Energy
STR: Largest Customer To Depart
January 23, 2013 9:23 am | News | CommentsSTR Holdings Inc. said Tuesday that it may cut jobs and close a manufacturing site based on the anticipated loss of its largest customer this year.The solar products company said after the market closed that it believes its long-standing customer First Solar Inc. will terminate its relationship with STR in 2013.
Are Batteries Holding Energy Tech Back?
January 23, 2013 8:21 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsAs 21st century technology strains to become ever faster, cleaner and cheaper, an invention from more than 200 years ago keeps holding it back. It's why electric cars aren't clogging the roads and why Boeing's new ultra-efficient 787 Dreamliners aren't flying high.
More Powerful Guns May Guard Spent Nuclear Fuel
January 22, 2013 8:34 am | by Evan Brandt, The (Pottstown) Mercury | News | CommentsThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a rule that would allow security guards to wield machine guns and "enhanced weapons" to guard spent fuel rods being stored at nuclear power plants. The cost of the weapons upgrade, training and background checks envisioned in the NRC rule could cost the industry between $26.5 million and $34.7 million, according to NRC estimates.
Bad Math At Neb. Nuke Plant Prompts Questions
January 22, 2013 8:06 am | by Josh Funk, Associated Press | News | CommentsA nuclear reactor in Nebraska, idled for almost two years by a laundry list of problems, is coming under increased regulatory scrutiny due to some bad math in its 40-year-old design and the use of Teflon even though it tends to disintegrate when exposed to high radiation.
Fracking For Natural Gas Being Powered By It, Too
January 21, 2013 11:02 am | by Marc Levy, Associated Press | News | CommentsOil- and gas-field companies from Pennsylvania to Texas are experimenting with converting the huge diesel pump engines that propel millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals thousands of feet down well bores to break apart rock or tight sands and release the natural gas trapped inside.
Government Delays Proposed 'Fracking' Rule
January 21, 2013 8:21 am | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Interior Department is again delaying a proposed rule that would require companies drilling for oil and natural gas on federal lands to publicly disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations. The Obama administration first proposed a "fracking" rule last May, with a final rule expected by the end of the year.
Are We Running Out Of Wind?
January 18, 2013 1:38 pm | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | Blogs | CommentsI guess the dream of powering the USA with wind and solar will have to remain just that, a dream. At least until we invent a much lower cost way of capturing the energy. And solar? Well no dark energy collectors have been invented yet. Or cheap storage that can be deployed anywhere.
EPA Changed Course After Oil Company Protested
January 16, 2013 9:14 am | by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsAt first, the Environmental Protection Agency believed the situation was so serious that it issued a rare emergency order in late 2010 that said at least two homeowners were in immediate danger from a well saturated with flammable methane. More than a year later, the agency rescinded its mandate and refused to explain why.
Mitsubishi Invests $770M In German Wind Farm
January 16, 2013 8:11 am | News | CommentsJapan's Mitsubishi is investing €576 million ($770 million) in developing German offshore wind farms. Netherlands-based grid operator Tennet said Wednesday that Mitsubishi will take a 49 percent stake in the €2.9 billion high-voltage cables linking four offshore farms to the German grid.
Solar Carports: Refueling Stations Of The Future
January 15, 2013 3:00 pm | by Seth Cutler, GE Energy’s Industrial Solutions business | Articles | CommentsSolar carports are very similar to rooftop and ground-mount solar installs, the main difference being the method of mounting. In a solar carport, a new structure needs to be installed to mount the solar panels to, where in a rooftop install an existing structure is utilized to place the panels on.
Texas’ Light Bulb Law: Not The Brightest Bulb On The Tree
January 15, 2013 2:11 pm | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | Articles | CommentsThe plain old tungsten-filament argon-filled bulbs that Edison would have recognized don’t make the cut, so if you like them you’d better scout around and scarf up any old ones in stock, because when they’re gone, you won’t be able to find any more—except maybe in Texas.
New Pet Food Facility Achieves Energy Savings With LED Lighting Fixtures
January 11, 2013 8:32 am | by Michael Schratz, Director of Marketing, Dialight | Articles | CommentsThrough combined energy and maintenance savings, the company expects a full return on its investment in less than two years and will benefit from improved visibility thanks to the clear, white light of the LEDs. The company needed an ultra-energy-efficient system to reduce consumption and fully leverage the benefits of its solar system.
Troubled Neb. Nuke Plant Gradually Improving
January 8, 2013 11:05 am | News | CommentsThe troubled Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in Nebraska is gradually moving closer to restart, but officials say significant work remains. Omaha Public Power District officials provided an update Tuesday to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the plant 20 miles north of Omaha that has been shut down since April 2011.
Senators Ask If Coal Exports Skirt Royalties
January 7, 2013 8:33 am | by Matthew Brown, Associated Press | News | CommentsLawmakers asked the U.S. Department of Interior on Friday to review whether companies are shortchanging federal and state governments out of millions of dollars in royalties on coal exported to foreign markets. The request from Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski comes as U.S. coal exports hit record levels last year.
2012 Energy Intelligence Report
January 3, 2013 1:09 pm | Articles | CommentsFind ways to save money through investing in energy efficient equipment and alternative energy solutions here! Included in this supplement are tips on the energy audit process, the Energy Incentive Guide and results of a recent survey on manufacturers' energy spending.
Vertical Farms Solve Land Problem
January 3, 2013 10:16 am | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsCNN Money brings us the story of Singapore-based farmer Jack Ng and his company, Sky Greens, which builds vertical farms to supply locally-grown food in an economy that is almost completely dependent upon imports. By layering the farms vertically, Ng can make better use of the little available space in Singapore.
Congress Extends Wind, Biofuels Tax Credits
January 2, 2013 1:46 pm | News | CommentsThe bill Congress approved Tuesday night providing tax relief for most taxpayers also helps wind energy and ethanol producers by extending tax credits designed to encourage continued development. The bill extends to the end of the year a production tax credit for wind energy on any facility under construction before the end of 2013.
Siemens Cutting 1,100 Jobs In Energy Sector
December 20, 2012 1:27 pm | News | CommentsIndustrial conglomerate Siemens AG says it will cut about 1,100 jobs in its energy division in Germany over the next two years amid a wider cost-cutting effort. Siemens said Thursday the cuts will primarily affect its fossil power and the oil and gas services units which are experiencing sluggish demand.
China To Overhaul Struggling Solar Panel Industry
December 19, 2012 10:08 pm | News | CommentsChina's government says it will encourage mergers among producers of solar panels to strengthen an industry that has suffered huge losses due to excess production capacity and price-cutting wars. Beijing will encourage mergers, reduce government support for the industry and block local leaders from supporting domestic producers, said a Cabinet statement.
KPMG Poll: Fiscal Cliff A Major Concern For Chemicals Execs
December 19, 2012 2:56 pm | News | CommentsDespite economic challenges, executives say the chemicals industry will continue to see strong growth in the U.S. as a result of shale gas developments, according to the results of a poll conducted by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory services firm.
SC Johnson Powers Up Wind Energy At Company’s Largest Manufacturing Facility
December 19, 2012 10:23 am | News | CommentsWhen the blades started spinning yesterday on SC Johnson’s two new wind turbines, the company’s Waxdale manufacturing facility began to further minimize its dependence on fossil fuels. The addition of the turbines means that products made at Waxdale — trusted brands like Scrubbing Bubbles®, Glade® and Windex® — will now be made using clean energy.
Report: Shale Gas Key To U.S. Manufacturing Recovery
December 12, 2012 11:54 am | News | CommentsFavorable oil-to-gas price ratios driven by the production of natural gas from shale will drive a renewed U.S. competitiveness that will boost exports, and fuel greater domestic investment, economic growth and job creation within the business of chemistry, according to the Year End 2012 Situation and Outlook, published today by the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
Panel: Fault Under Japan Nuke Plant May Be Active
December 11, 2012 10:35 am | News | CommentsThe five-member panel commissioned by the Nuclear Regulation Authority announced Monday that the structure underneath the Tsuruga plant showed signs of seismic movement around 100,000 years ago, recent enough to still be active. Japanese guidelines prohibit nuclear facilities above active faults.
Nuke Industry Plans Rescue Wagon For Disasters
December 10, 2012 9:01 am | by Ray Henry, Associated Press | News | CommentsIf disaster strikes a nuclear power plant in the U.S., the utility industry wants the ability to fly in heavy-duty equipment that could avert a meltdown.That capability is part of a larger industry plan being developed to meet new rules that emerged since a 2011 tsunami struck a nuclear plant in Japan, flooding its emergency equipment and causing nuclear meltdowns.
IntelliCENTER Software Simplifies Controller Integration And Energy Reporting
December 6, 2012 12:43 pm | Products | CommentsRockwell Automation has released two new features in Allen-Bradley IntelliCENTER software — IntelliCENTER Integration Assistant and IntelliCENTER Energy — to accelerate the configuration time and enhance end users’ data-driven energy decisions.
