Latest
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Solar
Feed-in-Tariffs Around the World
Feed-in-tariffs (FITs)—above-retail rates paid for renewable power that producers "feed" into the grid—are gaining momentum all over the world as a means of driving project growth. Here are some of those established and proposed FITs.
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News
NRC Greenlights Licensing for Savannah River MOX Facility
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) last week released a report that deemed the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel facility at the Savannah River site near Aiken, S.C., safe. The 568-page document essentially allows licensing to proceed for the plant to make nuclear reactor fuel from plutonium waste.
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News
Mass. Supreme Court Gives Cape Wind Major Legal Victory
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday upheld the Energy Facilities Siting Board’s authority to overrule community opposition and allow permits for the controversial Cape Wind offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound. The case is being viewed as the last major legal hurdle facing the 130-turbine project.
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News
FutureGen Alliance Lends Support to FutureGen 2.0—With Conditions
Weeks after the city of Mattoon, Ill., withdrew from it, the FutureGen Alliance on Tuesday said it would support the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) plans for the revamped FutureGen project—but only if the alliance and the agency could reach agreement on terms and conditions by this fall.
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News
California OKs 250-MW Mohave Desert Parabolic Trough Project
The California Energy Commission (CEC) unanimously approved construction of the 250-MW Beacon Solar Energy Project last week. The project, proposed for construction in Kern County by a NextEra Energy subsidiary, is the first solar thermal plant permitted by the state in 20 years.
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News
India Approves Landmark Civil Nuclear Agreement
India’s parliament on Monday approved a long-delayed civil nuclear agreement, crucial legislation that could allow U.S. firms to proceed with deals to build nuclear power plants in that country. Firms had been reluctant to build nuclear facilities without a law that would limit their liability in the event of an accident.
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Smart Grid
"Perfect Citizen" Program to Protect the Power Grid
The National Security Agency is launching a program to protect the grid from cyber attack, along with other civilian and military critical infrastructure, while a new Department of Energy report highlights grid vulnerabilities.
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Legal & Regulatory
Will Nuclear 2.0 Be Better, Faster, and Cheaper than Nuclear 1.0?
The nuclear renaissance has been in play for several years yet not a shovel of dirt has been turned. Why should anyone believe that Nuclear 2.0 will be an improvement?
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Smart Grid
Addressing Smart Grid and Consumer Info
As state regulators examine whether the smart grid benefits consumers, a federal agency is looking at what information consumers need to take advantage of the technology.
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HR
Where HR Meets Legal
Dealing with whistleblowers can be human relations quicksand, where unseen errors that could cost a company millions lay in the path to resolution of employee complaints. Recent legislation makes dealing with whistleblowers an even bigger challenge.