QUICK NEWS, May 15: CHINA NUKE CO GOES CSP-BIOMASS; NOT SO SMART TO BLOCK SMART METERS; NORTH AMERICA’S FIRST FULLY WINDMADE EVENT

CHINA NUKE CO GOES CSP-BIOMASS China’s nuclear giant opts for CSP-biomass hybrid

Paul French, May 11, 2012 (CSP Today)

“China’s leading nuclear power company…China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Corporation (CGNPC), the PRC’s largest single nuclear power company and reactor operator, started construction this month on an integrated biomass-solar power [rooftop] generation plant [for its offices] in the South East Asian island state of Singapore…

“…[T]he project represents an investment of approximately US$33.6 million for Phase I. The plant is fuelled by wood and horticultural waste and includes a solar installation on the building’s rooftop. Phase I is expected to generate 10MWand be completed by November 2013. Details of any potential Phase II have not yet been announced.”

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“The plant is being integrated into CGNPC’s new regional headquarters building in Singapore. CGNPC aims to use this HQ to win business in South East Asia with both neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as nearby Vietnam, all of which are looking to build civilian nuclear power plants and are actively considering Chinese reactor options…

“This facility is the first overseas project of its kind to be developed and implemented by CGNPC. While the company has developed the technology in-house, it has yet to announce plans to roll it out on a commercial scale. Instead, it appears to remain focused on its core business, nuclear power. However, CGNPC has previously dabbled in solar, wind and hydro, so it is likely that they will add this technology offering to their portfolio at some point in the future…”

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NOT SO SMART TO BLOCK SMART METERS Utilities Try to Tame the Backlash Against Smart Meters

Mark Chediak, May 10, 2012 (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

“…[S]ome consumers have started pushing back [against smart meter installations], saying the gadgets compromise privacy, raise costs rather than cut them, and threaten health with electromagnetic fields from the radios the meters use to transmit data. The backlash has slowed improvements to the nation’s power grid as some utilities hold off on rollout plans while regulators weigh the potential benefits against the cost of the programs, expected to reach nearly $29 billion nationwide by 2015.

“To keep installations on track, regulators in California, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Vermont are allowing utilities to impose a surcharge on consumers who want to keep their conventional meters, and four other states are considering such fees…Though only a small percentage of users have balked at smart meters, the surcharges have spurred intense opposition among consumer groups…”

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“The new meters let utilities track consumption constantly, so they can raise rates during times of peak demand such as summer heat waves. Such price jumps, regulators say, will help keep usage in check, reducing the risk of blackouts from network overload and easing the need for expensive new power plants. The smart meters can also be controlled from a central location, saving utilities money by eliminating the need for meter readers and letting them shut off service to deadbeat customers from afar…

“Power companies have invested more than $15 billion in smart grid projects and are projected to spend an additional $13 billion through 2015…Some 27 million smart meters have been installed, and within three years that number will likely reach 65 million, or about half of U.S. homes…”

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NORTH AMERICA’S FIRST FULLY WINDMADE EVENT WINDPOWER 2012 first North American event to be labeled WindMade

May 11, 2012 (American Wind Energy Association)

“The American Wind Energy Association’s WINDPOWER 2012 Conference & Exhibition in Atlanta, June 3-6, will be the first North American event ever to earn WindMade’s designation as 100 percent powered by wind energy…

“For an event to garner the WindMade label, it needs to procure 100 percent of its electricity footprint from wind power. The electricity associated with WINDPOWER 2012 and powered by wind includes the event preparations at the AWEA offices, the power usage at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, and electricity used at the social events, including conference receptions and dinners…”

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“In order to cover 100 percent of the electricity used for WINDPOWER 2012, AWEA has committed to procuring an equivalent amount of Green-E labelled Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This commitment is compliant with the requirements set out in WindMade’s ‘Events Standard.’

“The Events Standard was developed following strong demand from conference organisers wishing to differentiate their events by showing their commitment to wind power. Under the WindMade Technical Standard, any kind of event could be labelled – from a theatre production to a trade fair, from a big sports event to a small conference.”