still lacks sufficient production and refining capacity
LNG Risk Takes Many Forms Besides Safety (posted 01/21/05)
there is often a dichotomy between perceptions and the actual risks associated with such projects.
Brazil seeks to double oil, gas exploration areas in eight years (posted 01/21/05)
Brazil, which hopes to reach self-sufficiency in oil-production as early as this year, could double the national territory open for exploration of oil and gas by 2013
OPEC ups call on own crude for 2005 (posted 01/21/05)
OPEC has raised its estimate of demand for crude produced by its own members in the second quarter of this year by 540,000 b/d to 27.68-mil b/d, the organization's Vienna secretariat said Friday in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report.
EIA pegs OPEC's 2004 earnings at $338-bil (posted 01/21/05)
OPEC earned $338-bil from its oil exports in 2004, $52-bil more than the amount forecast in June, and is set to earn $345-bil this year, according to the latest forecast from the US energy department's Energy Information Administration.
US BLM nets $8.1-mil from southwestern US oil, gas lease auction (posted 01/21/05)
The US Bureau of Land Management netted $8.1-mil in revenue Wednesday from the sale of oil and natural gas lease rights on 64 parcels totaling 33,234 acres in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma
Italy may re-examine nuclear power option (posted 01/21/05)
The Italian government may reconsider the nuclear option, 18 years after a nationwide referendum decided against the use of nuclear power. Berlusconi, speaking Thursday at the inauguration of a new 380kV interconnection with Switzerland
Terror fears emerge as roadblock to US LNG terminals (posted 01/21/05)
Heightened security concerns in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have focused on LNG more than on other potentially hazardous cargos, panelists at the Platts Natural Gas Outlook conference in Houston, Texas, said.
Russia starts work on development plan for northwest oil (posted 01/21/05)
The Russian energy ministry has begun drafting plans to develop hydrocarbons in the northwestern European part of the country where large oil and gas fields have been found both onshore and offshore in the Arctic Seas, the ministry said Friday.
Repository needed for growth of nuclear, Bodman says (posted 01/21/05)
DOE's repository project must move forward in order to have new nuclear power plants in this country, Energy Secretary designate Samuel Bodman said in response to a question during his confirmation hearing Jan. 19.
Nuclear Power Makes Comeback With Reactors Planned in Illinois (posted 01/21/05)
Decades after it was written off as a costly failure, the nuclear power industry is being revived with plans for new reactors in Illinois and other states.
UC-Davis researchers brief Senate on hydrogen economy (posted 01/21/05)
said that early on during the transfer to fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen would probably be obtained from hydrocarbons such as natural gas.
Xcel Pacts Go to Puc (posted 01/21/05)
Xcel Energy would keep electric rates flat for its voluntary wind- power customers and would pay credits to large customers who agree to power cuts during peak hours as part of proposed settlements with various groups.
Ford may reverse plan to scrap electric pickup trucks in California (posted 01/21/05)
Ford Motor Co. said it would meet today to discuss how to accommodate a handful of California drivers who are refusing to turn in their leased, electric-powered Ford Ranger trucks, which the carmaker wants to scrap.
30,000 households still without electricity in Sweden (posted 01/21/05)
Some 30,000 households in southern Sweden are reportedly still without electricity after last week's storms.
Astris Energi to Unveil New E7-Powered Golf Car (posted 01/21/05)
The silent running, emission-free E7 Generator contains two 900 W Astris' POWERSTACK™ MC250 alkaline fuel cell stacks, which provide the unit with 1.8 kW nominal power
SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY BULLETIN #05- 3 (posted 01/21/05)
**** STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND RADIATION STORM ****
A Study of NOx Reduction in Boilers at U.S. Power Plants (posted 01/20/05)
There are approximately 3,786 boilers listed by location in this database, including all boiler types
Aftershocks, Rising Waters Propel Andaman Exodus (posted 01/20/05)
Since Dec. 26, more than 6,000 people have left the islands by ship, many of them in fear after the earthquake off nearby Sumatra, the tsunami and more than 130 aftershocks.
Attendance swells at Oak Ridge, Tenn., energy museum (posted 01/20/05)
Attendance at the American Museum of Science and Energy rebounded strongly last year after a two-year downturn that followed the September 2001 terrorist attacks
Build Hydrogen Bioreactor for Affordable Alternative Energy Source (posted 01/20/05)
to develop a bioreactor which utilizes Infectech's patented bacterial culturing methods in order to produce hydrogen inexpensively.
Bush makes two recess appointments to NRC (posted 01/20/05)
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) science policy adviser Gregory Jaczko and Pete Lyons, the nuclear policy adviser to Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.)
Cogeneration unit debuts LSU plant example of cooperation (posted 01/20/05)
announced the program, along with the new LSU plant Tuesday, to highlight what the consortium can do to make strides in clean power generation.
Cut Sought in Pollution By Power Plants (posted 01/20/05)
Environmental and health organizations are rallying behind legislation that would force large, coal-burning power plants throughout Virginia - including one in Giles County - to reduce smokestack pollutants.
Deka Batteries Teams with Nuvera Fuel Cells to Develop Advanced Power Options for Industrial Trucks (posted 01/20/05)
will jointly develop a hybrid battery / fuel cell electric "engine" to power lift trucks and other off-road industrial vehicles used in the material handling and the airport ground support sectors.
DOE nominee Bodman would be 'energetic advocate' for opening ANWR (posted 01/20/05)
Bodman said his criteria for developing energy resources on federal lands is to "preserve the largest possible areas for environmental purposes while trying to seek out additional supplies of energy. It's always a matter of trying to strike a balance."
El Paso to Sell $500 Mln Asian Assets (posted 01/20/05)
U.S. energy company El Paso Corp., which has struggled with heavy debts since 2001, has decided to sell its Asian power assets to raise an estimated $500 million
Environmental, Indian groups ask TVA to preserve public lands in Tennessee (posted 01/20/05)
"The majority of people in this valley oppose this board's changing policy of selling public lands around these lakes for private development and private windfall profits
EU Takes Austria, Germany to Court on Environment (posted 01/20/05)
The European Commission said on Wednesday it would take Austria and Germany to the European Court of Justice for breaking environmental laws involving recycling of old cars, water protection, and accident prevention.
EU Commission Warns Italy Over Emissions Plan (posted 01/20/05)
The European Commission is sending a final written warning to Italy for failing to submit a complete national allocation plan for its emissions trading scheme
Global Tsunami Death Toll Tops 226,000 (posted 01/20/05)
The global death toll from the Asian tsunami shot above 226,000 on Wednesday after Indonesia's Health Ministry confirmed the deaths of tens of thousands of people previously listed as missing.
GM Joins with Sandia to Advance Hydrogen Storage (posted 01/20/05)
General Motors Corp. and Sandia National Laboratories have launched a partnership to design and test an advanced method for storing hydrogen based on metal hydrides.
Hordes of NGOs Overwhelm Tsunami Relief Effort (posted 01/20/05)
A massive world outpouring of aid to tsunami-stricken Aceh province in northern Indonesia had relief agencies tripping over each other in the rush to reach survivors but also helped stave off a larger disaster.
'Icebergs ahead' for US energy if action not taken, Abraham says (posted 01/20/05)
The US faces a host of energy challenges over the next decades, and some of those challenges are "not fully appreciated" by the American people or some lawmakers
IEA warns of likely renewed oil demand boom in 2005 (posted 01/20/05)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) Tuesday warned of a possible renewed oil demand boom in 2005 and is telling oil producers to be on their guard against unexpected events.
Internet through electrical outlets (posted 01/20/05)
thanks to broadband over powerline (BPL) technology, high-speed connections may soon be available to anyone with electricity.
Johnson Controls Creates Battery for Hybrid Vehicles (posted 01/20/05)
the new NiMH battery incorporates an advanced design that is targeted to meet the power needs of sport utility vehicles and hybrid models already on the market.
LNG Authority (posted 01/20/05)
Buried in the massive federal budget bill passed by Congress late last year was a provision to reassert the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's authority to site liquefied natural gas terminals.
Market Based Electricity Solutions Could Save U.S. Consumers $19 Billion Annually (posted 01/20/05)
Many regions of the United States have enacted or are considering the imposition of "generating reserve" or "resource adequacy" requirements to ensure higher electric reliability levels.
NASA Completes Massive Mapping Project (posted 01/20/05)
Culminating more than four years of processing data, NASA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) have completed Earth`s most extensive global topographic map.
Nigeria has no ambition to become nuclear power (posted 01/20/05)
the west African country is interested in atomic energy for peaceful uses, but she has no ambition to become a nuclear power.
Nuclear Fuel Plant Closer to Reality (posted 01/20/05)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled Tuesday that radioactive debris from a proposed nuclear fuel factory meet the legal definition of "low-level waste," a victory for the plant's supporters.
Remains of 4.5 Million Year-Old Human Ancestors Found (posted 01/20/05)
"It is a very important finding because it does confirm hominids walked upright on two feet definitely 4.5 million years ago,"
Successful Start-Up Pilot Hydrogen Power Plant (posted 01/20/05)
Installation and operation of the pilot-plant is the first step in the development of a 50 MW fuel cell power plant.
Supply concerns and winter snap in US drives crude price near dollars 50 (posted 01/20/05)
OIL prices surged to just short of dollars 50 yesterday - their highest levels since the end of November - amid plunging temperatures in the United States and growing fears of supply cuts.
Thai Cabinet Gives Nod to Biodiesel Plans (posted 01/20/05)
The cabinet yesterday endorsed strategies to develop biodiesel from palm oil and promote the use of biofuel in the next seven years to help reduce the country's reliance on oil import, strengthen national energy stability and add more incomes for the farm sector
The chips are down: Biomass power fuelled by crops (posted 01/20/05)
In two weeks, Torridge district council in Devon will decide whether a 23 megawatt biomass power station can be built on a disused airfield. If it passes planning, the project - known as Winbeg or Winkleigh biomass energy generator - will be fuelled by crops such as fast-growing willow, and should provide enough electricity for 23,000 homes.
UK is the Most Competitive Energy Market in Europe (posted 01/20/05)
Of the 6 largest European energy markets, the UK is the most competitive (both in I&C and residential supply), with the Netherlands moving in the same direction albeit with several years lag
US Forests Cost-Effective vs Global Warming -- Study (posted 01/20/05)
The cost of using forests to remove greenhouse gases from the air could be about the same as cutting pollution with fuel switching or energy efficiency improvements
US Cites Poor Water Quality on More Airliners (posted 01/20/05)
The US government has found for the second time in recent months that water from a sampling of commercial aircraft galleys and bathrooms was not safe for use, regulators said on Wednesday.
Visa has taken to facilitate seamless acceptance of Visa cards (posted 01/20/05)
The focus of the presentation is to educate utilities on the actions that Visa has taken to facilitate seamless acceptance of Visa cards within the industry to meet the growing consumer demand to make bill payments with a card.
AEC Takes Delivery of First E8 Fuel Cell Generator From Astris Energi (posted 01/19/05)
the E8 is targeted at stationary applications such as uninterrupted power supply, backup applications for commercial and military users, and emergency site power.
Armed Guard at Nuclear Stations (posted 01/19/05)
ARMED police are being permanently deployed for the first time at all of Britain's operating nuclear power stations to protect them from possible terrorist attack.
Bill Could Help State Tap into Renewable Energy (posted 01/19/05)
Wyoming
But the transition to renewable energy requires leadership and vision. That leadership could be embodied in a new, state-wide renewable energy commission under proposal this month in the state's legislature.
BP starts oil, gas output from US Gulf Mad Dog field (posted 01/19/05)
"It represents another major milestone for BP in the Gulf of Mexico and will contribute significantly to our production growth in the region"
Bush Plan Hinders Power Plant Cleanups (posted 01/19/05)
President Bush's push to revise the Clean Air Act sometimes has hindered enforcement of the existing law for cleaning up coal-fired power plants
Bush's nuclear policy renews optimism (posted 01/19/05)
there is evidence that, buoyed by the Bush administration, a nuclear revival could be coming.
Canada to increase investment in Indonesia (posted 01/19/05)
Canada will increase its investment in Indonesia with some of its investors already eyeing the energy, mining and transportation sectors
Car protest continues (posted 01/19/05)
“I am outraged by the termination of Ford’s electric vehicle program,” said Heather Bernikoff-Raboy. “The technology is practical and available now.
Caterpillar Sets Aggressive Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target (posted 01/19/05)
Caterpillar Inc.has pledged to reduce its global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 20 percent by 2010.
China builds up strategic sea lanes ; Out to protect energy sources (posted 01/19/05)
China is building up military forces and setting up bases along sea lanes from the Middle East to project its power overseas and protect its oil shipments
China to halt 30 power projects with excessive SO2 emissions (posted 01/19/05)
China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) might impose a freeze on some 30 thermal power projects with excessive sulphur dioxide emissions, including those run by major state-controlled power generators
Disaster Looms for Megacities, UN Official Says (posted 01/19/05)
Earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters could kill millions in the world's teeming megacities and time is running out to prevent such a catastrophe
Domenici's Nuclear Energy Book Is Sparking Interest (posted 01/19/05)
It seems the tome has sparked interest among policy wonks, energy associations and Washington-area think tanks.
Electricity Crisis Declared Over in Latvia (posted 01/19/05)
More than 6,000 customers of [national power supplier] Latvenergo are still without electricity in Latvia.
Environmentalists lay out legislative agenda (posted 01/19/05)
Some environmentalists today called for Texas lawmakers to take more steps to reduce pollution and protect public health.
Evergreen Solar and Q-Cells Partner on PV Facility (posted 01/19/05)
Not only are Germany's tremendous solar incentives sucking up worldwide solar photovoltaic module demand to the country, but they're drawing new jobs and manufacturing as well.
Exelon Takes Over Salem County, N.J., Nuclear Power Plants (posted 01/19/05)
Wall Street applauded Exelon's plan to expand its nuclear fleet, citing economies of scale, its track record in improving production capacities and the company's problem-solving ability.
Geography, Culture Dictate How LNG is Greeted (posted 01/19/05)
The energy industry considers LNG the next big thing as declining gas production in North America, along with rising demand, prompts the United States to look abroad.
Global Warming Melts Winter Joy at Top German Resort (posted 01/19/05)
Global warming is more than just a theory to Germany's most famous winter resort, where a worrisome shortage of snow in recent decades has forced the Alpine village to reinvent itself.
Government committee urges incentives for renewables (posted 01/19/05)
The government of Canada should develop and implement “appropriate incentives and supportive policies” for renewables, according to a senior committee of Parliament.
'Green Reconstruction' Vital in the Aftermath of the Tsunami (posted 01/19/05)
In the aftermath of the tsunami disaster, WWF, the global conservation organization, is calling on governments to support the devastated communities by ensuring that efforts to rebuild their livelihoods are environmentally sustainable.
IEA raises 2005 world oil demand growth forecast (posted 01/19/05)
World oil demand is now expected to average 83.87-mil b/d this year, an upwards revision of some 130,000 b/d from its previous forecast.
Indian oil minister says country holds huge oil, gas potential (posted 01/19/05)
India is keen to step up exploration work in India, as it imports 70% of its crude requirements.
IPE Brent rises sharply as impact of US cold weather takes hold (posted 01/19/05)
Crude futures on London's International Petroleum Exchange moved sharply higher on significantly colder weather in the US northeast and a more bullish than expected IEA monthly energy report
Election Begins to Worry Neighbours (posted 01/19/05)
Almost every day a regional leader speaks out in favour of the vote because the alternative could be worse.
Kyocera Begins Solar Panel Production in Tijuana (posted 01/19/05)
As energy prices continue to climb, more homeowners and businesses are turning to alternate power sources and finding a dependable one right overhead.
Mexican oil spill decimates habitats (posted 01/19/05)
An explosion at a facility on December 22nd led to around five thousand barrels of oil escaping into the Coatzacoalos river, since then widespread problems have been caused to wildlife habitats.
Mexican Authorities Order Gas Well Closed after Explosion, Spill (posted 01/19/05)
after it found the company had not gotten environmental impact and safety approval for the well, which exploded Jan. 11.
New British Biodiesel Plant Ready to Roll (posted 01/19/05)
Britain's newest biodiesel plant, capable of turning recycled cooking oil and animal fats into fuel for cars, is due onstream in Scotland this spring
NRC rules depleted uranium can be considered low-level waste (posted 01/19/05)
The NRC commission today handed LES a victory when it ruled that depleted uranium produced at the Urenco-led enrichment consortium's proposed New Mexico enrichment plant can be considered low-level waste.
Nuclear group pins hopes on GE reactor design (posted 01/19/05)
GE's Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor design, which also has never been built in the United States, is expected to be approved,
Outgoing Energy Secretary Proud of Yucca Mountain (posted 01/19/05)
Abraham hedged when asked if the department would meet its goal of storing radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain by 2010. But, he said, establishing a nuclear waste repository will pave the way for construction of the first new nuclear power plants in the United States in 30 years.
Pro renewable Bill introduced in UK (posted 01/19/05)
A Private Members Bill aimed at increasing the use of renewable sources in generating heat in the UK has been introduced, with the backing of an environmental coalition.
Increasing drought warning - study (posted 01/19/05)
The Earth’s land surface is drying up and many parts of the world are in danger of serious drought, according to a new study released this week.
Rain Needed in France to Replenish Ground Reserves (posted 01/19/05)
It said that rainfall levels had been below normal for the last four months in the north and west of the country
Renewables cannot meet growing energy demand alone (posted 01/19/05)
Current renewable technology alone cannot produce the vast quantities of electricity needed to meet the growing energy demand according to US energy secretary, Spencer Abraham.
Renewables is top concern for UN group (posted 01/19/05)
Increased use of renewable energies is a top concern for small island states around the world.
SCE Awards Record $4.3 Million for Photovoltaic, Self-Generation System (posted 01/19/05)
The program is a state-sponsored initiative developed to encourage the installation of new low- or zero-emissions, self-generation units throughout SCE's service territory
Solar: Torn Between an Industry and a Market (posted 01/19/05)
Compared with Japan and Germany, U.S. solar gains have been shallow. Moreover, relative to sales of U.S. conventional electricity, solar power pales in significance, its apparent rapid rise representing only incremental gains at the margins.
SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY OUTLOOK #05- 3 (posted 01/19/05)
category R3 strong (15 January) were observed due to significant
solar flare activity from active sunspot region 720.
U.S. renewables agency releases evaluation software (posted 01/19/05)
The U.S. Department of Energy has updated its software model that evaluates design options for green power systems.
UK and Spain lead in national attractiveness for renewables (posted 01/19/05)
The United Kingdom, Spain and the United States are the three top countries for potential in renewable energy investment.
UK gets final warning over wastewater (posted 01/19/05)
The UK has been issued with a final warning by the European Commission over its failure to apply regulations on the treatment of urban wastewater.
UK looks like net importer of gas in 2004 (posted 01/19/05)
It now looks like the UK was a net importer of gas in 2004, the transition coming a year earlier than industry had expected
US Gulf shut-ins from Ivan (posted 01/19/05)
Roughly 140,564 b/d of crude production and 558,690 Mcf/d of natural gas output in the Gulf of Mexico remained shut in as of Monday, four months after Hurricane Ivan tore through the region
Witheld Grant Fuels Dispute Between Energy Firm (posted 01/19/05)
Excelsior Energy's well-oiled plan for building a $1 billion coal-gasification electric plant in northern Minnesota has developed a squeak of sorts.
Scientists Watch For Antarctic Iceberg Collision (posted 01/18/05)
Scientists were watching on Monday for a collision between a giant iceberg and an Antarctic glacier, which could free up sea lanes to America's McMurdo Station and help penguins reach crucial feeding areas.
Home-Made Biofuels Are Best (posted 01/18/05)
Countries need to be producing their own biofuels such as ethanol because importing green energy can damage the environment, UK lobby groups say.
UN Unveils Action Plan to Save Millions of Lives (posted 01/18/05)
More than 500 million people can escape abject poverty, 250 million people will no longer go to bed hungry and 30 million children can be saved if rich countries double development aid over the next 10 years to $195 billion, a new UN-sponsored report said on Monday.
Key Recommendations in New UN Report on Poverty (posted 01/18/05)
Following are the main proposals issued on Monday from an advisory body the United Nations set up to help achieve its Millennium development goals.
Child Cancers Linked to Pollutants (posted 01/18/05)
Most childhood cancers are probably caused by exposure in the womb to environmental and industrial pollutants that have been inhaled by the mother
Toyota Europe Aims to Sell 20,000 Prius Hybrids in Europe (posted 01/18/05)
The head of Toyota Motor Corp's European marketing arm aims to beat projections by a third and sell 20,000 Prius hybrid cars in Europe this year.
Honda to Lease Fuel Cell Cars to Individuals (posted 01/18/05)
it will start leasing its pollution-free fuel cell vehicles on an individual basis in the United States by the end of the year
The Slow Trek toward Silicon Integration (posted 01/18/05)
as the technology moves forward, more and more of the functionality of isolated and non-isolated dc-dc converters would be integrated into silicon. At the time, we posited that this movement toward integration would eventually blur the line delineating power semiconductor manufacturers from power supply manufacturers.
Ford to Sell First Hydrogen Mini Buses (posted 01/18/05)
Ford sold a fleet of mini buses powered by modified internal combustion engines that burn hydrogen to the state of Florida. Deliveries will take place next year.
Perchlorate Safe at Higher Levels in Water, Panel Claims (posted 01/18/05)
Environmental groups are criticizing a new report that states perchlorate contamination is less dangerous than previously believed.
Tsunami Toll Tops 175,000, New Threat Warning (posted 01/18/05)
Asia's tsunami death toll soared past 175,000 on Monday as Sri Lanka confirmed thousands more dead, while fears re-emerged over the safety of aid workers in Indonesia's shattered Aceh province.
Stricken Areas Get Clean Water, Need Latrines Dug (posted 01/18/05)
With killer diseases such as cholera common to the region and lurking in the wake of the tsunami, international aid groups are coming through with plenty of clean water to the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami.
Marines Distribute Water, Supplies to Indonesians (posted 01/18/05)
Arriving almost a week ago, U.S. marines who were involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq now are playing a vital role in helping survivors of the December 26 earthquake and tsunamis in Indonesia.
Sri Lanka Looks to Animals for Tsunami Warning (posted 01/18/05)
Sri Lankan officials are looking to use animals in an early warning system for earthquakes and tsunamis, hoping to take advantage of the instincts that allowed wildlife to escape last month's giant waves virtually unscathed.
EPA Assistant Administrator Praises Safe Drinking Water Act (posted 01/18/05)
a long-term, voluntary effort to strengthen management of septic systems at the local level.
DOD Funding Available for Cleanup Technologies (posted 01/18/05)
The Department of Defense, through the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), will be funding Cleanup environmental technology demonstration and validation.
Draft of National Whole Effluent Toxicity Guidance Up for Comment (posted 01/18/05)
EPA has released its draft version of National Whole Effluent Toxicity Implementation Guidance for public review and comment for 60 days.
Program to Cut Water Use in Southern Nevada (posted 01/18/05)
The program calls for shaving 30% or more from the amount of water used in a typical home, a total of about 75,000 gallons per year for each new home.
Water Contamination Scare in Sacramento (posted 01/18/05)
the school received a non-threatening letter that said someone dumped a half bottle of Armor All, a cleaning product for cars, into a campus well.
EPA: Water System Security Still Lacking (posted 01/18/05)
A new EPA report warns that water utilities have installed computer-based control systems "with little attention paid to security," leaving valves, pumps and chemical mixers vulnerable to cyber-attack.
Automotive waste brought to stadium (posted 01/17/05)
They arrived at Qualcomm Stadium with their trunks and truck beds packed with jugs of thick, black oil and boxes of dirty filters and used car batteries. Some called themselves weekend auto mechanics disposing of their waste. Others were just tired of having old batteries and gallons of used oil sitting around the house or garage.
Chamber of commerce for oil industry set up in Beijing (posted 01/17/05)
Some 100 Chinese petrochemical and relevant enterprises recently launched a chamber of commerce for oil industry in Beijing.
China pushes oil diplomacy (posted 01/17/05)
Energy-starved China, forging ahead in its campaign to improve relations with a range of key oil states, hosts visits by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iraqi interim Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari.
China willing to further energy cooperation with Venezuela (posted 01/17/05)
China and Venezuela have carried out effective and fruitful cooperation in energy sector in recent years
China's energy demand rises by 15.1 % (posted 01/17/05)
China's energy consumption rose 15.1 % in the first 11 months of the year, boosted by strong demand from manufacturing industries.
Freighter cracks in half in 24-foot seas by Aleutian island (posted 01/17/05)
With 24-foot seas and 50-knot winds continuing to pound the Aleutian island where a soybean freighter cracked in half, officials could take only a few small steps toward cleaning up the massive oil spill left behind.
India and China say red tape staggers pollution reduction projects (posted 01/17/05)
India and China said red tape hobbles a United Nations plan to combat global warming by encouraging projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing nations.
India can deal with an emergency crisis of oil (posted 01/17/05)
India has made provision for strategic reserve of oil in view of volatility in the international oil market, but their locations are not to be made public in view of national interest
India is scouting for new sources of energy (posted 01/17/05)
Indian Government said it was looking for alternative sources of energy including tapping newer domestic ones for gas and trans-national pipelines for oil to bolster the energy supply.
Indian industry urges government to take steps to de-risk oil needs (posted 01/17/05)
The Indian industry wants the government to adopt a multi-divided approach to de-risk the country's oil needs by conserving energy, promoting alternative sources and building strategic reserves
India's romance with the United States is turning sour (posted 01/17/05)
The dynamics of the past five years may have reversed in South Asia: India's romance with the United States is turning sour while it is beefing up its relations with its old ally Russia.
Iran to comply with OPEC's decision to suppress extra output (posted 01/17/05)
Iran will comply with the OPEC's decision to suppress extra output and pump crude oil at its official quota.
Iraq targets 3.5 mm bpd oil production by late 2005 (posted 01/17/05)
Iraq hopes to produce 3.5 mm bpd of oil by the end of 2005
Japan to invest in gas test drilling in East China Sea (posted 01/17/05)
The Japanese government plans to spend some 23 bn yen in fiscal 2005 on preparations for exploratory gas drilling in Japan's exclusive economic zone neighbouring China's in the East China Sea
Judge administers for oil and gas royalties to be returned to native band (posted 01/17/05)
The federal government should give an Alberta native band about $ 350 mm in oil and gas royalties collected by the government over the past six decades, a judge said.
Kuwait to import Iraqi gas (posted 01/17/05)
Kuwait has agreed with Iraq to import up to 200 mm cf (5.6 mm cm) of Iraqi natural gas daily, in a deal eventually worth billions of dollars, a senior official said
Majority in US oppose ANWR drilling (posted 01/17/05)
Environmental groups warned Congress with poll numbers that claim a majority of Americans oppose oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Zogby International, a polling firm hired by the groups, said 55 % of Americans said "no" when asked whether oil companies should be allowed to drill in ANWR.
Market forces versus OPEC greed? (posted 01/17/05)
As a strategy for rescuing the plummeting price of a barrel of oil, OPEC's much touted production cut was about as much use as breaking wind over a field instead of using compost. Within a few hours of the cartel's announcement, oil plunged to its lowest price since August as the market laughed off the removal of 4 % of current output.
New Zealand ignores existence of underground reserves (posted 01/17/05)
The Petroleum Exploration Association said the Government's ill advised plan to force the oil industry to increase oil storage to create a 90 day oil security buffer completely ignores the fact that there are existing underground reserves in New Zealand and opportunities for further discoveries.
Oil production is falling in North Sea (posted 01/17/05)
The North Sea contains Western Europe's largest oil and natural gas reserves and is one of the world's key non-OPEC producing regions, but faces declining production after peaking in 1999.
Russia plays oil card as OPEC's influence fades (posted 01/17/05)
The US election has been called a choice of who will influence US foreign policy: the Saudi royal family or the "old European" political elites. In reality, of course, US ties with allies in the Gulf and NATO would remain an essential component of geopolitics irrespective of who won.
Russia to write off 90 % of Iraqi debt for possible oil stake (posted 01/17/05)
Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi arrived in Moscow on 6 December for two days of talks with Russian officials. Issues high on the agenda included the announcement that the Kremlin will write off about 90 % of Iraq's debt.
Russia reports on gas exports (posted 01/17/05)
Russia will produce 633.7 bn cm of gas in 2005. Gazprom will account for 547 bn cm, 5 bn cm above the target set forth for this year.
Gas exports to Europe will grow to 145 bn cm, 5 bn cm or 3.6 % above this year's target.
Saddam's illicit oil trade was no secret to US officials (posted 01/17/05)
Saddam Hussein was dead broke, the result of UN penalties. Or so it was thought. So where did he find the money to pursue missile technology from North Korea, air defence systems from Belarus and other prohibited military equipment?
Soaring energy prices do not spur US conservation (posted 01/17/05)
While soaring oil prices in the 1970s prompted major advances in the USA's energy efficiency, this year's surge in fuel costs has so far not sparked a new wave of conservation.
Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space (posted 01/17/05) Environment Center
**** LARGE ACTIVE REGION PRODUCES STRONG SOLAR STORMS ****
Thai energy minister visits Iran to request oil and gas cooperation (posted 01/17/05)
Energy Minister Prommin Lertsuridej embarked on a three-day visit to Iran during which he will request the purchase of Iranian crude oil, as well as discussing the feasibility of importing Iranian natural liquid gas and Iranian investment in Thailand's land bridge project.
The oil-for-food "scandal" is a cynical smokescreen (posted 01/17/05)
United States Senators, led by the Republican Norm Coleman, have launched a crusade of sorts, seeking to "expose" the oil-for-food programme implemented by the United Nations from 1996 until 2003 as the "greatest scandal in the history of the UN".
US gas station fraud is increasing due to high fuel prices (posted 01/17/05)
Gas station fraud in the US is increasing due to high fuel prices and a correlated growth in the number of motorists driving off from forecourts without paying for gas purchases.
Venezuela increases oil exports to US (posted 01/17/05)
Venezuela's oil exports to the United States increased 21.7 % in October, a report of the country's Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.
Who will control the US LNG ports? (posted 01/17/05)
Demand for natural gas in the US continues to rise, far faster than North American suppliers can meet. More than half of US homes now are gas-heated.
Yukon Flats' gas reserves could be huge (posted 01/17/05)
"They did a fine job," he said. "I'm not trying to be critical, but assessments like this are very subjective." The corporation's information indicates that the area could hold a "much larger accumulation of oil," he said.
Kuwait steps up security at oil, other facilities after clashes (posted 01/17/05)
Kuwait has stepped up security measures around its oil and other strategic facilities following two separate clashes recently between terrorists and state security forces
OPEC cannot allow sharp price drop in Q2 (posted 01/17/05)
There is not a large enough surplus to push prices down, the second quarter will give us an indication of [how far prices will fall] in line with the seasonal fall in demand
Gazprom, Mexico to study LNG supplies to North American market (posted 01/17/05)
Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom plans to intensify cooperation with Mexico to pave the way for supplies of liquefied natural gas to the North American markets
Alaska majors say tax hike may affect their role in gas pipeline (posted 01/17/05)
Alaska Gov Frank Murkowski's surprise announcement Wednesday of a $150-mil tax increase on North Slope oil production may dampen three major producers' enthusiasm for participating in the construction and operation of a proposed North Slope natural gas pipeline
Demonstrations Scheduled for Integrated Suite of Best Software Solutions To Meet the Needs and Demands Across the Utility Enterprise (posted 01/17/05)
they will demonstrate the power, capabilities and competitive advantages that can be gained from their newly expanded and integrated end-to-end enterprise operational software solutions.
Wisconsin Tries to Cultivate the Power of Waste (posted 01/17/05)
Because of its status as a dairy industry stronghold, the state could be considered fertile ground for biofuels, a catchall phrase that refers to energy or energy-related products made from animal waste and other products used in industry and farming.
Solar Selections Slim In 'The Natural State' (posted 01/17/05)
Solar harvesting may be one of the most underutilized energy sources available. Perceptions about its cost and reliability are probably the reason.
Frederick, Md.-area residents voice concerns over proposed power plant (posted 01/17/05)
As community members overwhelmingly spoke against a proposed natural gas-fired power plant this week, state agencies supported the project
Rain storms keep Southern California utility workers busy (posted 01/17/05)
The aftermath of the heaviest rain storms in recent memory pushed the water level at the San Antonio Dam to its highest level in 25 years
Commission to hold meeting about proposed Louisa County (posted 01/17/05)
If approved, the permit would give Dominion up to 20 years to decide whether to build one or more nuclear reactors on the site, which is adjacent to an existing nuclear plant on Lake Anna and about 40 miles northwest of Richmond.
Montana wind-energy producer seeks site near Hagerman, Idaho (posted 01/17/05)
When finished, the Fossil Gulch project will be the largest operational windfarm in Idaho.
Russia mined 282m tonnes of coal in 2004 (posted 01/17/05)
Russian coal exports rose to 75,460,000 [tonnes] in 2004
Row Looms Over New Nuclear Stations (posted 01/17/05)
SCOTLAND'S coalition parties are heading towards a clash in the next two years over the construction of new nuclear power stations.
Hanford Downwinders also want compensation standard (posted 01/17/05)
A federal judge has been asked to apply new rules for compensating sick nuclear workers to people who claim they were harmed by releases from the Hanford nuclear reservation.
Florida utility´s pollution equipment to cost $300 million (posted 01/17/05)
The new selective catalytic reduction equipment will cut nitrogen oxide emissions at the Big Bend Power Station by about 80 percent from 1998 levels by 2010.
Premier says China should build self-reliant nuclear power industry (posted 01/17/05)
He said all nuclear power projects should be constructed in the principle of putting security and quality first. Relevant regulations and system should be improved and nuclear accident emergency system should be built as soon as possible.
China's Nuclear Power Construction Enters Crucial Stage (posted 01/17/05)
China will generate 36 million kw of nuclear electricity in 2020, accounting for more than 4 percent of its total installed power generating capacity
Beijing goes beyond oil in forging Gulf ties (posted 01/17/05)
Lured by the world's largest oil reserves and markets considered too risky by some Western companies, China is quickly becoming a major economic player in the Gulf, making deals in transportation and technology, showcasing its consumer goods and shoring up agreements to meet its colossal energy needs.
Iran assists Nigeria in increasing power generation (posted 01/17/05)
Under the agreement on electricity supply, Iran will be allowed to manufacture transformers in Nigeria for its state-run National Electric Power Authority, at half its current cost when sourced from western nations.
Record Warm Winter Stirs Sleepy Estonian Bears (posted 01/17/05)
Estonia's warmest winter for two centuries has woken some of its 600 bears several months early from hibernation, wildlife experts said on Friday.
Garden of the Tsunami Dead to Shield Indian Coast (posted 01/17/05)
Every morning, fisherman Mariappan carries a pot of water to a patch of land enclosed by fishing nets near the sea in south India and pours it around a sapling which carries the name of his dead wife.
Indian Stone Age Islanders Suffer Loss of Habitat (posted 01/17/05)
One of the world's most primitive people have become more vulnerable after last month's quake and tsunami severely altered the landscape around their palm-fringed island in India's Andaman and Nicobar chain
Locals, Helpers Toil to Revive Tsunami Zone (posted 01/17/05)
Markets reopened, fishermen got new boats and the sea even got a cleanup on Saturday as people toiled to undo the Asian tsunami's damage.
Japan's 53rd Nuclear Power Unit Set To Go On Line (posted 01/17/05)
against a backdrop of safety scandals and a fatal accident at a rival's plant last year that rocked the domestic nuclear power industry.
Tsunami Nations Must Act Fast To Save Farmland (posted 01/17/05)
Tsunami-stricken countries must flush sea water out of agricultural land immediately or risk losing large areas of farmland
Green Groups Hope Suit Forces US Hand on Warming (posted 01/17/05)
Green lobbyists and several US cities hope a lawsuit against US development agencies will force the government to act on global warming
Federal Judge Upholds Alaska Oil-Lease Sale (posted 01/17/05)
A federal judge has upheld the Bush administration's plans to allow oil drilling throughout a large section of federal land on Alaska's North Slope
Tiny Tuvalu Fears Future is Beneath the Pacific (posted 01/17/05)
The islands in Tuvalu where Enele Sopoaga visited his aunts as a boy are gone, swallowed by the rising seas surrounding the Pacific archipelago.
Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Environment Center (posted 01/15/05)
sunspot group has grown rapidly and its growth and complexity suggest that it's capable of moderate to strong levels of flare activity (R2 to R3 levels) during the next 7 days. .
Business Skills Keep Renewable Energy Growing (posted 01/15/05)
Renewable energy is more than technology, it's a business for entrepreneurs from manufacturers to site developers.
CHINA IS ABOUT TO FLICK THE SWITCH ON A GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS (posted 01/15/05)
Forget global terrorism. One of the scariest stories today is how the Chinese are going to meet their energy demands over the next 20 years
Leadership in Renewable Energy (posted 01/15/05)
"It is due to this deficit in leadership capability that the renewable energy sector continues to fight a seemingly uphill battle against conventional energy. We may have the logical arguments behind a major shift to renewable energy, but we don't have an appealing story to mobilize people to switch to renewable energy of their own volition. "
Legislation Introduced to Expand Ethanol, Biodiesel Credit (posted 01/15/05)
As the technology continually improves, ethanol plants are built with increasingly larger capacities. Most new-generation ethanol plants are designed to produce at least 40 million or 50 million gallons annually
Offshore wind: Europe’s major indigenous energy source could satisfy all of Europe’s electricity demand (posted 01/15/05)
the new frontier for wind energy is offshore
President Bush Calls Nuclear "Clean" and "Renewable" (posted 01/15/05)
President George W. Bush called for building more nuclear power plants as a solution to the environmental dangers he now admits are posed by coal burning power plants. He told the journal that the nation needs advanced nuclear-power plants, calling them a clean, "renewable" energy source for the future.
Some comments (posted 01/15/05)
Niagara Mohawk absolutely does not want people generating their own electricity, and a large company like that is not going to miss political opportunities to discourage that sort of thing
So to cover all of the US elektricity needs you need 25667 square kilometers. Or, in other words, a piece of land with the size of 160 km by 160 km
Total installed wind power worldwide could quadruple from 40 GW to 160 GW by 2012 (posted 01/15/05)
the future prospects of the global wind industry are promising
What about alternatives to oil (posted 01/15/05)
Unfortunately, the ability of alternative energies to replace oil is based more in mythology and utopian fantasy than in reality and hard science.
Wind energy is now world-scale (posted 01/15/05)
Over 4200 participants from 44 countries attended the recent four-day 2004 European Wind Energy Conference
An Aging Dominion Does The Wave (posted 01/14/05)
Much has been written about the aging utility infrastructure, with one recurring joke being that most of the nation's power plants, transformers and distribution systems are now eligible for AARP membership. A less recognized problem is that the workforce we rely upon to operate and maintain the electrical system is nearly as old.
Atomic Energy Head Says Pakistan Planning to Build Nuclear Power Plants (posted 01/14/05)
Pakistan has achieved the ability to produce equipment and spares of nuclear power plants and is now planning to set up nuclear power plants itself in the years ahead.
California has turned an important corner (posted 01/14/05)
"The governor has taken a very measured, thoughtful approach to developing an energy policy here [California]," we learned from Jan Smutny-Jones who speaks for the independent generators.
Chinese reach into Gulf Huge energy needs spur growing presence (posted 01/14/05)
Lured by the world's largest oil reserves and markets considered too risky by some Western companies, China is quickly becoming a major economic player in the Gulf, making deals in transportation and technology, showcasing its consumer goods and shoring up agreements to meet its colossal energy needs.
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (posted 01/14/05)
On December 8, 2004, President Bush signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, which temporarily expands the number of brownfield sites that are eligible for funding under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfields assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants
Crude prices higher on host of bullish factors (posted 01/14/05)
World crude benchmarks were sharply higher in early afternoon trade Thursday as the market fretted over a host of factors, including soon-to-arrive colder temperatures in the eastern US, production outages in Norway, the possibility of escalating violence in Iraq ahead of the Jan 30 elections, and the 3-mil bbl drop in US crude stocks last week.
Customer Groups Urge Wisconsin Urge to Reject Nuclear Plant Deal Again (posted 01/14/05)
Customer groups worry that a precedent could be set for selling off other power plants in the state if the commission reverses its stance and approves the sale.
EU says govts need to do more to liberalise electricity (posted 01/14/05)
"Governments need to step up efforts to implement the market opening measures in the gas and electricity directives," the commission said.
Ford Escape Hybrid Named Truck of the Year (posted 01/14/05)
"Escape Hybrid’s combination of outstanding fuel economy and genuine Ford SUV go-anywhere capability, passenger room and cargo capacity sets it apart from other ‘green’ vehicles
Ford Commits to Four New Hybrid Vehicles in Next Three Years (posted 01/14/05)
Ford Motor Company announced earlier this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detriot that it will launch four new hybrid electric vehicles over the next three years, building on the success of the Ford Escape Hybrid introduced last year.
NAHB Unveils First-Ever Residential Green Building Guidelines (posted 01/14/05)
Today at the 2005 International Builders' Show, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the NAHB Research Center unveiled their new national Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
Norway's Statkraft reorganizes to focus on green growth (posted 01/14/05)
Norway's state-owned power producer Statkraft has reorganized to increase its focus on environmentally friendly energy production
Norwegian developer plans one of the world's largest wind projects (posted 01/14/05)
The proposed wind farms would have a combined effect of 1,400 MW, making it one of the world's largest wind energy projects
US December producer price index down 0.7%, as energy costs slide (posted 01/14/05)
US Producer Price Index fell 0.7% in December, led by a 4% decline in energy costs, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices for finished energy goods advanced 13.4% in 2004 following the 11.4% increase in 2003.
Reliability, natural gas key 2005 issues, official says (posted 01/14/05)
Federal energy regulators plan to spend the first quarter of 2005 focused on three key issues -- increased access to natural gas supplies, improved reliability of the electricity grid, and improvements in the operation of the Midwest transmission system.
San Antonio panel zaps proposed power line (posted 01/14/05)
Meyer said that if the Proposition 3 ballot had a note on it saying the "land would be preserved forever as parkland, but in only four years we'll build on it anyway," it never would have passed.
Shell resumes production at four out of five Nigeria stations (posted 01/14/05)
Shell Friday said it had resumed production at four of the five flow stations that were shut down five weeks ago after protests by villagers in the south-east Rivers State disrupted output. "We have re-opened Ekulama 1 so four are back
Solar power generators in wider use throughout Japan as price falls (posted 01/14/05)
Capitalizing on sunlight in the pursuit of a comfortable life is no longer a pipe dream. For many who want to do so, it has become an attainable reality.
Still possible to avoid blackouts in 2020s (posted 01/14/05)
The Danes find that the maximum wind-turbine input which can be handled is around 10-per cent of the total energy requirements. The government may therefore find itself saddled with a large number of white-elephant wind turbines.
Study of PJM market shows 44% benefit over regulation (posted 01/14/05)
shows competition produced power costs at three PJM utilities up to 44% lower over the five years ending in 2003 than consumers would have paid under regulated rates.
An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for US National Security (re-posted 01/13/05)
From the Executive Summary of this Pentagon report
A world thrown into turmoil by drought, floods, typhoons. Whole countries rendered uninhabitable. The capital of the Netherlands submerged. The borders of the US and Australia patrolled by armies firing into waves of starving boat people desperate to find a new home.
Andaman Tribes Have Lessons to Teach Survivors (posted 01/13/05)
who live in the archipelago escaped
unscathed because they took to the forests and higher ground well in time.
''These tribes live close to nature and are known to heed biological warning
signs like changes in the cries of birds and the behaviour patterns of land and
marine animals
World Is One, Warns Tsunami (posted 01/13/05)
It has taken a devastating tsunami that claimed more than 150,000 lives in a dozen countries scattered across the vast Indian Ocean to remind passengers on the fragile spaceship, Earth, of their interdependence and common destiny.
Deluge of Unfocussed Kindness Can 'Kill' - Experts (posted 01/13/05)
There is a risk that with direct aid, donor nations might run the risk of 'killing' the already fragile tsunami-affected countries with too much kindness.
Ten Years a Heartbeat for Indigenous Peoples (posted 01/13/05)
Actually the struggle to get the world's
governments to recognise the human rights of indigenous peoples began long
before the United Nations dedicated the decade 1995-2004 to their concerns.
Khodorkovsky confirms surrender of Yukos interest (posted 01/13/05)
many observers believe that law enforcers' case against the billionaire is motivated by politics.
Wholesale power markets need regulatory (posted 01/13/05)
State and federal regulators must be in "harmony" to ensure wholesale electricity competition delivers on its promises, the electric utility industry said.
Hydrogen Policy in the U.S. Not Enough to Prevent Collision Course with China and India (posted 01/13/05)
the 42-page report addresses in detail the trends in transportation development and oil consumption in China and India and the implications for the US
Biologists Check on Arizona Fish Diversity (posted 01/13/05)
State and federal biologists use the yearly canal draining to inspect an area just below the Granite Reef Dam on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community between Mesa and Scottsdale.
Feds hold the key to Alaska pipeline (posted 01/13/05)
The federal government is now "in the driver's seat" when it comes to advancing a proposed Alaskan natural gas pipeline that would ship supplies to the lower-48 states, Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Patrick Wood said Wednesday.
Brazil to build 15 new hydroelectric plants (posted 01/13/05)
He added that the proposed plants will bring 1,670 direct jobs and 3,200 indirect jobs to the country.
Biofuels Become Minnesota Bragging Right (posted 01/12/05)
"Federal clean air standards are constantly under attack, and our energy policies are still far too dependent on high-polluting fossil fuels, all of which must be imported in Minnesota."
Coal-fired power plants to cut emissions (posted 01/12/05)
two landmark agreements aimed at sharply reducing emissions at
six upstate coal-fired power plants.
Coop Issuing RFP for Distributed Generation (posted 01/12/05)
Split Rock Energy, a wholesale power marketer and trader and wholly owned subsidiary of Great River Energy, has issued and will issue two request for proposals (RFP) for two very different types of power resources: baseload and distributed generation.
Electricity demand projected to rise by 3.3% in 2005 (posted 01/12/05)
US electricity demand is expected to rise 3.3% to 3,848-bil kWh in 2005
Event to showcase ‘99% cleaner’ cars (posted 01/12/05)
The Los Angeles Motor Show, which begins on Friday, will feature a new generation of vehicles that are up to 99% cleaner than their equivalents of thirty years ago, according to manufacturers exhibiting at the event.
expert_forum_Fermentation of Organic Matter (posted 01/12/05)
The new guideline VDI 4630 provides uniform rules and specifications for attempts to regulate the biogas output from organic matter that the construction and operational optimisation of biogas plants serve.
Free Agents of Disorder (posted 01/12/05)
2004 was the year when most market and political experts were wrong most of the time on most of the issues in most parts of the world.
Freeport LNG terminal given green light for construction by FERC (posted 01/12/05)
Freeport LNG can start turning shovels to build its liquefied natural gas terminal in Texas after receiving a construction permit from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
From Alcohol Comes Light (posted 01/12/05)
Up to 40 million kilowatt-hours per year should be produced with fuel made of sugar or starch – climate neutral
GM Sequel Powered by Next-Generation Fuel Cell System (posted 01/12/05)
new Sequel fuel cell vehicle, which features a 25% more powerful fuel cell stack that helps the Sequel achieve a 300-mile range and 0 mph to 60 mph acceleration in less than 10 seconds, while emitting only water vapor.
Green Lights with Green Electricity (posted 01/12/05)
According to the new electricity labelling obligations, all electricity suppliers will have to disclose their energy mix as well as show the proportion of nuclear energy, brown coal, mineral coal, natural gas, and renewable energy in the future.
Have Batteries Reached the End of the Line (posted 01/12/05)
Many people do see battery chemistries as very limited. This belief has been driving the micro fuel cell market, as well as many semiconductor advances. But certain chemistries, such as lithium-ion (Li-ion), could surprise people and perhaps even kill the market for micro fuel cells.
Mitsubishi Electric US Enters Photovoltaic Module Market (posted 01/12/05)
Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA Inc. has announced its entry into the growing U.S. solar/photovoltaic (PV) or module market, with two high-efficiency modules that contain no lead solder.
New Mexico Ethanol Facility Expands Production (posted 01/12/05)
when completed, the plant will process over 11 million bushels of grain sorghum into 30 million gallons of ethanol and approximately 90,000 tons of distillers grains annually
NRC says Hope Creek plant is safe to reopen after leak (posted 01/12/05)
A nuclear plant shut down for three months after a radioactive steam leak is safe to reopen, federal regulators said Monday, trumping the objections of New Jersey's top environmental official.
OPEC to meet Jan 30 despite Iraq's request for delay (posted 01/12/05)
OPEC oil ministers will meet to review output policy in Vienna on Jan 30 as scheduled, despite Iraq's request that the meeting be delayed to avoid a clash with the country's elections
Patent Filed for Solar Thermal Hydrogen Receiver (posted 01/12/05)
While some proponents of solar would prefer to see their technologies -- be it solar photovoltaic, solar thermal or CSP -- contributing energy directly to the national electric grid, there are plenty of advocates hoping to see solar used to convert the Sun's energy to hydrogen which could later be used in distributed generation or the transportation sector.
Peak Oil 2005? (posted 01/12/05)
The pessimists within these experts suspect that the year 2000 was already “ Peak Oil”, while more optimistic evaluations believe it will be 2005 or later.
Second major withdrawal from Arctic plan (posted 01/12/05)
ConocoPhillips has dropped out of Arctic Power – the group that is pushing for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – lending hope to environmentalists who are against the plan.
Sempra Antitrust Lawsuit Set for Trial on June 3 (posted 01/12/05)
Sempra Energy
Solar Photovoltaic Breakthrough Taps Infrared Light (posted 01/12/05)
A nanometer-resolved microscope image of one of the nanoparticles, or quantum dots, used to make the infrared detectors.
Toronto University Unveils New Solar Power Plastic (posted 01/12/05)
A new plastic material has been created at the University of Toronto that manages to produce energy from infrared light. Solar panels up until now have only been able to harness power from the visible light spectrum, but this new material allows solar technology to go beyond just visible light.
UK Watchdog Hits Grid With Blackout Fines Threat (posted 01/12/05)
OFFICIALS have finally admitted that London's massive blackout in August 2003, when almost half a million homes were left without electricity and hundreds of thousands of commuters were stranded, should have landed power company National Grid with a multimillion- pound fine
US gas demand projected to rise by 3% in 2005 (posted 01/12/05)
The agency said unusually warm weather to date in the US Northeast has left industry with nearly 2.7 Tcf of gas in storage at the end of December
Utility seeks Kentucky assurances before building clean-coal power plant (posted 01/12/05)
Kentucky Power Co., want "regulatory certainty" from Gov. Ernie Fletcher and state lawmakers that it will be able to recover the full cost of construction through electricity-rate increases
Voters Decide to Take Control of Their Electric Systems in Three Cities (posted 01/12/05)
Everyone knows that President Bush was reelected on November 2nd but did you know that voters in three municipalities voted to take control of their electric systems?
Wind Power: To Own Or Not To Own (posted 01/12/05)
One of the world's fastest growing energy technologies is wind power. Landowners on windy sites face a choice - to lease or to own.
WWF calls for ‘green reconstruction’ (posted 01/12/05)
International conservation group WWF has urged governments around the world to make efforts to ensure environmental sustainability is factored into the reconstruction process in the areas devastated by the tsunami, as work begins in the region.
Four Major Events Advance IGCC During 2004 (posted 01/11/05)
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology has advanced significantly in the past few years. With financial support from the Department of Energy, two projects have been successfully constructed and operated
Entering the Age of Automated Communications in the Utility Industry (posted 01/11/05)
The blackout that rocked the northeast in 2003 was the defining event that motivated change and spurred one of 2004's most prevalent trends in the utility industry - the increased adoption and reliance on automated notification for managing both planned and unplanned events.
More than 125,000 Swedish households remain cut off Tuesday (posted 01/11/05)
More than 125,000 Swedish households remained without power Tuesday morning after weekend storms caused many of the regional and distribution grids in western and southern Sweden to collapse.
California weathers another storm, outages peak at 180,000 (posted 01/11/05)
Southern California Edison Monday said it has restored power to most of the 91,000 customers blacked out by storms that battered the coast over the weekend.
Montana governor plans conference to develop state energy plan (posted 01/11/05)
Montana's new governor plans to conduct an energy summit early this year to help develop a plan for developing the state's traditional and unconventional energy resources--including vast untapped coalbed methane reserves.
Energi E2 mothballs two coal units (posted 01/11/05)
Denmark-based power company Energi E2 has mothballed two of its seven coal-fired stations for the past two weeks as falling Scandinavian power prices make coal burning less economic.
Ohio Could Land Futuristic Coal Plant (posted 01/11/05)
The federally supported plant is intended to be the world's first coal-based power plant that produces electricity and hydrogen for fuel cells with near-zero emissions of noxious pollutants or greenhouse gases.
Utility Seeks Federal Clean Air Approval (posted 01/11/05)
Subsidiaries of Allegheny Energy Inc., in a move to block a potential multistate lawsuit over alleged clean air violations, have asked a federal judge to rule their coal-fired power plants in West Virginia and Pennsylvania comply with the U.S. Clean Air Act.
Automakers unveil hydrogen plans (posted 01/11/05)
There are still no viable ways to create large amounts of hydrogen without causing as much pollution as internal-combustion engines, and there is still no method of distribution. The vehicles are also extremely expensive.
New Tools To Protect The Grid (posted 01/11/05)
There's long been speculation that terrorists might try to attack the nation's electricity grids and that some elements of such attacks could involve hacking into utilities' Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems or other core IT or operational infrastructure.
Thousands without power from ice storm (posted 01/11/05)
Thousands of residents of northeastern Pennsylvania remained without electricity for a third night yesterday, as emergency crews and utility workers struggled to recover from what meteorologists called the worst ice storm to hit that part of the state in more than a decade.
Hydrogen storage joint venture unveiled (posted 01/11/05)
Hydrogen, which can be produced with little or no emissions, is projected to become a major energy source for both passenger vehicles and power generation. And a safe and convenient means of storage is key prior to the introduction of the fuel into the marketplace.
Regulators Say Nuclear Plant Is Safe To Restart (posted 01/11/05)
A nuclear plant shut down for three months after a radioactive steam leak is safe to reopen, federal regulators said Monday, trumping the objections of New Jersey's top environmental official.
Nevada, feds face off in court over Yucca Mountain funding (posted 01/11/05)
An attorney for Nevada tried to convince a federal appeals court Monday that the state was shortchanged $4 million last year to fight the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump.
Spain's angry fishermen tilt at windmills (posted 01/11/05)
The men from the fishing villages of Barbate, Vejer and Conil have knocked on many official doors to argue that the wind farms will disturb the migration of the young tuna and, more dramatically, that their own lives may be at stake.
Taiwan cabinet denies planning to extend nuclear plants (posted 01/11/05)
A spokesman for the Executive Yuan denied Monday [10 January] a report that the government plans to extend the service life of the three existing nuclear power plants to cope with the problem of a global energy shortage.
Beijing to Plant Rooftop Grass to Clean Away Smog (posted 01/11/05)
Polluted Beijing is planning to clean up its act by planting grass on rooftops
Salt's Impact on Mountain Lakes Studied (posted 01/11/05)
While many studies have been done around the country on the negative impacts of road salt, this one stands out because it's so comprehensive
Study Urges Water Conservation on Farms (posted 01/11/05)
A growing population coupled with diminishing fresh water supplies should force major changes in the way the world's farmers water their crops in the coming decades
Carbon Emissions Reach Record High (posted 01/11/05)
In 2003, carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels climbed to a record high of 6.8 billion tons, up nearly 4 percent from the previous year. Global emissions of carbon have been rising steadily since the late eighteenth century-and rapidly since the 1950s. In fact, annual emissions have quadrupled since 1950.
Fresh Quake Hits Indonesia's Aceh (posted 01/11/05)
An earthquake sent residents of Indonesia's tsunami-hit Banda Aceh city running from houses and shelters early on Monday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Time To Put Maldives Back On The Map (posted 01/11/05)
Some parts of the Maldives were so severely lashed by last month's tsunami that the government says the map of the paradise cluster of nearly 1,200 tiny islands literally needs to be redrawn.
High Oil Prices Bolster Global Ethanol Market (posted 01/11/05)
Global production of the renewable fuel ethanol will boom over the next few years if oil prices stay high, analysts said.
General Motors Touts Big Engines Despite Clamor For Hybrids (posted 01/11/05)
Never mind the fuel-sipping, gas-electric hybrid vehicles. Detroit wants to send power to the people.
Water: Bringer of death, bringer of life (posted 01/10/05)
A wall of water caused the biggest natural disaster of 2004: now it is the turn of relief agencies and water professionals to make sure that 2005 does not see disease killing as many people as did that deadly wave.
The tsunami disaster response (posted 01/10/05)
Sri Lanka has so far received six tonnes of equipment including one complete drinking water unit which the company says can supply as much as 100,000 people a day for ten days.
Utilities should look into Green Tags (posted 01/10/05)
Now more than ever, the public is making its preference for environmentally sensitive
products clear. It’s a revolution known as green consumerism.Libya says Jan 30 may be too early to assess OPEC (posted 01/10/05)
saying the cartel may have to wait until its Mar 16 meeting
before deciding what action to take regarding oil production. "It is a bit
early to say what can happen during the coming meeting but my feeling is that
there is nothing to be done.
Greek emissions plan requires cuts from generators (posted 01/10/05)
Power plants and oil refineries, however, have to cut emissions to 99.5% and 95.4% of 2003 levels.
Sri Lankan Brewery Switches to Water Following Tsunami (posted 01/10/05)
In Sir Lanka, sea water has contaminated an estimated 1,000 drinking wells around the country’s East coast.
Stricken Areas Get Clean Water, Need Latrines Dug (posted 01/10/05)
With killer diseases such as cholera common to the region and lurking in the wake of the tsunami, international aid groups are coming through with plenty of clean water to the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami.
India, Pakistan Hold Talks on Water-sharing Row (posted 01/10/05)
A ministry spokesman announced that India and Pakistan began another round of talks on resolving a water-sharing row triggered by New Delhi's decision to build a hydroelectric dam in divided Kashmir
EPA Fines Arizona Water Treatment Facility (posted 01/10/05)
Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined the U.S. Department of the Interior $7,500 for failing to maintain its plan that outlines how its water treatment plant in Yuma
Energy Multi-Vitamin Enhanced Water Expands (posted 01/10/05)
Energy Multi-Vitamin Enhanced Water Corp. has released three new beverages, expanding its line of all-natural waters.
USFilter Introduces Program for Rebuilding (posted 01/10/05)
Many industries and municipalities cannot afford to maintain or replace old dewatering equipment that no longer operates efficiently. USFilter Dewatering Systems now offers facilities a solution to this costly repair/replace cycle: The Regain Program.
Residents worry about consequences resulting from wetland (posted 01/10/05)
The neighborhood will be surrounded by man-made wetlands. The marshes are designed to filter phosphorus and other pollutants from storm water runoff before it reaches the Everglades. The marshes also attract wildlife and are popular with outdoor enthusiasts.
EU says govts need to do more to liberalise electricity (posted 01/10/05)
"Only greater market integration of national markets can bring the required improvements to competition in the energy internal market," it added.
Venture Capital Firms Are Backing the Renewable Energy Innovators (posted 01/10/05)
Recent reports show an increasing involvement of venture capital investors in entrepreneurial companies breaking new ground in renewable energy technologies.
EPA Region 8 goes totally green with clean, renewable wind power sources (posted 01/10/05)
"The purchase of renewable energy for 100 percent of our electricity needs shows our commitment to our EMS and to environmental improvement. EPA advocates use of renewable energy and now we are walking the talk."
Iraqi Electricity Minister Expects '"Marked Improvement" in Power Situation (posted 01/10/05)
Electricity Minister Dr Ayham al-Samarra'i says the electricity system will witness marked improvement as of today. He stresses that the power situation will improve further when security and stability are achieved.
Investments From Power Companies in Japan Help Launch Renewable Energy Funds (posted 01/10/05)
have created the Global-Asia Clean Energy Services Fund - Asia's first fund for energy service companies (ESCOs) and clean energy projects.
Electricity's best (posted 01/10/05)
Even after allowing for transmission line losses (nine per cent in the national grid), the efficiency and cleanliness of modern thermal power stations is such that electric vehicles are about twice as energy efficient as IC engines and produce only about half the amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide
anotherperspective (posted 01/10/05)
B
roadband-over-powerlines (BPL) is an attractive technology.Saudi Arabia rebuts fears of oil supply disruption (posted 01/10/05)
denied fears that it was unable to maintain reliable delivery of petroleum supplies.
Earth Still Ringing Like a Bell After Asia Quake (posted 01/10/05)
Two weeks on, the Earth is still vibrating from the massive undersea earthquake off Indonesia that triggered the tsunami, Australian researchers said on Sunday.
Iceland's Hydrogen Buses Zip to Oil-Free Economy (posted 01/10/05)
Hydrogen, tested in buses from Amsterdam to Vancouver and used in the rockets of the US space shuttle, is a clean power that promises to break dependence on oil and gas -- at least in Iceland.
Japan Has Half-Century Expertise in Tsunami Alerts (posted 01/10/05)
When residents of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido were jolted awake by a pre-dawn magnitude 7.1 earthquake in November they only had to jump out of bed and flick on the TV to get an almost instant tsunami warning.
Fears For Andaman Island Reefs, Thailand's Survive (posted 01/10/05)
Breathtaking coral reefs around India's Andaman and Nicobar islands may have suffered severe tsunami damage, but fears for those off Thailand have proven overblown
Eleven Die as High Winds Pound Northern Europe (posted 01/10/05)
Eleven people were killed and at least four were missing after gale-force winds battered northern Europe at the weekend, causing flooding and transport chaos and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity.
Rising Seas Threaten Islands, Cities, Coasts (posted 01/10/05)
It sounds insignificant alongside the Indian Ocean tsunami, yet an almost imperceptible annual rise in the world's oceans may pose a huge threat to ports, coasts and islands by 2100.
Will Rising Seas Swamp Some Small Island States? (posted 01/10/05)
Small island nations meet in Mauritius from Jan. 10-14 for talks about threats including a creeping rise in sea levels blamed by most scientists on global warming.
Washed off the Map, Acehnese Chart Uncertain Future (posted 01/10/05)
Old maps of these parts no longer apply. There is water where once was land, flat earth where once were town. Plans are now being laid for new communities and new names on maps.
Effort Under Way to Weaken US Endangered Species Law (posted 01/10/05)
For the first time in three decades, critics of the Endangered Species Act are building momentum to rewrite the law implemented to save America's threatened flora and fauna, from the star cactus to the grizzly bear.
Head of Mexican Oil Monopoly Apologizes for Oil Spill (posted 01/10/05)
The director of state-run oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos on
Thursday apologized for an oil spill last week that unleashed crude oil into a
river feeding the Gulf of Mexico and promised the company would compensate
residents whose homes and livelihoods were harmed.
How Much is Too Much? Report Shows Consumption Outpacing Renewal (posted 01/08/05)
People are consuming the Earth's natural resources 20 percent faster than nature can renew them
How Hydrogen Can Save America (posted 01/08/05)
The cost of oil dependence has never been so clear. What had long been largely an environmental issue has suddenly become a deadly serious strategic concern. Oil is an indulgence we can no longer afford
An Arctic alert on global warming (posted 01/08/05)
Global warming is heating the Arctic at a rapid pace - with impacts that could range from the disappearance of polar bears' summer habitat by the century's end to a damaging rise in sea levels worldwide.
Carbon 'reaching danger levels' (posted 01/08/05)
On present trends, Sir David said, the world was just 60 years from triggering an irreversible climate disaster.
CO2 buildup accelerating in atmosphere (posted 01/08/05)
Carbon dioxide, the gas largely blamed for global warming, has reached record-high levels in the atmosphere after growing at an accelerated pace in the past year, say scientists monitoring the sky from this 2-mile-high station atop a Hawaiian volcano.
HUGE JUMP IN CO2 LEVELS (posted 01/08/05)
Graphic display.
Quantum Ships First Fuel Cell Vehicle to U.S. Army (posted 01/08/05)
unveiled a high performance, fuel cell off-road vehicle
Sanyo Triples Hybrid Car Battery Output (posted 01/08/05)
tripled its monthly output capacity for rechargeable batteries for hybrid vehicles to about one million units
Scientist finds huge jump in gas that causes global warming (posted 01/08/05)
Climate experts cautioned Monday that a reported consecutive annual jump in the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere might be an anomaly, without ruling out it was a sign of rapid global warming.
Warming Trend Will Decimate Arctic Peoples (posted 01/08/05)
The dire predictions are just some of the findings by the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), an unprecedented four-year scientific investigation into the current and future impact of climate change in the region.
Lifting the Limits on Customer Choice in California (posted 01/07/05)
Would it surprise you to learn that electric customer choice in California -also known as "direct access" in these parts - is nearly as robust today as it was at the peak of the market during the spring of 2000?
TXU Energy Co. closes 9 turbines (posted 01/07/05)
They use combustion turbines, in which burning gas spins the turbines that generate electricity. "Energy prices are such that we could purchase energy on the open market at a more economical rate than we could generate through these combustion turbines,"
Green-e Certification Now Available in all 50 U.S. States (posted 01/07/05)
The Green-e Program of the Center for Resource Solutions has announced that Green-e electricity certification is now available to all qualifying renewable energy products in the 50 U.S. states and American territories.
US reliability chief to retire (posted 01/07/05)
In recent years, Gent helped lead the effort to turn NERC into
an independent, federally backed enforcement organization. Although
Congress has yet to pass legislation to do so, Gent said in announcing his
retirement that "we have made great strides...
France's GDF to replace 'dangerous' pipelines by 2007 (posted 01/07/05)
The move follows a gas explosion in Mulhouse, east France, on Dec 26, which killed seventeen people. GDF confirmed Wednesday that an iron pipeline at the block of flats where the blast happened was cracked.
Alexander will continue to chair Senate Energy subcommittee (posted 01/07/05)
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as his co-chair. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) will be the panel's ranking Democrat. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) will continue to chair the full committee.
Layoffs Amid Economic Recovery? The Utility Industry Dilemma for 2005 (posted 01/07/05)
The fits and starts of deregulation in the electric utility industry have forced unprecedented change in the way utility companies manage their balance sheets.
EPA Purchases Green Energy to Improve Performance (posted 01/07/05)
The green energy purchase announced today by the U.S. EPA and Western Area Power Administration adds fuel to Region 8's efforts to improve its own environmental performance using an environmental management system approach.
ZAP claims first commercially available hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (posted 01/07/05)
The companies have heralded the new vehicle as the first hydrogen fuel cell automobile to be available to consumers.
HONEYWELL HELPS U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVER $4.1 MILLION IN ANNUAL ENERGY SAVINGS (posted 01/07/05)
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced that the U.S. Postal Service in Southern California has awarded the company $20.6 million in contracts for building and energy-retrofit improvements, as well as the development of a co-generation system.
Plants’ permits up for renewal (posted 01/07/05)
“We renew our Title V permits every five years. I think the EPD just wants to make it more public,”
Researchers see gigabit data over power lines (posted 01/07/05)
Engineers at Penn State University said on Wednesday they had found a way for power lines to transmit data to homes at rates far faster than high-speed Internet connections from cable and telephone companies.
U.S. Wind Farming, Inc. Enters Into Agreement to Acquire New Proprietary Wind Turbine Coating Techno (posted 01/07/05)
This coating is totally impervious to ultraviolet radiation and corrosion ensuring zero maintenance for these components during the 30 year life span of the wind turbine
PG&E: Average gas bill will rise 30.7 percent (posted 01/07/05)
A colder than normal winter in parts of the country is keeping natural gas prices high throughout the nation, including California, where the average gas bill for a residential customer of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is expected to rise 30.7 percent
ADM ranked 30th worst in air pollution (posted 01/07/05)
Archer Daniels Midland was named the 30th-worst company in the nation in 2002 when it came to releasing cancer-causing pollutants into the air, according to a national environmental group.
Tucson Electric Power's Ratings Removed From CreditWatch (posted 01/07/05)
SAN FRANCISCO (Standard & Poor's) Jan. 6, 2005--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services removed from CreditWatch with negative implications and affirmed its ratings on Tucson Electric Power Co. (TEP). The outlook is stable.
Renewable Energy Businesses Announce National Alliance (posted 01/07/05)
Leading renewable energy business organizations announced the formation of the Renewable Energy Business Alliance to amplify and unify their voice in support of policies and programs to expand renewable energy production in the United States.
India calls for establishment of Asian emergency oil storage (posted 01/06/05)
Indian oil minister Mani Shankar Aiyar called Thursday for the establishment of an Asian oil storage facility to act as an "emergency response mechanism" that would guarantee secure supplies to Asian consumers in the event of a supply disruption.
Ohio to 'revisit' deregulation laws (posted 01/06/05)
Schuler was asked to specifically examine power utility "stranded costs.
Bingaman to remain ranking Democrat on Senate Energy Committee (posted 01/06/05)
Senator Jeff Bingaman will remain the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee during the 109th Congress
Los Angeles agency's touted 'Green Power' program is running out of steam (posted 01/06/05)
Despite spending millions to promote its clean-energy effort, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has lost nearly 75 percent of the program's participants -- many of them phantom, nonpaying customers.
Sempra Energy Renames Several Subsidiaries (posted 01/06/05)
"Since 1998, when Sempra Energy was formed, our competitive businesses have grown rapidly and evolved
United States Demand Response Coordinating Committee Announces New Members (posted 01/06/05)
this will enable us to have a broader exchange of ideas and information on demand response programs offered in wholesale markets. NYSERDA has been a leader on demand response for a number of years and brings a wealth of expertise to the DRCC
New Mexico utility regulator wants stiffer policies on voting by officials (posted 01/06/05)
Marks said he believes commissioners lack the power to limit other commissioners' voting rights.
Hyundai Unveils First Hydrogen-Powered Tucson SUV (posted 01/06/05)
Hyundai Motor Co.'s fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) program today unveiled its second-generation fuel cell vehicle, the Tucson FCEV, at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
Team wins competition with energy harvester (posted 01/06/05)
"Our plan is a battery that essentially lasts forever," said University of Oregon student Jon Hofmeister, who was on the winning team for the Quest for Adventure MBA business plan competition.
Environmental council exhorts resumption uranium tailings rehab (posted 01/06/05)
The process must be carried out before authorities give the go ahead for the resumption of mining operations at the nearby Sierra Pintada uranium mine in San Rafael department.
Vonage Offers Internet Users Wireless Phones (posted 01/06/05)
Vonage, the U.S. pioneer of low-cost phone service over Internet broadband connections, on Tuesday said it was working with a phone maker to offer a "Wi-Fi" handset for subscribers to use at home or around town.
Sempra begins permit process for liquefied natural gas terminal (posted 01/06/05)
Southwest Louisiana in 2005 likely will see development of perhaps the nation's biggest concentration of liquefied natural gas receiving terminals, with two projects slated for construction and a third starting the permit process.
Proposed regulation would give green power producers credit for extra power (posted 01/06/05)
Green power producers that generate more electricity than they use would be able to sell it back to the province under a proposed regulation outlined Wednesday by the Ontario government.
Icebergs sighted south of New Zealand for first time in 56 years (posted 01/06/05)
Icebergs have been spotted in New Zealand waters for the first time in 56 years, with some of them as large as three kilometres wide
Asian earthquake and tsunami didn't redraw coastlines (posted 01/06/05)
Aerial images of tsunami-battered coastlines suggest the world map may be changed forever, with chunks of land sinking into the sea. But did the earthquake and the killer wave it spawned really significantly reshape the Indian Ocean's outline? Scientists say probably not.
"Nominal" capacity of Iran power plants reportedly increased by 60 per cent (posted 01/06/05)
The nominal capacity of Iran's power plants will reach 36,000 MW, showing s 60 per cent increase compared to the similar figure for eight years ago
Once-Hated Gray Wolf Thrives in the US Rockies (posted 01/06/05)
The effort has been a resounding success. From just 14 when the program began, the population has risen to 165 wolves in 15 packs in Yellowstone
Reading Winds, Waves May Have Saved Ancient Tribes on Remote Indian Islands (posted 01/06/05)
Two days after a tsunami thrashed the island where his ancestors
have lived for tens of thousands of years, a lone tribesman stood naked on the
beach and looked up at a hovering coast guard helicopter.
He then took out his bow and shot an arrow toward the rescue chopper.
Federal Environmental Officials Take Western Policy Talks to AZ Resort (posted 01/06/05)
Bush administration environmental officials and senior members of Congress are to speak to business leaders at an Arizona resort this week
Sustainability -- A New Bottom Line (posted 01/06/05)
As currently constructed, the global economy exists in isolation. It exists in a world without limits, without constraints on growth, pollution or exploitation. The trouble is, there is no such world.
Tsunami May Accelerate Maldives' Dilemma: Relocate or Perish (posted 01/06/05)
Shopkeeper Mohammed Ibrahim stands among the ruins of his once-idyllic island home and explains why he wants to leave forever.
The Health Effects of Air Pollution: The Human Body Under Attack (posted 01/06/05)
The human body is an amazingly complex defense and self-healing system.
A Call to Establish A New Economic Metric for Energy Development (posted 01/06/05)
"My question - is it cheaper to have uneducated youth with poor eye-sight down the road? Is it cheaper to transmit electricity through a grid which does not exist? Is it cheaper for girls to go into the forest to collect wood rather than going to school? Are these the less expensive options?"
State regulators urge EPA to adopt stronger mercury regulations (posted 01/05/05)
State and local clean air administrators on Monday urged the US Environmental Protection Agency to adopt a stronger ruling on power plant emissions of mercury and to allow states to adopt more stringent regulations if the federal agency fails to do so.
Generation sector's S02 emissions fall, coal use rises (posted 01/05/05)
Genscape Inc, which bills itself as the only supplier of real-time US power plant output and transmission data, Monday said its information shows sulfur dioxide emissions from domestic power plants fell 0.9% in 2004 from 2003, despite the fact that the sector increased its use of coal last year.
White House nominates two individuals for NRC commission (posted 01/05/05)
The Senate recesses Jan. 7, so the appointments are expected to occur sometime between then and Jan. 19. Jaczko, as Reid's science policy adviser, has spoken against the planned high-level waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., prompting the industry's objection to his nomination.
Rural Utility Co-Ops in Utah Offer Green Pricing (posted 01/05/05)
When Cathy McCrystal learned she could purchase clean, renewable energy for her Kanab home, she leapt at the chance.
Companies Test Delivery of Broadband Via Power Grid in Hoover (posted 01/05/05)
For the past nine months, 115 families in Hoover, Ala., have been connecting to the Internet via the electrical outlets in their homes.
Energy Dept. Notes Fuel-Cell Breakthrough (posted 01/05/05)
The agency said in a release Delphi Corp. had reached a power density level in its fuel-cell program that will greatly reduce the cost of the technology and make fuel cells competitive in the commercial market.
2004: the year security of supply became critical concern for utilities (posted 01/05/05)
utilities now consider security of supply as a fundamental issue that the whole industry - networks, regulators, generators and retailers
Alaskan coal developer watches new processing plant progress in Wyoming (posted 01/05/05)
first commercial-scale plant using a new coal-drying process
New Mexico, DOE Split Over WIPP Waste (posted 01/05/05)
DOE officials believe the tests, required by the state to ensure no dangerous chemicals get loose at WIPP, are not needed.
Water leak prompts shutdown at nuclear plant (posted 01/05/05)
One of two units at a southeast Georgia nuclear plant has been shut down because of a water leak in a drywell.
shutting down northern Colorado coal mine (posted 01/05/05)
Peabody Energy Corp., among the world's largest coal companies, plans to shut down its Seneca Coal Co. mine in northern Colorado by the end of the year
Call for halt to Taiwan nuclear plant over tsunami concern (posted 01/05/05)
Local environmental activists urged the government Tuesday [4 January] to stop construction of the island's fourth nuclear power plant because it sits on an earthquake-and tsunami-prone location.
Japanese term liftings of LNG from Aceh completed without a hitch (posted 01/04/05)
Japanese buyers of term LNG from Indonesia's Arun LNG project in Aceh, the area worst hit by a major earthquake Dec 26 and the catastrophic tsunamis unleashed by it
Electricity deregulation puts more choices on menu in Texas (posted 01/04/05)
Lower electric bills aren't high on the New Year's resolution list for Texas power companies, but a variety of new products and services are on the way to try to keep customers loyal.
U.S. Firms Must Respond to Greenhouse Gas Limits (posted 01/04/05)
While the Bush Administration was working to stall the global warming talks in Buenos Aires this month, U.S.-based companies have been taking the lead in developing and utilizing technologies to reduce greenhouse gases.
Wind Power Projects Good to Go (posted 01/04/05)
The two projects by the Atikokan-based company were considered the most advanced in Ontario. The first wind turbines could be operating as early as fall 2005.
Hydrogen energy testing to coincide with wind study in Cambria County (posted 01/04/05)
Efforts to harvest wind energy in Cambria County also are bringing cutting-edge research into what could be the fuel of the future: Hydrogen.
Northern Minnesota Leads State in New Solar Systems (posted 01/04/05)
Imagine: The coldest, snowiest part of Minnesota leading the state with solar-powered electrical system installations in homes and businesses.
As Power Plants Go Up, so Does Demand (posted 01/04/05)
As power plants go up, so does demand
California
Energy Official Sees No Crisis Repeat (posted 01/04/05) As a candidate, Arnold Schwarzenegger called for "a
rational and consistent power policy" and "a clear energy strategy
that focuses on attracting new investments in California." A
Convergence around Low Carbon Energy (posted 01/04/05) The coming year will see a greater convergence of government
policies around low carbon energy resources. This convergence will foster
market diffusion of more fuel-efficient, distributed energy systems in the
electric power, industrial, commercial, and institution sectors of our economy. Power From the
Oceans (posted 01/04/05) Wind energy industries are growing, and as we look for
alternative power sources, the growth potential is through the roof. The
Case for Decentralized Generation of Electricity (posted 01/04/05) Highly centralized generation of electrical power is a paradigm
that has outlived its usefulness. Decentralized generation could save $5
trillion in capital investment, reduce power costs by 40 percent, reduce
vulnerabilities, and cut greenhouse gas emissions in half. New
Mexico State University to receive $21 million for research projects
(posted 01/04/05) New Mexico State University will receive about $21 million
dollars in congressional appropriations in the 2005 fiscal year for research and
technology projects ranging from the development of unmanned aerial vehicles to
the study of disease-resistant crops. China
Clamps Down on $72 Billion Illicit Power Plants (posted 01/04/05) Beijing
is clamping down on the construction of hundreds of small power plants eating up
$72 billion in mostly state funds, fearing they could waste money by tipping the
country into a power surplus Quake
Fears Rattle India's Northeastern Assam State (posted 01/04/05) Authorities
in India's northeastern state of Assam issued a quake warning on Monday, sending
panicky residents to gather in large open parks well away from tall buildings. Strong
6.5 Quake off Indonesia, No Damage Reported (posted 01/04/05) One
of the largest aftershocks since the tsunami quake six days ago was registered
in the sea off the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh on Saturday UN
Puts Tsunami Toll at 150,000, Warns it May Soar (posted 01/04/05) The
United Nations put the latest death toll in Asia's tsunami at around 150,000 and
warned it could still soar as relief workers were confronted by huge devastated
areas without roads, bridges and airstrips. Israeli
Company Offers Free Tsunami Alert System (posted 01/04/05) An
Israeli company said on Monday it planned to distribute free to Asian countries
hit by last week's tsunami a device it says could save lives by warning
holiday-makers directly that a tidal wave is coming. Residents
Evacuated After Arkansas Plant Blast (posted 01/04/05) Several
thousand residents and more than 100 prisoners were evacuated Sunday when a
hazardous waste disposal plant at El Dorado, Arkansas, exploded and caught fire. Elephants
Saved Tourists From Tsunami (posted 01/04/05) Agitated
elephants felt the tsunami coming, and their sensitivity saved about a dozen
foreign tourists from the fate of thousands killed by the giant waves. Two
states have agencies to foster retail competition (posted 01/04/05) The
existence of Hiser and Cerniglia charged with fostering competition flies in the
face of the paradigm in most "open" states that pretend to be open but
where the staff works to prevent retail competition from functioning properly. Would
you pay $9.99/month for back-up generation? (posted 01/04/05) Electric
Generators USA in Raleigh, NC, has a new business model and a new low price
point for selling backup generation to residential and business customers. Environmental
Issues Emerging from Wreckage of Asian Tsunami (posted 01/04/05) urgent environmental concerns that threaten human health must be
addressed The Next Wave
(posted 01/04/05) It was an idyllic setting: a palm-fringed finger of sand on the
northern coast of Papua New Guinea. World
Population Grew By 76 Million People in 2004 (posted 01/04/05) 3 Million Added in the
Industrial World and 73 Million in the Developing World Fuel Cell
Technology Update (posted 01/04/05) Tokyo
Gas to Begin Leasing Residential Units in 2005. How
does tsunami energy travel across the ocean and how far can tsunamis waves reach
(posted 01/03/05) The wave crests of a tsunami can be a thousand km (1500 miles)
long, and from a few to a hundred kilometers (150 miles) or more apart as they
travel across the ocean. NOAA and Tsunamis
(posted 01/03/05) The speed at which tsunamis travel
depends on the ocean depth. A tsunami can exceed 500
mph in the deep ocean but slows to 20 or 30 mph in the
shallow water near land. What
is a mega-tsunami and can it happen today? (posted 01/03/05) - No such event - a mega tsunami - has occurred in either the
Atlantic or Pacific oceans in recorded history. NONE. What
are some of the largest historical tsunamis (posted 01/03/05) The 1 April 1946 Aleutian
Earthquake and Tsunami What
determines how destructive a tsunami will be near the origin and at a distant
shore (posted 01/03/05) Even if a tsunami wave may have been 1 meter (3 1/3 ft)
or less in the deep ocean, it may grow into a huge 30-35 meter (100-115 foot)
wave when it sweeps over the shore. Critics
of Texas' Switch to Electric Competition See Few Benefits (posted
01/03/05) Heralded as an end to waste and inefficiency, Texas' leap into electric
competition was promoted with a shining promise: Customers would pay less for
their electricity.
FUTURE
SHOCK: ELECTRIC BILLS RISING (posted 01/03/05) A new era of retail electricity competition arrives in force early next year
in Massachusetts.
Clean Energy
Doesn't Exist (posted 01/03/05) People know that depending on foreign oil can be a political disaster and
that burning coal to generate more than half of the nation's electricity raises
concerns about the land, waters and air. No Easy Choices
for Energy Options (posted 01/03/05) Wind, gas, oil or nuclear energy? It's not an easy choice as each alternative
brings its own issues. Catch a Few
Winter Rays in Solar Greenhouse (posted 01/03/05) what I have learned about using solar energy to heat greenhouses and collect
heat for adjoining structures Decision
is Likely in February on Utah's Goshute Nuclear Waste Plan (posted
01/03/05) A federal decision on whether to allow a consortium of private utilities to
build an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel on the Skull Valley
Goshute reservation is likely to come in February Lithuania Closing
Down Nuclear Reactor Today (posted 01/03/05) Lithuania undertook to close down the RBMK-type reactor, which is considered
unsafe in the West, in its EU membership agreement IEA
Issues 'Cross-Country Overview' of Energy Policies (posted
01/03/05) The International Energy Agency has made its first attempt to identify
energy-policy challenges common to the 26 member countries. Lifting
the Lid: Intel brings N.Mexico jobs, pollution concerns (posted
01/03/05) Critics charge that New Mexico, which in September granted Intel a landmark
$2 billion tax concession, has jeopardized public health in order to keep its
largest private industrial employer from leaving. Bush Signs Bill
Ending Decades Old Water Dispute (posted 01/03/05) President Bush signed legislation Friday settling a 30-year-old fight over
how much Colorado River water is distributed to several Indian tribes in Arizona
and New Mexico. Canadians Believe
Drug Sales May Offer Early Warning for Tainted Water Outbreaks
(posted 01/03/05) Collecting drug data from pharmacies and emergency rooms could give public
health officials a heads-up to tainted water problems. City of San Diego
Water Department Earns National Recognition (posted 01/03/05) This award is given to public water systems for their accomplishments in
applying competitive business strategies to meet high expectations of drinking
water consumers and municipal government leaders. Membranes
Outperform Conventional Water Treatment (posted 01/03/05) End-user's unfamiliarity with membrane elements has been a major obstacle to
the technology's widespread adoption. Study Shows
Warming Trends in Alaskan Streams (posted 01/03/05) Water temperatures in Alaska's Lower Kenai Peninsula salmon streams have been
teetering above the state-mandated 55° F temperature limits, posting a
substantial health risk to salmon habitat China Faces Water
Shortage of 40 Billion Cubic Meters Every Year (posted 01/03/05) China faces water shortage of 40 billion cubic meters (1,400 billion cubic
feet) every year with severe water pollution posing a threat to the health of
millions of people, the AFP reported. Melting
snow's contaminants and poses threat to waterways (posted 01/03/05) After last week's snow and current warmer temperatures melting the snow,
run-off water will be pouring into local streams and rivers. The next few days
will carry tons of ice-melting salt and other contaminants into our water
supply. EPA Works with
States to Improve Water Permitting (posted 01/03/05) The culmination of this effort is documented in the 33 NPDES individual state
profiles that are being released today, with the remaining state profiles
released in early 2005. EPA Assistant
Administrator Praises Safe Drinking Water Act (posted 01/03/05) The Assistant Administrator visited the Clayton County Water Authority to see
how the utility is using innovative technology for making drinking water safer
in the 21st century. Nevada Approves
Water Deal With Arizona (posted 01/03/05) Nevada officials approved a $330 million water-sharing pact with Arizona
designed to ensure supplies for tens of thousands of new homes planned for the
thriving Las Vegas metropolitan area over the next few years. "Repairman"
Flees After Arousing Suspicion at Treatment Plant (posted 01/03/05) Wheatfield, N.Y., officials are investigating a report that an unauthorized
man attempted to gain access Saturday afternoon to the Niagara County Water
Treatment plant. Water Unsafe for
300 Million Chinese (posted 01/03/05) The drinking water for 300 million Chinese is not safe to drink and cleaning
it up is a top priority, Chinese government officials recently said. Iraq's
southern crude terminal loading at normal rates (posted 01/03/05) Iraq has maintained normal loading rates from its Basra terminal after bad
weather caused interruptions last week, leaving 12 tankers waiting to berth at
the Persian Gulf terminal US
contractors complete renovation of Iraqi fuel bunkers (posted
01/03/05) The US Army Corps of Engineers Thursday said contractors Fluor International
and SEACOR Corp had completed the renovation of nine fuel bunkers in Iraq used
for storing jet, diesel and motor gasoline. Asian earthquake
seen having little impact on crude prices (posted 01/03/05) The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that caused devastation in the
countries surrounding the Indian Ocean was not seen immediately impacting on
crude values in Europe Wednesday Colorado PUC
drops inquiry as Xcel agrees to double its grid spending (posted
01/03/05) Xcel Energy is to double its grid investment budget over the next three years
to boost reliability in the Denver area under a settlement agreement approved
Thursday by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Tsunami cited in
force majeure (posted 01/03/05) Indian sources say that some Indonesian coal suppliers are declaring force
majeure on coal shipments due to devastation wreaked by the Dec. 26 tsunami. for Current Events go to: Events for News of 2004 go to: News
of 2004 for Events of 2004 go to: Events
of 2004 for News and Events of 2003 go to News
and Events Archive 2003 For News earlier in 2004 go to archives.
The 4 November 1952 Kamchatka Earthquake and
Tsunami
The 9 March 1957 Aleutian Earthquake and
Tsunami
The 22 May 1960 Chilean Earthquake and
Tsunami
The 28 March 1964 Alaska Earthquake and
Tsunami