Energy & Fuel

Senate Stopgap Funds Some Disaster Aid, Ditches Energy Cuts

The Senate voted 79-12 Monday night to approve a bipartisan stopgap spending bill that funds some disaster relief from FEMA and and abandons controversial cuts to green energy programs. Democrats said they expected the seven-week funding extension to be approved by the GOP-led House, which is in pro forma session after most members went home.

Source: LA Times, 09/27/2011
December 5, 2011 to December 9, 2011

Global South-South Development Expo 2011 in Rome

The Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD) is the first-ever expo to showcase successful Southern-grown development solutions (SDSs) to address the need to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the Global South.

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"Rick Perry's Dirty Deals With Big Coal"

"Perry fast-tracked new plants and made Texas even more polluted than it already was."

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"In April 2006, a few days before Earth Day, Texas Gov. Rick Perry joined executives of TXU, the state's largest utility and biggest carbon dioxide emitter, in cheering plans to open a staggering 11 new coal-fired power plants throughout Texas. With rolling blackouts still fresh on many Texans' minds, Perry hailed TXU's rapid expansion as a path to energy security, not to mention a way to create jobs and potentially lower energy costs.

Source: Mother Jones, 09/22/2011

TVA Public Relations Staff Edited Engineer's Report on Failed Coal-Ash Dam

Dam inspections began before the Dec. 2008 spill incident of 5.4 million cubic yards of coal-ash slurry in Tennessee. Afterward, the initial draft engineer's report of the pre-spill inspection noted several eroded areas needed to be fixed "immediately;" the word was subsequently struck from the report.

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November 16, 2011

Tackling Tomorrow's Energy Challenges Today: A Southeastern Symposium at Duke University

The Southeastern United States is faced with several energy transitions in the coming years. This day-long symposium in Durham, NC will discuss these issues, identify crucial information gaps, and plot future directions for research and outreach.

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November 3, 2011 to November 4, 2011

Conference on the Assessment of Future Energy Systems (CAFES) in Calgary

Join global experts in energy systems thinking and top scientists, industry leaders and policy makers to identify the opportunities, challenges and integrated solutions for Canada and North America of the next energy system transformation. Special registration and accommodation rates available until October 7th.

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"China Closes Solar-Panel Plant After Protests"

"Beijing -- Authorities ordered a solar-panel manufacturing plant in eastern China to close after four days of protests by hundreds of villagers who have accused the facility of causing air and water pollution, Chinese media reported Monday.

The decision is an indication of the growing power of environmental protesters to sway government policy in China. As many as 500 villagers participated in the protests near Haining, an industrial city of 640,000 in coastal Zhejiang province.

Source: LA Times, 09/20/2011

"China Invests Billions in Canada Oil Sands"

"FORT McMURRAY, Alberta -- As U.S. companies look toward oil riches in northern Canada, they're encountering increasing competition - as well as some much-needed cash infusions - from the Far East. U.S. and Canadian companies have dominated Alberta's oil sands for decades. Now, though, Chinese firms are rushing to snap up Canadian oil sands resources and invest in ongoing projects - to the tune of $15 billion in the past 18 months in Alberta alone."

Source: Houston Chronicle, 09/19/2011

"Safety Risks Underscored by Violations at ExxonMobil Refinery"

"As an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity’s iWatch News  has shown , oil refining is one of the country’s most dangerous industries, where even seemingly small recurring events such as equipment breakdowns and fires can have fatal consequences.  Yet an easily manipulated regulatory system allows companies to delay or avoid improvements. While the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration occasionally appears to take a tough stance, identifying perils and proposing fines, the fines are often small and can be appealed for long periods of time, delaying fixes."
 
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Source: iWatch News, 09/19/2011

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