March 19, 2010

First it was appliances, then cars. Now, it is nuclear reactors.

South Korea, which built its first nuclear plant in 1978 using U.S. technology, successfully outbid American-Japanese and French consortia to land a $20 billion order for four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates.

The deal, announced in the waning days of 2009, calls for the reactors to come on stream between 2017 and 2020. The order could be doubled to $40 billion if long-term operating contracts are added, and further reactor construction could be in the offing.

Below are a few letters received ay EnergyBiz Insider on topics that appeared in the past few weeks. They capture the essence of how many readers say they feel.

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March 18, 2010 - The village of Pinckney has approved a $50,000 energy contract with a Michigan nonprofit organization that will provide 475 residents with energy kits to both improve their energy efficiencies and track their energy savings.

The contract with the Michigan Group for a Renewable Energy Efficient Nation will be reimbursed through a block grant issued by a state agency, meaning the actual cost to the village of Pinckney is zero.

Village President Rebecca Foster said energy kits will likely be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with the likely target date being Earth Day, which is April 22.

March 17, 2010

Biomass energy generation seems poised to compete with solar, wind, and even hydro in some regions as a source of renewable energy.

Currently, biomass energy accounts for only a small percent of the total electricity produced in the United States. But with Department of Energy prodding and funding, its use is expected to double each year for the foreseeable future. And some believe biomass might supply anywhere from 5 to 15 percent of U.S. power needs by 2030.

March 15, 2010

It's an election year and the Obama administration's record is fair game.

A cornerstone of the president's agenda has been making investments in the latest energy technologies -- money that underscores the transformation to the green economy and the creation of jobs and cleaner air. Toward that end, the administration spearheaded a $787 billion stimulus plan that has allocated hundreds of billions of dollars into such things as the intelligent utility, green energy development -- and even subsidies for futuristic nuclear and coal facilities.