Crisis in the making: 

Sept. 27, 2011, -- telegraph.co
Christine Lagarde: IMF may need billions in extra funding
Christine Lagarde has signalled that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have to tap its members – including Britain – for billions of pounds of extra funding to stem the European debt crisis.
French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, India,
The head of the IMF has warned that its $384bn (£248bn) war chest designed as an emergency bail-out fund is inadequate to deliver the scale of the support required by troubled states.
In a document distributed to the IMF steering committee at the weekend, Ms Lagarde said: "The fund's credibility, and hence effectiveness, rests on its perceived capacity to cope with worst-casescenarios. Our lending capacity of almost $400bn looks comfortable today, but pales in comparison with the potential financing needs of vulnerable countries and crisis bystanders." More

Sept. 27, 2011, -- telegraph.co
World Bank chief Zoellick warns 'world in danger zone'
Robert Zoellick, the World Bank president, warned "the world is in a danger zone" as the economic crisis in the United States, Europe and Japan threatened to ravage the rest of the global economy. More

July 20, 2011, -- amphionforum
The Amphion Forum 2011 will bring together thought leaders from academia, business, government and technology for an exclusive summit on the morning of July 20 to discuss the threats and opportunities presented by the unprecedented proliferation of connected devices, 50 specially-invited participants will engage in interactive workshops and sessions to set priorities to explore the most compelling ideas for realizing the potential of the "Internet of Things." More

July 13, 2011, -- News wires
IEA talks up global demand
World oil demand growth will accelerate next year, adding to the pressure on available supplies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said today, contradicting a more conservative outlook from producer group Opec.
In its first 2012 forecast in a monthly report, the IEA said oil use would grow by 1.47 million barrels per day to 91 million bpd. The agency also trimmed its estimate of demand growth this year to 1.20 million bpd.
The IEA's 2012 prediction was more than the 1.32 million bpd expected by Opec but lower than a forecast from the US Energy Information Administration. It expects all of the growth next year to come from emerging economies. More

July 7, 2011, -- The Daily Caller
New EPA rules to devastate coal industry
The coal industry is crying foul over new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations which they say will be among the most be costly rules ever imposed by the agency on coal-fueled power plants.
The result, industry insiders say: substantially higher electricity rates and massive job loss.
"The EPA is ignoring the cumulative economic damage new regulations will cause," said Steve Miller, president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE). “America’s coal-fueled electric industry has been doing its part for the environment and the economy, but our industry needs adequate time to install clean coal technologies to comply with new regulations. Unfortunately, EPA doesn’t seem to care.”
More

July 7, 2011, -- nationaldefensemagazine
DHS Cybersecurity Database Has Its Own Vulnerabilities, IG Reports
A Department of Homeland Security administered database where reports on cyber-intrusions, and potential network security vulnerabilities are collected, analyzed and pushed out to local and state governments is itself vulnerable to internal and external attack, the department’s inspector general said in a report released July 7.
The automated critical asset management system is a web-enabled database where information is “gathered, analyzed and used to prevent, deter, respond to, and mitigate cyber risks, threats and incidents,” the IG report stated.
During an investigation, the department watchdog found that security protocols were not being followed. More

July 1, 2011, -- EconomyWatch.com
Let's take a look at the stats for 2011:
Economic Growth Indicator Listing in Year 2011
GDP Growth (Constant Prices, National Currency)
Ghana 20.146 %
Qatar 14.337 %
Turkmenistan 12.178 %
China 9.908 %
Liberia 9.003 %
India 8.43 %
Angola 8.251 %
Iraq 7.873 %
Ethiopia 7.663 %
Mozambique 7.548 %
Timor Leste (East Timor) 7.4 %
Laos 7.395 %
Growth rates are much higher this year. The chart tops out at over 20%. Last year we saw a projected high of 16.4% from growth leader Qatar.
Once again, developed countries do not feature in the Top 12. Almost half of the top 12 come from Africa. Ghana has swept from 4.5% last year, to an astonishing 20.146% for 2011.
One third of the Top 12 are from the Far East; two from the Middle East and one from Central Asia.
In 2010 there was only one G20 nation in the Top 12. This time India also makes the grade. This is the beginning of a larger trend. More

June 28, 2011, -- More From Businessweek
US tells automakers it's eyeing 56.2 mpg (23.9 kpl) standard by 2025
The Canadian PressBy Dina Cappiello, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 21 hours ago
The Obama administration is telling American automakers that it would like cars and light trucks to average 56.2 miles per gallon (23.9 kilometres per litre) by 2025 — a boost to fuel economy that would save American consumers money at the gas pump and help with global warming but drive up the cost of automobiles.
Administration officials floated the number at separate meetings last week with the Detroit Three — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler — according to people in government and industry familiar with the discussions. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk publicly about them. More

June 25, 2011 -- The NY Times -- Ian Urbina
Drilling Down -- Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush
Jennifer Pitts/The Journal Record, via Associated Press, left; Mark Peristein for The New York Times
"It's time to get bullish on natural gas," said Aubrey K. McClendon, left, chief executive of Chesapeake Energy. "This could have profound consequences for our local economy," said Deborah Rogers, a committee member at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
Natural gas companies have been placing enormous bets on the wells they are drilling, saying they will deliver big profits and provide a vast new source of energy for the United States. More

June 24, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news.org
Grand Canyon area excluded from uranium claims
US secretary of the interior Ken Salazar has announced the withdrawal of 1 million acres of federal lands near the Grand Canyon National Park in the USA from hard rock mining claims for six months, prior to a planned 20-year exclusion.
Arizona's Grand Canyon is a World Heritage site visited by 4.4 million people per year and, according to the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contains significant environmental and cultural resources - as well as some of the USA's best uranium deposits. More
Are 1 million acres visited by people? Do you really have to withdraw 1 million acres and force the US to continue importing uranium?

June 22, 2011 -- IEA -- Fact versus fiction
The IEA sets the record straight on energy-related misperceptions
Myth: We could end dependence on oil with electric vehicles within a few years.
Reality: Electric vehicles can play an increasingly important role over time, but even with rapid sales growth they will not save more than a few percent of worldwide oil use until after 2020.
Explanation: Countries around the world have set electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales targets that, when combined, amount to about 7 million sales per year by 2020. If this is achieved, it will result in over 20 million electric vehicles on the road by that year, taking into account all sales over the next nine years. While this would represent tremendous success for EVs and PHEVs, 20 million is only 2 percent of the expected one billion vehicles on the road in that year. More

June 22, 2011 -- Upstream staff -- Aleya Begum
A 'dark day' for European climate policy
Poland has blocked attempts by European ministers to toughen carbon emissions targets, a move that UK Energy Minister Chris Huhne described as marking ‘a dark day for Europe’.
In an EU Environment Council meeting in Luxembourg yesterday, which discussed the European Commission’s recent 2050 Low Carbon Roadmap, Poland was the only country not to agree to plans to look at increasing the initial 20% emissions reduction target, compared to 1990, set for 2020.
With Poland just weeks away from taking over the rotating presidency of the 27-member bloc, the move could suggest more collisions for Europe on climate issues.
"I'm deeply disappointed that the only country in the EU that could not accept a good compromise on how we can move Europe to a low carbon economy was Poland,” said Huhne.
"Delay and blockage is a recipe for increased costs and missed opportunities. More

June 20, 2011 -- Upstream staff
Huhne readies to fight 'zealots' on green laws
UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has attacked his Conservative colleagues in government as "rightwing ideologues" and "deregulation zealots" for placing environmental regulations on a list of red tape to be considered for scrapping.
In comments made at the weekend to a conference of social democrats in his party, Huhne made it clear he is opposed to environmental protection laws such as the Climate Change Act, the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the National Parks Act being included in the government's review of regulations in force in the UK.
His views are thought to reflect a range of opinion within Liberal Democrats in government.
"Between the obsession with micro-management and target-setting displayed by the Labour party, and the fixation with deregulation and scrapping rules just because they are rules on offer from some rightwing ideologues, we Liberal Democrats have a real chance to define an evidence-based, intelligent and distinctive approach," the Guardian reported Huhne as saying. More


June 20, 2011 -- manufacturing.net
Supreme Court Blocks Climate Change Lawsuit
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has blocked a federal lawsuit by states and conservation groups trying to force cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
The court said Monday that the authority to seek reductions in emissions rests with the Environmental Protection Agency, not the courts. The ruling was 8-0.
EPA says it will decide by next year whether to order utilities to cut emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The lawsuit targeted the five largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the United States, four private companies and the federal Tennessee Valley Authority.
The Obama administration sided with the power companies in this case. More

June 16, 2011 -- world-nuclear.org
Italy decisively rejects return to nuclear power
In a referendum considering four pieces of legislation promoted by Mr Berlusconi, voters strongly rejected the 2009 legislation setting up arrangements to generate 25% of the country's electricity from nuclear power by 2030. Italy is the only G8 country without its own nuclear power plants, having closed its last reactors in 1990 following a 1987 referendum on the question, soon after the Chernobyl accident. The country is the world's largest net importer of electricity, mostly from French nuclear power stations. Most new domestic capacity since 1990 has been combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants, and the referendum decision will mean much more of that. Due to high reliance on oil and gas, as well as imports, Italy's electricity prices are well above the European Union average. In 2008, the price averaged 20.9 Euro cents/kWh for households, over 9 cents more than in France. The Minister of Economic Development in October 2008 put the figure for the "terrible mistake" of the 1980s nuclear phase-out at some €50 billion. More

June 14, 2011 -- theregister.co.uk -- Lewis Page
Earth may be headed into a mini Ice Age within a decade
Physicists say sunspot cycle is 'going into hibernation'
What may be the science story of the century is breaking this evening, as heavyweight US solar physicists announce that the Sun appears to be headed into a lengthy spell of low activity, which could mean that the Earth - far from facing a global warming problem - is actually headed into a mini Ice Age.
Ice skating on the Thames by 2025?
The announcement made on 14 June comes from scientists at the US National Solar Observatory (NSO) and US Air Force Research Laboratory. Three different analyses of the Sun's recent behaviour all indicate that a period of unusually low solar activity may be about to begin. More

Big Brother coming to rural America
The White House -- For Immediate Release -- June 09, 2011
Executive Order - Establishment of the White House Rural Council
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America and in order to enhance Federal engagement with rural communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. Sixteen percent of the American population lives in rural counties. Strong, sustainable rural communities are essential to winning the future and ensuring American competitiveness in the years ahead. These communities supply our food, fiber, and energy, safeguard our natural resources, and are essential in the development of science and innovation.
More

June 7, 2011 -- economicpolicyjournal
Eliminate Bernie Madoff Style Accounting and the Real US Debt is $61 Trillion
When the U.S. government reports its debt, it does not include payment that it is required to make to seniors, veterans and retired employee. If those were included, as they should be, the US debt would be an far greater number than the already outrageous number the government does publish.
Accountant Sheila Weinberg, founder of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, has done the accounting correctly and has come up with these numbers: Total US debt $61 trillion, which comes out to $534,000 per household. More

June 7, 2011 -- Chris Isidore @CNNMoney
GM CEO calls for $1 gas tax hike
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said his company and his industry would be helped, not hurt, if consumers paid higher gas taxes.
In an interview published in Tuesday's Detroit News, Akerson floated the idea of a $1 a gallon increase in the gas tax as a way to encourage buyers to purchase smaller, more fuel efficient cars. Greg Martin, spokesman for GM's Washington office, confirmed that the quotes reflect Akerson's and GM's view.
Akerson said he would support a jump in the gas tax if it came instead of tighter fuel economy regulations More
Screw the poor and the elderly who bailed out GM and are hurt most by higher gas prices! -- "What's good for General Motors" is bad for senors and the poor.

June 7, 2011 -- Upstream staff
EIA sees jump in global oil demand
Japan and other countries will need much more oil this year to generate electricity, the US government said today, in a surprising upwardly revised oil demand forecast that could add to pressure on Opec to boost production.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected world oil consumption would rise by 1.7 million barrels per day to 88.43 million bpd this year, Reuters reported.
The latest monthly report is up 300,000 bpd from its growth forecast last month, when the agency had actually cut its oil demand outlook. More

June 2, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
First IAEA report on Fukushima
The handling of the Fukushima nuclear crisis was "exemplary," said a preliminary report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, and could eventually show "what can be achieved in responding to such extreme nuclear events."
....Some of the findings come as no surprise - "The tsunami hazard for several sites was underestimated" - while others praise Japan's "extremely open" stance in sharing information with the IAEA team.
....The response of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) by "dedicated, determined and expert staff under extremely arduous conditions has been exemplary, and resulted in the best approach to securing safety given the exceptional circumstances," said Weightman. More

June 2, 2011 -- Manufacturing.Net
Ford Working On Tiny Engine
Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce its smallest engine ever by 2013, part of the race to improve fuel economy across the industry.
Ford said Thursday it's working on a one-liter, three-cylinder engine that will be available in small cars globally. Ford didn't say which cars will get the engine, but it plans to release more details this fall. More

June 1, 2011 -- POWERnews
New Jersey to Pull Out of RGGI, Shun New Coal Plants
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday announced he would withdraw his state by the end of the year from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)—a cap-and-trade carbon trading system that involves 10 Northeastern states—because the “program is not effective in reducing greenhouse gases and is unlikely to be in the future,” he said. The governor also said the state would not permit any new coal plants and that it would shut down “dirtier” intermediate and peaker plants.
Christie said that an “extensive review” with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and others in his administration revealed that RGGI was ineffective because “allowances were never expensive enough to change behavior as they were intended to and ultimately fuel different choices.” More

May 31, 2011 -- nasa.gov
New NASA Map Reveals Patterns Of Tropical Forest Carbon Storage
A NASA-led research team has used a variety of NASA satellite data to create the most precise map ever produced depicting the amount and location of carbon stored in Earth's tropical forests. The data are expected to provide a baseline for ongoing carbon monitoring and research and serve as a useful resource for managing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
The new map, created from ground- and space-based data, shows for the first time the distribution of carbon stored in forests across more than 75 tropical countries. Most of that carbon is stored in the extensive forests of Latin America.
"This is a benchmark map that can be used as a basis for comparison in the future when the forest cover and its carbon stock change More

May 27, 2011 -- newsmax.com
Venezuela Oil Chief Tells U.S.: ‘Go to Hell’
The head of Venezuela’s state oil company said the United States can “go to hell” after it imposed economic sanctions on the firm for its ties to Iran.
“The imperialists can go to hell. Their sanctions mean nothing to us,” Rafael Ramirez, head of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and the country’s energy and petroleum minister, said Wednesday.
“No one is going to impose this kind of action against us. We do what best serves the people of Venezuela and what best serves the interests of the Venezuelan state.” More

May 27, 2011 -- upstreamonline
Crude rises as gasoline soars
US oil prices regained their footing near the close to end slightly higher today, finding support from gasoline futures, which soared in anticipation of higher demand this summer driving season.
Gains were limited, however, as a plunge in US home sales added to festering economic worries, erasing much of the day's earlier gains sparked by a weaker dollar. More

May 27, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Argentina recognises Rosatom
Russia and Argentina have signed a memorandum on cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy that recognises Rosatom as a possible supplier for a fourth Argentinian nuclear power plant.
The memorandum between Rosatom and the Ministry of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services of Argentina was signed by Rosatom director general Sergey Kiriyenko and Argentinian federal planning minister Julio De Vido at a ceremony in Moscow. The routine purpose fo the document is to extend cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy, but it also notes that Argentina will continue to look into Rosatom proposals for future nuclear power plants in the country and stipulates that Rosatom is prequalified as a possible supplier for Argentina's fourth nuclear power plant. More

May 24, 2011 -- usatoday.com
Senate blocks GOP bid to speed offshore drilling
A GOP bid to expand and hasten offshore oil drilling in the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline prices suffered an overwhelming defeat in the Senate on Wednesday, four days after President Obama directed his administration to ramp up U.S. oil production.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's bill on drilling permits was rejected.
Five Republicans joined 52 Democrats or independents in rejecting a bill written by Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell to speed up decision-making on drilling permits and force previously scheduled lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Alaska and Virginia coasts. The Obama administration suspended several lease sales after last year's massive BP oil spill.
The bill was supported by 42 Republicans, well short of the 60 needed to advance it. Several GOP senators complained that the bill gave too much ground to the Obama administration, including a provision that would require independent reviews of oil companies' plans for responding to major oil spills before they could get drilling permits. More
Is it treason to block Americans from using our own oil and forcing us to aid our enemies?

May 24, 2011 -- Matthew Daly -- AP
U.S. To Install Car-Charging Stations In 5 Cities
To boost use of electric vehicles, the Obama administration is installing charging stations for government vehicles in Washington, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.
The General Services Administration plans to buy 116 plug-in electric vehicles, including 101 Chevrolet Volts. That's a tiny fraction of the 650,000 vehicles the GSA manages, but Energy Secretary Steven Chu and other officials say the purchase is an important symbol of the administration's commitment to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. More
The fact: 71.2% of US electricity comes from Fossil fuel.

May 20, 2011 -- By Karoun Demirjian
Tonopah solar project poised to get $737 million loan guarantee
The Tonopah solar energy storage plant that came to symbolize Nevada Democrats’ campaign to preserve stimulus loan guarantees will be getting its money, it appears, after the Department of Energy delivered a conditional promise to back $737 million to get the project off the ground.
With it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Energy Secretary Stephen Chu announced Thursday, 600 jobs will be created in Nye County, and more than 4,000 more across the country, as parent company SolarReserve breaks ground on the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes project this summer.
More

May 12, 2011 -- The National Academy of Sciences
America’s Climate Choices
"The significant risks that climate change poses to human society and the environment provide a strong motivation to move ahead with substantial response efforts."
"Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused primarily by the emission of greenhouse gases from human activities, and poses significant risks for a range of human and natural systems."
Note the words "very likely" - Report summary --

BUT: April 4, 2011 -- Terrence Aym
NASA admits all previous warming trends caused by sun
Under mounting pressure from scientists that reject the politically popularized man-made global warming and climate models—the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) theory—the American space agency NASA has admitted that all past warming trends were driven by solar activity. More

May 12, 2011 -- (AP)
Schumer seeks to end US subsidies of oil companies
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is proposing to end what he says are $4 billion a year in tax subsidies to the biggest oil companies.
The subsidies date back decades as an incentive for small- and medium-size oil companies to explore for more oil sources.
But instead, Schumer says the subsidies have become a tax break for oil producers at a time when gasoline costs more than $4 a gallon in New York. More
Please end all energy sbsidies Chuck!

May 20, 2011 -- By Karoun Demirjian (contact)
Tonopah solar project poised to get $737 million loan guarantee
Friday, May 20, 2011 | 1:55 a.m.
The Tonopah solar energy storage plant that came to symbolize Nevada Democrats’ campaign to preserve stimulus loan guarantees will be getting its money, it appears, after the Department of Energy delivered a conditional promise to back $737 million to get the project off the ground.
With it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Energy Secretary Stephen Chu announced Thursday, 600 jobs will be created in Nye County, and more than 4,000 more across the country, as parent company SolarReserve breaks ground on the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes project this summer. More
$737 million / 600 jobs =

May 4, 2011 -- POWERnews
New Wash. Law Phases Out Coal-Fired Power by 2025
A law signed by Governor Chris Gregoire on Friday phases out coal-fired power production in Washington State with the closure of two coal boilers at TransAlta’s Centralia power plant.
The law, SB 5769, requires that the plant’s two coal boilers meet the state’s emissions performance standard for new and modified power plants, which will require the boilers to shut down. The standard will apply to one boiler on Dec. 31, 2020, and to the other boiler on Dec. 31, 2025—essentially ending coal-fired power in Washington State in the next 14 years. More

May 2, 2011 -- upstreamonline
BOEMRE to crack contractor whip
The US government will begin exerting its authority over contractors involved in developing offshore leases, the head of the country’s regulatory body said.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation & Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael Bromwich said his agency has always had the power to regulate contractors but has not chosen to exercise its authority until now.
“It has struck me as inappropriate to limit our authority to operators if in fact we had legal authority that reached more broadly to the activities of all entities involved in developing offshore leases,” he said at a keynote luncheon on the first day of the OTC conference in Houston. More

May 2, 2011 -- Eoin O'Cinneide & news wires
Shell seeks Alaska drill permits
Supermajor Shell could be close to winning approval to press ahead with drilling plans in Alaska, a state official has hinted.
The company has resubmitted requests to drill at five wells in the state’s Arctic waters, but another US official reckons Shell will be under pressure to prove its spill response capability.
"Shell reapplied for permits, and I think they're ready to get them," Dan Sullivan, head of Alaska’s Natural Resources Department, told news wire Dow Jones.
....Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation & Enforcement (BOEMRE) director Michael Bromwich said at OTC 2011 in Houston, however: “I haven’t seen their plan. We’re hearing generally about more ambitious plans". More

May 1, 2011 -- power -- Dr. Robert Peltier, PE
Nuclear Sneak Attack
A renewed attack on nuclear power immediately followed the March 11 catastrophe at the six-unit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex in Japan. At least one legislator and a multitude of anti-nuclear groups have demanded that the U.S. cease approval of all new nuclear plants for the foreseeable future and/or close our Mark I boiling water reactor (BWR) plants. This knee-jerk response adds nothing substantive to the nuclear safety debate.
Congressman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) released a statement on April 6 that gave his version of a nuclear plant safety program: “I have introduced [March 29] legislation, the Nuclear Power Plant Safety Act of 2011, to impose a moratorium on all pending NRC licenses and re-licenses in light of the need to fully understand the safety risks and include remedies into our own regulations.” More

April 25, 2011 -- rightsidenews
Three Inch Lizard to Shut Down Oil and Gas Operations in Texas and New Mexico?
A three-inch lizard that thrives in desert conditions could shut down oil and gas operations in portions of Southeast New Mexico and in West Texas, including the state's top two oil producing counties.
Called the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, it is being considered for inclusion on the federal Endangered Species listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A public rally to oppose this move is being sponsored by the Permian Basin Petroleum Association on Tuesday, April 26 at Midland Center beginning at 5 p.m. Congressman Mike Conaway will speak, as will Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson; other public officials have been invited. More

April 21, 2011 -- News wires
Crude rises on weak dollar
Crude has climbed above $124 a barrel as a sharply weaker US dollar triggered a rush into riskier assets.
The dollar struck its lowest in almost three years against a basket of currencies , making dollar-denominated crude less expensive for consumers using other currencies.
Singapore-based Action Economics director of Asian Economic Forecasting David Cohen said a weaker dollar and lower inventory numbers were supporting oil prices. More

April 20, 2011 -- POWERnews
TVA to Shutter 16% of Coal-Fired Capacity by 2017
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on Thursday said it would retire 18 older coal-fired units at three power plants starting next year as part of plans to idle or retire 2,700 MW of its 17,000 MW of coal-fired capacity by the end of 2017. The federally owned utility plans to replace the capacity with nuclear—proceeding with plans for Watts Bar Unit 2 and Bellefonte—as well as renewables, natural gas, and energy efficiency.
In documents released on Thursday, TVA said that three “realities” had caused the utility to evaluate the future of its older coal-fired units. First, it’s coal-fired fleet was aging and many units would require “extensive maintenance” to achieve reliable performance. Second, increasingly stringent regulations on air quality—which TVA expected would be enforced within four to five years—had forced it to “carefully consider where it is most practical to invest in expensive scrubbers and other emission controls.” More

April 20, 2011 -- POWERnews
Entergy Takes Vermont Yankee State License Extension Dispute to Court
Entergy Corp. on Monday asked a federal court to stop Vermont from closing its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant next year. Federal nuclear regulators last month extended the plant’s operating license by 20 years, but Entergy still requires a state permit.
Vermont is the only state that requires approval from both houses of legislature before the state can extend a nuclear operating license.
Entergy received a nuclear license approval for the Vermont Yankee plant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on March 21 after what the company called a “thorough and exhaustive five-year safety and environmental review of the plant.” More

April 19, 2011 -- hispanicbusiness.com
Fed Officials: Oil Prices Threatening Growth
Rising gas prices likely weighed on first quarter U.S. economic growth, the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said Monday, while another central bank official said companies are still reticent to hire.
Dennis Lockhart, president and CEO of the Atlanta Fed, said first quarter growth will likely be "soft" compared to modest growth many forecasters expected at the beginning of the year. More

April 18, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
India-Kazakhstan nuclear cooperation agreement signed
The governments of India and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries in 2009.
Kazakhstan, on the other hand, has 15% of the world's uranium resources and became the leading uranium producing country in 2009. The country was home to the BN-350 fast reactor at Aktau, which was built under Russian supervision and operated for 27 years, closing in 1999. The Kazakh government has expressed interest in the possibility of using nuclear power, and plans for a Japanese-built 600 MWe boiling water reactor, most likely in eastern Kazakhstan, feature in the state program for nuclear energy development in the period 2010-2020. More

April 11, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
NRC will not license French-owned plant
Unistar's applicaton to build a new nuclear power plant at Calvert Cliffs does not currently meet federal laws on foreign ownership, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has said.
Unistar Nuclear Energy, originally a 50:50 joint venture between EDF and Constellation Energy, is planning to build a French-designed EPR reactor at the Calvert Cliffs site in Maryland where Constellation already operates two existing pressurised water reactors. EDF took 100% control of Unistar Nuclear Energy when it bought out its erstwhile partner in October 2010 after the financial burden of securing federal loan guarantees put the project beyond Constellation's commercial reach. More
Another anti-energy move by our anti-economy, anti-job administration.

April 7, 2011 -- upstreamonline
Senator seeks Keystone pipeline probe
A US senator has urged federal antitrust regulators to investigate whether Canadian oil companies are seeking to drive up crude prices in the US Midwest through the construction of a proposed pipeline from Canada to Texas.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden's claim focuses on TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil produced in the tar sands of northern Alberta to Nederland, Texas and link to TransCanada's existing Keystone system, which now carries crude as far as Cushing, Oklahoma. More

March 30, 2011 -- bbc.co.uk
Obama sets out energy future for less dependency on oil
President Barack Obama said it was time for America to "get serious" about its energy demands
President Barack Obama has vowed to reduce US oil imports by one-third in little more than a decade.
He said in a speech in Washington that America had to "get serious" about a secure and affordable energy future.
Higher oil prices are threatening to hamper US economic recovery and there is growing dissatisfaction among car drivers with pump prices.
Mr Obama said the US must move towards getting 80% of its electricity from non-oil sources by 2035. More

March 30, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Cooling standard could hit power plants
More than 600 power plants including more than half of US nuclear reactors may be forced to retrofit once-through cooling systems with cooling towers under a proposed rule issued by the country's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA has proposed standards under the Clean Water Act to follow through on a recent settlement agreement with environmental groups whereby EPA agreed to issue regulations to reduce injury and death of fish and other aquatic life caused by cooling water intake structures at power plants and other industrial facilities. The EPA said that its proposal would "establish a common sense framework, putting a premium on public input and flexibility." More

March 25, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Fukushima Daiichi two weeks on
Tokyo Electric Power Company has been criticised over yesterday's exposure to workers operating in ankle-deep water, but continues to make progress towards stabilising the site two weeks after the natural disasters of 11 March.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has told the company to improve its radiation monitoring and the controls protecting workers that are bringing systems back online at Fukushima Daiichi. More

March 23, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Fukushima faced 14-metre tsunami
Tokyo Electric Power Company has revised its estimated size of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
This is the third upward revision of tsunami's scale since it disabled emergency power generators and heat removal pumps at Fukushima Daiichi on 11 March. The loss of these systems left units 1, 2 and 3 in severe trouble that has only stabilised after the write-off of the reactors, which are now being cooled by seawater injection. Some used fuel ponds at the site remain a serious concern and spraying to maintain water levels is ongoing.
In early statements, Tepco had said the tsunami was at least seven metres high. Later the company increased its estimate to ten metres at the Daiichi plant and 12 metres at Daini. Today's figures describe a 14-metre tsunami at both plants. By regulation, the Daiichi plant was fully prepared for a tsunami of up to 5.7 metres. At Daini, ten kilometres along the coast, the design basis was 5.2 metres. More

March 18, 2011 -- Nicholas Ballasy -- (CNSNews.com)
More Drilling in U.S. is ‘A Problem, Not A Solution’ to Creating Jobs, Says Democrat Member of House Labor Subcommittee
Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) said that increasing oil drilling “off the coast” is “a problem, not a solution” to creating jobs in the United States. Andrews recommended that House Republicans bring legislation to the floor if they think more drilling will create jobs.
Appearing at a press conference with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) on job creation, Rep. Andrews said, “I agree with my colleague and friend that drilling for oil off the coast is a problem, not a solution, but let’s get back to the main point here that if the Republicans really believe that was really a job-creating idea, why don’t they put it on the floor?” More
We created millions of jobs in Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Brazil, etc. Let our workers move there.

March 17, 2011 -- BBC
Cable reaches Japan nuclear plant
Engineers at Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have managed to lay a cable to reactor 2, the UN's nuclear watchdog reports.
Restoring power should enable engineers to restart the pumps which send coolant over the reactor.
Workers at Fukushima have been battling to prevent fuel in the reactors from overheating since Friday's magnitude 9.0 quake and subsequent tsunami. More

March 16, 2011 -- POWERnews
EPA’s Proposed “Toxic Air” Rules Could Cost Sector $10.9B a Year
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed what it described as the “first-ever” national standards for “toxic air pollution” from power plants. The new rules—which will replace the court-vacated Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR)—will require new and existing coal- and oil-fired plants to install pollution control technologies to curb emissions of mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and acid gases.
.... According to the proposed rules, the EPA is also proposing to revise the new source performance standards (NSPS) for fossil-fueled generating units. This NSPS would revise the standards new coal- and oil-fired power plants must meet for particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). More

14 March 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Cold shutdowns at Fukushima Daini
Two more reactors at Fukushima Daini have now achieved cold shutdown with full operation of cooling systems. Engineers are working for the same at the last unit.
The power plant's four boiling water reactors stopped automatically on last week's earthquake. At unit 3 the shutdown appears to have gone exactly as expected, with no systems damaged by the huge earthquake or tsunami. It went from power production to cold shutdown - where coolant water is at less than 100ºC - in about 34 hours. More

March 12, 2011 -- channelnewsasia.com
Japan scrambles to stop nuclear accidents
TOKYO: Japan scrambled Saturday to prevent nuclear accidents at two atomic plants where reactor cooling systems failed after a massive earthquake, as it evacuated tens of thousands of residents.
Radiation 1,000 times above normal was detected in the control room of one plant, although authorities said levels outside the facility's gates were only eight times above normal, spelling "no immediate health hazard".
The two nuclear plants affected are the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants, both located about 250 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of greater Tokyo, an urban area of 30 million people. More

March 11, 2011 -- newsmax.com Bill Clinton: Offshore Drilling Delays 'Ridiculous'
Delays in offshore oil and gas drilling permits are “ridiculous” at a time when the economy is still rebuilding, former President Bill Clinton told attendees Friday at the IHS CERAWeek conference. Clinton spoke on a panel with former President George W. Bush that was closed to the media, Politico reported. There also was no video of the event.
Still, there were several attendees who confirmed to Politico that Clinton agreed with Bush on many oil and gas issues, including criticism of delays in permitting offshore since last year’s Gulf of Mexico spill.
“Bush said all the things you’d expect him to say” on oil and gas issues, said Jim Noe, senior vice president at Hercules Offshore and executive director of the pro-drilling Shallow Water Energy Security Coalition. But Clinton added, “You’d be surprised to know that I agree with all that,” according to Noe and others attending the conference who talked to Politico. More

March 11, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Massive earthquake hits Japan
Nuclear reactors shut down during today's massive earthquake in Japan. Work to stabilise three reactors at Fukushima Daiichi continues into the morning.
The magnitude 8.9 quake hit at 2.46pm, centred offshore of the city of Sendai on the eastern cost of Honshu island. Serious secondary effects followed including a significant tsunami causing widespread destruction. The quake comes just two days after one of magnitude 7.3 also offshore in the same general region.
The Japan Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF) issued a notice saying all reactors in the north-eastern part of Japan had shut down automatically. Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan made a statement on television in which he noted that there had been no early indication of any radioactive release. More

March 10, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Double attack on US nuclear waste fees
American utilities and regulators have both filed lawsuits against the Department of Energy (DoE) for continuing to charge for the halted Yucca Mountain project.
Funding for Yucca Mountain has come from a levy of 0.1 cents per kWh of nuclear power, which currently adds up to about $770 million per year. Nuclear utilities - and therefore their customers - have now paid a total of over $31 billion into the Nuclear Waste Fund.
The government was supposed to use this money to create a permanent nuclear waste disposal site by 1998. Around $7 billion was spent and much progress made, but Yucca was cut off from funding in May 2009 by President Barack Obama and energy secretary Stephen Chu. Spending on Yucca is now set at the absolute minimum level, while the $24 billion balance of the fund remains with the US Treasury earning substantial compound interest of over $1 billion per year. More

March 9, 2011 --
Oil rises as Gaddafi bombs infrastructure
Brent crude rose 0.5% towards $117 today after forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi bombed oil industry infrastructure, inflicting what could be longer-term damage on the country's exporting capacity.
News wires 10 March 2011 04:02 GMT
Gaddafi's forces struck an oil pipeline leading to Es Sider and dropped bombs on storage tanks in the Ras Lanuf oil terminal area in the eastern section of Libya that is rebel-controlled. Rebels said government forces also hit an oil pipeline leading to Sidrah. More

March 8, 2011 -- Upstream staff -- Luke Johnson
Hess warns of looming energy crisis
The US must act immediately to form a comprehensive and sustainable energy policy to prepare for the coming energy crisis, Hess chief executive Johns Hess said today.
“To sustain our economic growth and prosperity, we need a comprehensive long-term approach to energy,” he said at the Global Oil Plenary session at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. “We must act now.”
Growing oil demand is pushing the world towards crisis, he said, with a lag in investment hurting the industry’s ability to keep up with global energy needs.
“As demand grows in the next decade, we will not have the oil production capacity we will need to meet demand,” he said. “The $140 per barrel oil price of three years ago was not an aberration – it was a warning.”
More

March 8, 2011 -- Upstream -- News wires
Sasol snaps up $1bn Canada shale blocks
South African energy group Sasol said today it would pay C$1.05 billion ($1.08 billion) for its second shale gas interest in Canada in a move to expand its gas portfolio.
Sasol said it would buy a 50% stake in Talisman Energy's Cypress A acreage in the Montney basin in Canada, where the company also bought a stake in Talisman's Farrell Creek assets last year.
The 57,000 acres of land covered by Cypress A represent an estimated contingent resource of 11.2 trillion cubic feet of gas. More

March 4, 2011 -- Upstream staff
Fraud licencing activist found guilty
An environmental activist has been convicted of defrauding the US government by submitting false bids to derail an auction of oil and gas drilling rights on vast tracts of public land in Utah.
Reuters reports a federal court jury in Salt Lake City deliberated nearly five hours before finding Tim de Christopher, 29, guilty of fraud and violations of the US Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act, capping an unusual four-day trial.
De Christopher admitted posing as a private energy developer in December 2008 for a government "lease sale" auction, where he ended up offering the winning bids for 9105.4 hectares of Interior Department mineral rights valued at $1.7 million. More

March 4, 2011 -- (CNSNews.com) Nicholas Ballasy
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., on Chevy Volt: ‘The Technology Isn’t There Yet’
– NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that Chevrolet’s “Volt,” a hybrid electric car, is a “good product” but the “technology isn’t there yet really to provide the consumer with something that can go a little further [in mileage] than that and do a little bit better job with that.” More

March 2, 2011 -- powermag.com
Explain Redactions in Yucca Mountain Safety Report, NRC Panel Tells Agency
The three-judge panel of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) Atomic Safety and Licensing Board on Friday threw out a motion to shelve proceedings for the Yucca Mountain license case through May 20. The judges also asked the NRC to explain why it whited-out portions of a report assessing the safety of the Nevada nuclear waste repository that was released last week.
The judges said the panel would not keep the Yucca Mountain licensing case inactive because it intended to press on as quickly as possible with the case. The Las Vegas Sun speculated that the order could mean the licensing board would like to restart hearing on the repository. More

February 25, 2011 -- council.nyc
GREEN BUILDINGS LEGISLATION
Working to meet the commitment of reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030, the Speaker and her colleagues in the City Council will complete a comprehensive legislative package to cut emissions that come from buildings. Nearly 80% of all greenhouse gases come from the roughly 950,000 buildings across the City. Today’s legislation addresses a critical component of creating a more environmentally friendly New York – bringing aging existing infrastructure into the 21st Century.
The bills being introduced today include:
Bringing the Past into the Future: Requiring owners of existing buildings over 50,000 square feet to make cost-effective energy efficiency improvements to their buildings once every ten years by conducting an audit, retro-commissioning, and retrofitting their building. More

February 21, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Slow progress towards US use of MOX
While construction continues on a mixed oxide nuclear fuel plant at Savannah River, negotiations on where the fuel will be used remain in the early stages.
The $4.8 billion Savannah River MOX Plant is being built by Shaw Areva MOX Services to combine 34 tonnes of 'surplus' plutonium oxide with uranium oxide to create fuel for conventional power reactors. Russia is disposing of an identical amount of plutonium through a bilateral arms reduction deal that eliminates explosive fuel from some 17,000 unwanted nuclear weapons.
While finding a customer for the MOX is of course vital for America's plans, a lengthy trial and approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is required before MOX can be used as routine in a commercial US reactor. More

February 17, 2011 -- Bloomberg -- Holger Elfes and Oliver Suess
Munich Re Says Natural Disasters Tripled in Germany Since 1970
German insurers’ losses from natural catastrophes are rising as global climate change causes more inundations and storms, Munich Re said.
..... “Climate change is a fact,” Hoeppe said, adding that 2010 was the hottest year worldwide since records started, according to data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. Higher temperatures are increasingly leading to extreme rainfall and storms.
European winter storm Xynthia, which swept across Portugal, Spain, France and Germany in February 2010, cost insurers about $3.4 billion, while the earthquake that hit Chile in the same month may have cost the industry $8 billion, according to estimates by Munich Re. That led to an increase in natural disaster claims last year by more than two-thirds to $37 billion, exceeding the annual average of $35 billion over the preceding 10 years, the reinsurer said last month. More

February 15, 2011 -- Timothy Gardner (Reuters)
Obama admin divided over Canada oil sands pipe
The Obama administration is divided over a proposed pipeline that would ease U.S. reliance on oil from unstable regions but boost dependence on Canada's oil sands which are deemed environmentally unfriendly by green groups.
TransCanada Corp (TRP.TO), the company hoping to build the $7 billion-plus Keystone XL pipeline extension, expects the State Department to approve the project in the second half of 2011.
A U.S. decision had originally been expected in the first half of the year. The State Department would not immediately comment. More

"We do not now have a problem.... Inflation made here in the US is very, very low" - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, February 10, 2011

We know Bernake. He is not stupid. So, why is he lying?

February 9, 2011 -- POWERnews
Inhofe, Jackson Testify on Bill to Strip EPA of Power to Regulate GHGs
....Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson were questioned by panels of the House’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power this morning as part of a discussion on draft legislation that seeks to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs). The legislative hearing’s witnesses also included other major players in the climate change regulatory debate, such as Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Even before the hearing this morning, lawmakers had come out swinging. Rep. Waxman circulated a letter on Tuesday that George W. Bush’s EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson wrote in January 2008, which claimed climate science was settled and was possibly a danger to public health. The letter was sent six months before Johnson announced that the agency would continue to evaluate whether an endangerment finding was needed.
Inhofe countered the claim by pointing to a different statement Johnson made in July 2008, which suggested regulating GHGs under existing law would cause legal, economic, and technical problems. At the hearing he shot at the EPA: “EPA claims the Supreme Court forced it to act. Not so; the Supreme Court ruled that EPA possessed the discretion under the Clean Air Act to decide whether greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare,” he said. “EPA was given a choice, and it made the wrong choice.” More

February 1, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Record year for Kazakh uranium
Kazakhstan's annual uranium production has doubled since 2008, according to preliminary uranium production results released by national atomic company Kazatomprom.
The 17,803 tU produced by Kazakhstan in 2010 was nearly 30% up on the 14,020 tU produced in 2009 and double the amount produced in 2008. Uranium sales for the company, excluding subsidiaries and joint ventures, amounted to 9000 tU for the year, and revenue from uranium was also up by 30% on 2009 figures, Kazatomprom said.
At the end of 2010 Kazatomprom's portfolio of orders was worth about $17 billion, and the company expects net income for the year to be around 53 billion Tenge ($360 million), 24% up on 2009. The increase is attributed to the growth in uranium sales volume. More

January 26, 2011 -- washingtonpost.com
2 Mich. Democrats propose billions more in tax incentives to encourage electric car sales
The day after President Obama called for popularizing electric cars in his State of the Union address, two Michigan Democrats proposed legislation that would spend billions more on incentives for consumers to buy them.
Rep. Sander M. Levin and Sen. Carl M. Levin are proposing to more than double the scope of a program that gives consumers $7,500 in tax incentives for buying plug-in electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.
If consumers buy more pure electric cars and more manufacturers produce them, the expanded package of incentives could amount to as much as $19 billion in tax credits for consumers over the next 10 years. More
Incredible how lawmakers dare to waste taxpayers money.

January 26, 2011 -- editorial
State of the Union and the Energy Crisis.
Four devastating paragraphs and a few scattered sentences in President Obama's speech gives us a glimpse of his "energy policy". They assure our continued dependence on foreign oil and higher fuel prices.
President Obama is still adamant about climate change and alternate energy. He is willing to subsidize solar panel manufacturers even though after investing more then 500 million dollars four such projects have already failed.
He wants to "eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. I don't know if - I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own." He fails to note that much of their income comes from overseas.
He mentions working on a new a energy policy without including oil: "Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas."
One of his goals is "to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail." - Whether they want it or not.
more                         Transcript of Address

January 21, 2011 -- The Associated Press
EPA approves more ethanol in fuel for cars
Nearly two-thirds of cars on the road could have more corn-based ethanol in their fuel tanks under an Environmental Protection Agency decision Friday.
The agency said that 15 percent ethanol blended with gasoline is safe for cars and light-duty trucks manufactured between 2001 and 2006, expanding an October decision that the higher blend is safe for cars built since 2007.The maximum gasoline blend has been 10 percent ethanol.
The fuel is popular in farm country because most ethanol comes from corn and other grains. It faces strong opposition, however, from the auto industry, environmentalists, cattle ranchers, food companies and others. Those groups say that using corn to make ethanol makes animal feed more expensive, raises prices at the grocery store and tears up the land. There have already been several lawsuits filed against the EPA — including one filed by automakers, boat manufacturers and outdoor power equipment manufacturers — since the agency decided to allow the higher blends for newer cars in October.
...."It seems like corn growers and the ethanol industry are the only real winners here," more
NOTE:
China's biggest non-state oil enterprise urged the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to impose a ban on using corn to produce ethanol fuel.
Zhao Youshan, chairman of the Oil Flow Commission of the China General Chamber of Commerce, told the Beijing Times that they have submitted a letter to the NDRC in an attempt to ban corn-based ethanol production, because it has pushed up corn prices at home and turned China into a corn-importing country in the first half of this year from previously a corn-exporting country. more

January 19, 2011 -- aflcio.org
Remarks by AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka
"America's Choices: Why the Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong" National Press Club
Good morning and thank you. I'm honored to stand beside firefighter Stan Trojanowski, who responded to a 9-1-1 call from the World Trade Center moments after the terrorist attacks in 2001. As America grieved, Stan returned to the scene day after day, first in the hopes of rescuing those trapped in the rubble, then to recover remains of those who had perished. more

January 18, 2011 -- forbes.com
Obama wants to shed rules that hurt job growth
President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered a review of federal regulations with an eye toward getting rid of those that stifle job creation and hurt economic growth, a move aimed at both soothing anger over the government's reach and mending Obama's relationship with the business community.
The president signed an executive order telling federal agencies to look for rules that place an unreasonable burden on businesses. Specifically, Obama said any regulations must reduce uncertainty, be written in plain language, be built upon public participation, and identify the "least burdensome tools" for achieving the goals of the new government rules.
In an opinion column in The Wall Street Journal, the president also said he wants agencies to look for outdated regulations that make the U.S. economy less competitive. more

January 14, 2011 -- sierraclub
Permit Nixed for Huge West Virginia Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine
In a huge victory for the Sierra Club and its allies, on January 13 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked a water pollution permit for the Spruce No.1 Mine in West Virginia, one of the largest mountaintop removal coal mines ever proposed in Appalachia. Above, ralliers at the Appalachia Rising mobilzation in Washington, D.C., last fall.
In its decision, the EPA said Spruce No.1, which would have blown up more than 2,000 acres of mountains, would cause unacceptable damage to West Virginia rivers, wildlife, and communities. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Peter S. Silva said the agency was employing a rarely used veto power because the mine would use "destructive and unsustainable" mining practices.
"The mine would have destroyed almost seven miles of streams" more
Seven miles of streams could be run through pipes.
How many people will loose their jobs & homes?
A huge loss for West Virginia and the US.

January 13, 2011 -- DOW JONES -- John Donovan.
Shell Fears Yearlong Delay Of Alaska Drilling Program -FT
The head of Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s (RDSA, RDSA.LN) U.S. entity fears difficulties in gaining a federal air-quality permit will push back its long- delayed plans to drill in Alaska’s Artic waters by another year, the Financial Times reported online Wednesday.
“It’s a significant challenge to drilling in 2011,” Marvin Odum, president of Shell Oil Co., told the newspaper.
The U.K.-Dutch company is halfway through 10-year leases in Alaska but continues to struggle to move ahead with its $3.5 billion investment to drill in the state’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas. The plans have been dogged by environmental lawsuits and permit issues on top of calls for better spill prevention and containment capabilities following BP well disaster in the Gulf of Mexico last year. more

January 12, 2011 --
Obama’s Ultimate Betrayal
Welcome to 2011; another year for President Barack Obama, whose energy policies are dictated not from the White House but from Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.
Obama’s Christmas gift to the nation was the December announcement by the President himself to clamp down further on domestic oil and gas drilling. Welcome to the New Year where pump prices now average more than $3 per barrel.
.... Then there is the drilling in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico. Nearly three months after the Obama administration lifted its ban, oil companies are still waiting for approval to drill the first new oil well in the Gulf. In fact, the petroleum industry expects the wait to continue until the second half of 2011, and perhaps well into 2012.
.... Obama’s DOE must think America alone can make the Earth green. What the President seems to forget is the fact that China, India and Russia, along with a host of Third World polluters, are using coal and even wood furnaces to drive their industries. more

January 5, 2011 -- world-nuclear-news
Permit for Nichols Ranch uranium
Uranerz has permission from the state of Wyoming to mine uranium at Nichols Ranch. Only approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is outstanding.
Nichols Ranch is one of seven deposits located in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin that together have uranium resources of 6060 tonnes, certified in line with the NI 43-101 standard. Yesterday Uranerz received a commercial permit to mine from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. more

January 4, 2011 -- CNNMoney.com
Ex-Shell president sees $5 gas in 2012
The former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, says Americans could be paying $5 for a gallon of gasoline by 2012.
In an interview with Platt's Energy Week television, Hofmeister predicted gasoline prices will spike as the global demand for oil increases.
"I'm predicting actually the worst outcome over the next two years which takes us to 2012 with higher gasoline prices," he said. more

January 4, 2011 -- upstreamonline.com
Oil hits 27-month high
Oil prices rose to a 27-month peak as upbeat European and US manufacturing data and forecasts for cold weather reinforced optimism about economic and energy demand growth.
Manufacturing in the United States and Europe accelerated last month and growth in China and India slowed to a more sustainable level, helping to fuel a move by investors into riskier assets.
US crude oil for February delivery rose 17 cents to settle at $91.55 a barrel on Monday, its highest settlement since early October 2008, after earlier rising as high as $92.58, Reuters reported. more

Happy New Year!
We have a problem: We can’t cut spending enough to get us out of this mess. We have to increase income while reducing taxes. There is a solutionm:
1. Immediately stop making ethanol. Grow wheat instead of corn. Wheat can be sold overseas.
2. Immediately start a crash nuclear energy program. Westinghouse AP1000s are certified and can be up and running in five years.
3. Drill for oil. We should immediately start using our own oil and reducing imports. Billions of dollars and millions of jobs would be kept in the US.
4. Kill the health care bill. There were a number of better proposals. Revive one of them.
Make a deal with Americans: Raise the debt limit if and only if they agree to all of the above points.

Sounds impossible? Then get ready for the new energy economy and $5,00+ gas:
Buy oil and gas stock now.
Don't buy a car too small for your family.
Wait for better Hybrid cars
Stay away from electric cars. Electric rates will go up faster than oil.