Scotland is called the energy capital of the EU because its North Sea oil and gas industry pulled Europe out of the oil crises of the 1970s. It is now serious about renewable energy.
Renewables in Scotland’s electricity supply have grown from 20.18 percent in 2007 to 34.65 percent in 2011, a feat the country achieved by growing its abundant onshore wind and hydro. The government has committed itself to getting 50 percent of its power from renewables by 2015 and 100 percent by 2020.
As much as 5 gigawatts or more of the new renewable capacity is projected to come from offshore wind, according to Scottish Renewables Communications Director Rachelle Money, though it is only 190 megawatts, less than 0.1 percent, of Scotland’s current 5,453 megawatts of installed renewables capacity.
At the U.K. Offshore Wind and Supply Chain Conference in Aberdeen, product and service providers from all over the U.K. and around the world gathered for an update on Scotland’s plans and efforts. The sheer variety of exhibitions showed the budding industry’s wide-ranging economic potential.
Clyde Fasteners Commercial Director Iain Boyd displayed a selection of the foot-long hub and gearbox studs and bolts his half-century-old company, long a supplier to the oil and gas industry, has begun marketing to offshore wind turbine makers. A single offshore wind turbine requires 500 or more such bolts.
One of the key stages in the U.K. Crown Estate’s consideration of proposed offshore wind development is the Consents process. One of the key elements in that process is guaranteeing that a wind project is well-sited and environmentally safe. Consents Manager Andrew Finlay has recently taken on the challenge of making sure birds, aquatic life, and marine activities are not threatened or disrupted by offshore projects.
According to Senior Development Manager Ronnie Quinn, the Crown Estate was the first to review early offshore wind locations, because it is responsible for all of the royal family's land holdings, which include the seabed beneath British territorial waters. With the U.K.’s drive to grow offshore wind, Parliament seized on that experience by giving the Crown Estate the responsibility for managing and driving deeper-water offshore wind growth.
Fulfilling much the same functions as the U.S. Departments of Energy and Interior, the Crown Estate’s first five rounds of lease offerings have resulted, as of June 2012, in 1.9 gigawatts of operational offshore wind, 2.4 gigawatts under construction, 1.2 gigawatts approved and 5.1 gigawatts in planning. Quinn said to expect an announcement in 1H 2013 about deep water technologies, including floating wind turbines.
The U.K.’s old ports, even those in Scotland which have been servicing the oil and gas industry, will need renovating, explained Ian Munro, engineering firm I&H Brown’s Divisional Director. His company recently re-engineered a Liverpool harbor quay for handling nacelles and towers. It will mean a lot of design, engineering, building and dockside labor opportunities.
Generating the economies of scale necessary to bring the U.K. cost for offshore wind down from 140 pounds per megawatt-hour to the targeted 100 pounds per megawatt-hour is expected to be a boon for the U.K. and Scottish economies. Investment in offshore wind from July 2011 to June 2012 alone was estimated at 150 million to 600 million pounds.
The harsh offshore environment will require a new kind of technology, according to NGenTec CMO Dr. Charles Gamble. His Scotland-based company is challenging Boulder Wind Power in the design and development of axial flux, air-core permanent magnet direct-drive generators that will dramatically increase reliability and reduce the need for maintenance in the turbine’s most costly and vulnerable part.
2013年1月31日 星期四
2013年1月30日 星期三
Developing on-line testing
The Insitec was installed at a work station on one of the assembly lines, directly beneath the bench to which the grinder is delivered for testing.
To carry out the test the assembly line worker pours fresh coffee beans into the grinder and initiates the test sequence. The grinder starts to work and the resulting ground coffee flows out of the grinding chamber, down towards the analyzer. A venturi aspirates the arriving sample into the measurement zone of the instrument.
One of the parameters measured during laser diffraction particle size analysis is obscuration (or transmission), the amount of light penetrating the sample. Measuring at an appropriate obscuration is essential to obtain reliable particle size data and is therefore one of the issues addressed during method development. In routine operation, obscuration can be used to trigger an analysis. In this set-up the arrival of ground coffee reduces the amount of light seen by the detector, automatically triggering measurement at an appropriate concentration, without any manual intervention. The end of the analysis is marked in an identical manner.
The particle size distribution data for the sample is presented in real-time on the screen towards the back of the workstation. Data presentation has been precisely developed to meet the requirements of the application and particle size data is not the most prominently displayed information although the software does calculate a median particle size for the coffee (Dv50 – the particle size below which 50% of the population by volume lies). The focus of attention for the operator is the green areas of the screen which indicate whether the grinder is giving acceptable performance, and if not, how many turns of the gear wheel are required to correct it.
Figure 2 shows a test result where change is required, in this case a single turn in one direction. A negative sign ahead of the number would indicate a need to turn in the opposite direction. Following any corrective action a second test is carried out.
Refining the analytical solution to this level of simplicity and effectiveness required some initial effort. Key tasks were to establish suitable specifications, for each grinder type manufactured, and the development of a suitable interface.
De'Longhi worked with Malvern application specialists to exploit the full potential of the software that drives the analyzer and enables its integration with other processing equipment. The result is that data is presented in an easy to understand way that minimises the risk of error by the operator.
Testing is now completed in a few seconds and the amount of coffee used is relatively small. Because the grinder is tested with real coffee, small sample size is a distinct advantage that reduces the ongoing cost of testing. Every grinder is tested and each one leaves the testing station with numerical test data verifying performance. This data is linked to the serial number for the grinder, and ultimately the coffee maker, and form part of a matrix of QC test data for the machine, that verifies every aspect of performance.
Although the company no longer relies on the expert eye/feel of the assembly line staff but they are still trained to recognise powders in this way. Today, particle size data enables trainers to teach people to recognise the feel of specific blends and to demonstrate the sensitivity of the solution that the company has developed. Such efforts emphasise to all staff the need to control the particle size of the coffee in a statistically reliable way, and underline company commitment to manufacture of the highest quality products.
Looking further forward, particle size information is also now driving continuing development. At De’Longhi the Insitec systems are in almost constant use as development staff also use the system to gather experimental data to support research. Particle size results also enable assessment of different grinder designs, with, for example, different internals, allowing the company to refine its product offering.
To carry out the test the assembly line worker pours fresh coffee beans into the grinder and initiates the test sequence. The grinder starts to work and the resulting ground coffee flows out of the grinding chamber, down towards the analyzer. A venturi aspirates the arriving sample into the measurement zone of the instrument.
One of the parameters measured during laser diffraction particle size analysis is obscuration (or transmission), the amount of light penetrating the sample. Measuring at an appropriate obscuration is essential to obtain reliable particle size data and is therefore one of the issues addressed during method development. In routine operation, obscuration can be used to trigger an analysis. In this set-up the arrival of ground coffee reduces the amount of light seen by the detector, automatically triggering measurement at an appropriate concentration, without any manual intervention. The end of the analysis is marked in an identical manner.
The particle size distribution data for the sample is presented in real-time on the screen towards the back of the workstation. Data presentation has been precisely developed to meet the requirements of the application and particle size data is not the most prominently displayed information although the software does calculate a median particle size for the coffee (Dv50 – the particle size below which 50% of the population by volume lies). The focus of attention for the operator is the green areas of the screen which indicate whether the grinder is giving acceptable performance, and if not, how many turns of the gear wheel are required to correct it.
Figure 2 shows a test result where change is required, in this case a single turn in one direction. A negative sign ahead of the number would indicate a need to turn in the opposite direction. Following any corrective action a second test is carried out.
Refining the analytical solution to this level of simplicity and effectiveness required some initial effort. Key tasks were to establish suitable specifications, for each grinder type manufactured, and the development of a suitable interface.
De'Longhi worked with Malvern application specialists to exploit the full potential of the software that drives the analyzer and enables its integration with other processing equipment. The result is that data is presented in an easy to understand way that minimises the risk of error by the operator.
Testing is now completed in a few seconds and the amount of coffee used is relatively small. Because the grinder is tested with real coffee, small sample size is a distinct advantage that reduces the ongoing cost of testing. Every grinder is tested and each one leaves the testing station with numerical test data verifying performance. This data is linked to the serial number for the grinder, and ultimately the coffee maker, and form part of a matrix of QC test data for the machine, that verifies every aspect of performance.
Although the company no longer relies on the expert eye/feel of the assembly line staff but they are still trained to recognise powders in this way. Today, particle size data enables trainers to teach people to recognise the feel of specific blends and to demonstrate the sensitivity of the solution that the company has developed. Such efforts emphasise to all staff the need to control the particle size of the coffee in a statistically reliable way, and underline company commitment to manufacture of the highest quality products.
Looking further forward, particle size information is also now driving continuing development. At De’Longhi the Insitec systems are in almost constant use as development staff also use the system to gather experimental data to support research. Particle size results also enable assessment of different grinder designs, with, for example, different internals, allowing the company to refine its product offering.
2013年1月29日 星期二
Wind turbine project approved
After more than four years of research and community debate, the Clinton County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 Tuesday to grant a special use permit to a Chicago company that wants to build a $123 million wind-turbine project to generate electricity.
Although turnouts of about 150 residents – most of them opposed to the project -- had been common at planning commission and township board meetings over the past year, barely 50 people attended the county board meeting, which started at 9 a.m. Only four local residents – two in favor and two against – made public comments.
Bob Boettger, a farmer who has agreed to host eight of the proposed 39 turbines on his land, described the project as “something our community can be proud of when it’s completed.” He said it had benefited from the extensive review process.
Ken Wieber, a farmer who has fought the project at every step, compared the approval process to watching a traffic crash develop in slow motion over several years. He challenged commissioners to recognize what he said was growing evidence of adverse health effects related to wind turbines.
Among the commissioners, only Adam Stacey commented. He described the local-government review as the most fascinating and most frustrating public process he’d ever been involved in. Three weeks ago he had said he would vote against the permit and he followed through on Tuesday.
Project developer Tim Brown said he was grateful to secure permit approval but said it was too early to discuss what would happen next. The turbines are proposed for location across Bengal, Dallas and Essex townships, all of which have approved special ordinances more restrictive than the county.
Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA, the Argentinean wind-turbine maker, hasn’t been paid by Brazil’s state-controlled energy company Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) for power from a project that began feeding electricity to the grid in June 2011.
The turbine supplier’s Energimp unit is owed 250 million reais ($125.9 million) for selling electricity from its 222- megawatt wind farm in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Jose Luis Menghini, vice president of Impsa, as the Mendoza, Argentina-based company is known, said today in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.
The utility known as Eletrobras delayed payments after Brazil power regulator Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica established new compensation rules in June, Menghini said. He said the turbine company is compliant with the revised policies and is getting impatient.
“They want everything to be perfect.” Menghini said. “I understand that preoccupation. They have a responsibility to do this. But we have a responsibility to our shareholders.”
The 1.3 billion-real wind project is enrolled in a government renewable-energy support program called Proinfa that pays developers a set rate for electricity that rises with inflation, he said. Eletrobras is investigating “inconsistencies” in documents provided by Impsa, a spokesman for the utility who didn’t want to be named because of company policy, said today in an e-mail.
Impsa was last asked to submit documentation for its projects Jan. 10 and did so Jan. 16, Menghini said. “We’ve got no problem with Aneel” or the local environmental authority, he said. “The hold up is due to Eletrobras.”
Energimp is 55 percent owned by Impsa and 45 percent owned by Fundo de Investimento do Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Servico, Brazil’s state-run severance and disability fund, he said.
Although turnouts of about 150 residents – most of them opposed to the project -- had been common at planning commission and township board meetings over the past year, barely 50 people attended the county board meeting, which started at 9 a.m. Only four local residents – two in favor and two against – made public comments.
Bob Boettger, a farmer who has agreed to host eight of the proposed 39 turbines on his land, described the project as “something our community can be proud of when it’s completed.” He said it had benefited from the extensive review process.
Ken Wieber, a farmer who has fought the project at every step, compared the approval process to watching a traffic crash develop in slow motion over several years. He challenged commissioners to recognize what he said was growing evidence of adverse health effects related to wind turbines.
Among the commissioners, only Adam Stacey commented. He described the local-government review as the most fascinating and most frustrating public process he’d ever been involved in. Three weeks ago he had said he would vote against the permit and he followed through on Tuesday.
Project developer Tim Brown said he was grateful to secure permit approval but said it was too early to discuss what would happen next. The turbines are proposed for location across Bengal, Dallas and Essex townships, all of which have approved special ordinances more restrictive than the county.
Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA, the Argentinean wind-turbine maker, hasn’t been paid by Brazil’s state-controlled energy company Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) for power from a project that began feeding electricity to the grid in June 2011.
The turbine supplier’s Energimp unit is owed 250 million reais ($125.9 million) for selling electricity from its 222- megawatt wind farm in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Jose Luis Menghini, vice president of Impsa, as the Mendoza, Argentina-based company is known, said today in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.
The utility known as Eletrobras delayed payments after Brazil power regulator Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica established new compensation rules in June, Menghini said. He said the turbine company is compliant with the revised policies and is getting impatient.
“They want everything to be perfect.” Menghini said. “I understand that preoccupation. They have a responsibility to do this. But we have a responsibility to our shareholders.”
The 1.3 billion-real wind project is enrolled in a government renewable-energy support program called Proinfa that pays developers a set rate for electricity that rises with inflation, he said. Eletrobras is investigating “inconsistencies” in documents provided by Impsa, a spokesman for the utility who didn’t want to be named because of company policy, said today in an e-mail.
Impsa was last asked to submit documentation for its projects Jan. 10 and did so Jan. 16, Menghini said. “We’ve got no problem with Aneel” or the local environmental authority, he said. “The hold up is due to Eletrobras.”
Energimp is 55 percent owned by Impsa and 45 percent owned by Fundo de Investimento do Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Servico, Brazil’s state-run severance and disability fund, he said.
2013年1月27日 星期日
Tories insist no wind turbines
ALL wind farms would be built at least two kilometres (one-and-a-quarter miles) away from housing in Scotland under plans to be unveiled by the Conservatives today.
The party warns that turbine numbers in Scotland will rise to more than 5,000 as the SNP moves ahead with plans to generate all of Scotland’s electricity from green energy sources like wind, wave and hydro.
The Nationalist government says it backs two-thirds of local decisions on turbines and the renewables industry provides “essential jobs and investment”.
However, Tory leader Ruth Davidson will say: “It is not fair that anyone should have to live in the shadow of a turbine.
“The SNP may think it’s acceptable to plaster the countryside with windfarms, spoiling the scenery, but the least it could do is offer some kind of quality control on the policy.
“Invoking the two kilometre limit would simply be enforcing the rules that are there, but in too many cases have been ignored.” Local planning guidelines suggest a two kilometre distance, but this is repeatedly ignored.
The Scottish Conservatives will call on the SNP to ensure legislation is properly enforced to better protect the value of people’s homes. The plan would apply only to new turbines, not those already built.
The Tories will unveil an energy policy titled Power And Responsibility. They will say the Government has “overshot” its own energy targets years early, and could be producing up to 134 per cent of electricity for renewable sources before long.
The party will also urge ministers to carry out a rigid health assessment of turbines to reassure communities living nearby.
There are an estimated 1,996 operational turbines across Scotland, a figure expected to rise to 3,295 once those already given consent come into operation.
A further 1,873 are in planning, meaning Scotland could have a combined total of 5,168 turbines in coming years, not including those yet to be submitted to planners.
An inquiry by Holyrood’s economy committee earlier this year found there was no “robust” evidence that windfarms were a threat to the tourism industry, as suggested by US tycoon Donald Trump, who criticised an offshore development adjacent to his Aberdeenshire golf resort.
The Government said it has “yet to receive any credible, peer-reviewed evidence that wind turbines adversely impact health” even though studies have found that industrial turbine developments “disturbed the sleep and caused daytime sleepiness and impaired mental health in residents living within 1.4km”.
Wind turbines are a bit like marmite. People either dislike them intensely or think they’re beautiful. Now that an application has been made to South Northamptonshire Council for a single large wind turbine to be built within sight of Abthorpe no doubt villagers will make up their minds whether to support or oppose the planning application.
The plans are to erect one Enercom E53 turbine that measures 60m to the hub and 86.45m to the blade tip. It would produce up to 500kW of electricity. The proposed site is at Poplars Farm in Wappenham Parish not far from the top of the steep hill on the road that leads from Wappenham to Syresham.
The party warns that turbine numbers in Scotland will rise to more than 5,000 as the SNP moves ahead with plans to generate all of Scotland’s electricity from green energy sources like wind, wave and hydro.
The Nationalist government says it backs two-thirds of local decisions on turbines and the renewables industry provides “essential jobs and investment”.
However, Tory leader Ruth Davidson will say: “It is not fair that anyone should have to live in the shadow of a turbine.
“The SNP may think it’s acceptable to plaster the countryside with windfarms, spoiling the scenery, but the least it could do is offer some kind of quality control on the policy.
“Invoking the two kilometre limit would simply be enforcing the rules that are there, but in too many cases have been ignored.” Local planning guidelines suggest a two kilometre distance, but this is repeatedly ignored.
The Scottish Conservatives will call on the SNP to ensure legislation is properly enforced to better protect the value of people’s homes. The plan would apply only to new turbines, not those already built.
The Tories will unveil an energy policy titled Power And Responsibility. They will say the Government has “overshot” its own energy targets years early, and could be producing up to 134 per cent of electricity for renewable sources before long.
The party will also urge ministers to carry out a rigid health assessment of turbines to reassure communities living nearby.
There are an estimated 1,996 operational turbines across Scotland, a figure expected to rise to 3,295 once those already given consent come into operation.
A further 1,873 are in planning, meaning Scotland could have a combined total of 5,168 turbines in coming years, not including those yet to be submitted to planners.
An inquiry by Holyrood’s economy committee earlier this year found there was no “robust” evidence that windfarms were a threat to the tourism industry, as suggested by US tycoon Donald Trump, who criticised an offshore development adjacent to his Aberdeenshire golf resort.
The Government said it has “yet to receive any credible, peer-reviewed evidence that wind turbines adversely impact health” even though studies have found that industrial turbine developments “disturbed the sleep and caused daytime sleepiness and impaired mental health in residents living within 1.4km”.
Wind turbines are a bit like marmite. People either dislike them intensely or think they’re beautiful. Now that an application has been made to South Northamptonshire Council for a single large wind turbine to be built within sight of Abthorpe no doubt villagers will make up their minds whether to support or oppose the planning application.
The plans are to erect one Enercom E53 turbine that measures 60m to the hub and 86.45m to the blade tip. It would produce up to 500kW of electricity. The proposed site is at Poplars Farm in Wappenham Parish not far from the top of the steep hill on the road that leads from Wappenham to Syresham.
2013年1月24日 星期四
A-W takes no action on wind turbine proposals
The Akron-Westfield School Board received two wind turbine lease proposals at their Jan. 14 meeting from First Priority Inc. Consultant Dr. Harold Prior.
Two separate companies had submitted proposals to lease the wind turbine, repair it and keep it operational through 2020, which is when the school district’s Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) expire with the City of Akron and Heartland Consumer Power District, said Prior.
“I was shocked and amazed — we have two, not one but two lease proposals,” said Prior, noting by the time the potential leasees send their technicians to check out the wind turbine site and its condition prior to entering into a lease with the Akron-Westfield School District, the lease agreement process could take about 30 days.
With a lease agreement, the school district would continue to own the wind turbine and receive a lease payment or share of the revenues produced by the turbine. At the end of the lease agreement, the district would sell the wind turbine to the leasee for $1 and other considerations, he explained.
“What that would mean is you would be relieved of — in terms of — having to decommission the turbine or remove the turbine’s foundation and any of the underground transmission cabling,” said Prior. “Basically, upon executing the lease and satisfying all the Iowa code legal requirements, you’d potentially see the wind turbine setting there operating but you would have washed your hands of any future expenses.”
A third option was to sell the wind turbine which would include the district storing the wind turbine’s tower sections and blades until the vendor found a buyer so the vendor didn’t have to transport it first off site then later to a buyer. Prior wasn’t sure how long this vendor’s offer would last.
Prior also presented emails from a Valmet gear box vendor who really wanted to sell the district another Valmet gear box, which is the type of gear box that has failed twice in the turbine’s first 10 years of operation. He told the board he’d stressed to this vendor the board is not interested in anything to do with a Valmet gear box.
“It’s been remarkable the turns and twists of developments in this project,” said Prior. “I would never have predicted these kinds of contacts.”
“In large part because of the local news coverage some of these vendors’ initial contacts were to the school district which were then relayed to us and sometimes it was directly to us,” he said.
“All options are still on the table,” said Prior concluding his monthly report. “I can’t imagine we’ll get any more twists and turns to the project.”
“I just can’t envision another circumstance with another set of options,” he said. “So now’s the point where the board needs to narrow it down and come to a consensus on which way to go.”
“We’ll stick with you guys — only for expense money,” said Prior, “and if you need us, we’ll be here to help.”
“Thank you,” he added, explaining with this project, he has learned more about the wind industry and made valuable contacts that he didn’t know existed.
The school board entered into executive session to discuss the options and view the actual lease agreement proposals.
After 45 minutes, they returned to open session where Board President Jim Black told the audience that no action would be taken this evening and furthermore, the agenda item to call for bids on the wind turbine repair project or the wind turbine disassembling project was tabled.
Two separate companies had submitted proposals to lease the wind turbine, repair it and keep it operational through 2020, which is when the school district’s Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) expire with the City of Akron and Heartland Consumer Power District, said Prior.
“I was shocked and amazed — we have two, not one but two lease proposals,” said Prior, noting by the time the potential leasees send their technicians to check out the wind turbine site and its condition prior to entering into a lease with the Akron-Westfield School District, the lease agreement process could take about 30 days.
With a lease agreement, the school district would continue to own the wind turbine and receive a lease payment or share of the revenues produced by the turbine. At the end of the lease agreement, the district would sell the wind turbine to the leasee for $1 and other considerations, he explained.
“What that would mean is you would be relieved of — in terms of — having to decommission the turbine or remove the turbine’s foundation and any of the underground transmission cabling,” said Prior. “Basically, upon executing the lease and satisfying all the Iowa code legal requirements, you’d potentially see the wind turbine setting there operating but you would have washed your hands of any future expenses.”
A third option was to sell the wind turbine which would include the district storing the wind turbine’s tower sections and blades until the vendor found a buyer so the vendor didn’t have to transport it first off site then later to a buyer. Prior wasn’t sure how long this vendor’s offer would last.
Prior also presented emails from a Valmet gear box vendor who really wanted to sell the district another Valmet gear box, which is the type of gear box that has failed twice in the turbine’s first 10 years of operation. He told the board he’d stressed to this vendor the board is not interested in anything to do with a Valmet gear box.
“It’s been remarkable the turns and twists of developments in this project,” said Prior. “I would never have predicted these kinds of contacts.”
“In large part because of the local news coverage some of these vendors’ initial contacts were to the school district which were then relayed to us and sometimes it was directly to us,” he said.
“All options are still on the table,” said Prior concluding his monthly report. “I can’t imagine we’ll get any more twists and turns to the project.”
“I just can’t envision another circumstance with another set of options,” he said. “So now’s the point where the board needs to narrow it down and come to a consensus on which way to go.”
“We’ll stick with you guys — only for expense money,” said Prior, “and if you need us, we’ll be here to help.”
“Thank you,” he added, explaining with this project, he has learned more about the wind industry and made valuable contacts that he didn’t know existed.
The school board entered into executive session to discuss the options and view the actual lease agreement proposals.
After 45 minutes, they returned to open session where Board President Jim Black told the audience that no action would be taken this evening and furthermore, the agenda item to call for bids on the wind turbine repair project or the wind turbine disassembling project was tabled.
2013年1月23日 星期三
With Massey Energy Execs Cutting Deals
Don Blankenship, the former Massey Energy CEO who gained wide notoriety for his relentless drive for profits at the expense of workers, has thus far remained unpunished for a major act of “industrial homicide," as the United Mine Workers of America have described the April 5, 2010 explosion at the Massey-owned Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, W. Va. that killed 29 miners.
Blankenship was forced to step down after the disaster but walked away with a lavish “golden parachute” that included $2.7 million upon his retirement, another $10 million paid out in 2011, millions more in deferred compensation, a free house for life, health insurance coverage, a secretary and other perks.
Blankenship and other top Massey executives smugly refused to testify before federal and state committees investigating the disaster, perhaps believing that they could successfully stonewall investigators by practicing the Mafia-style code of silence known as “omerta.” Shielded also by the conservative deification of “job creators” like Blankenship and demonization of laws that protect workers’ lives as “excess regulations,” the Massey CEO—with the confidence of an old-time Sicilian mafioso—brazenly stated, “I pretty well think I know what happened and what the outcome will be, so I’m not concerned anymore about the investigation. I think it’s pretty much behind us.”
However, last Thursday’s conviction of Massey executive Gary May—who agreed to cooperate with authorities in exchange for his relatively light sentence—may cause Blankenship to become more concerned. The conviction could be the first step on a trail that leads directly to Blankenship.
May, a former Blankenship underling, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for conspiracy. He admitted to ordering a company electrician to disable a methane monitor on a mining machine so it could continue to cut coal without automatic shutdowns. NPR reports that May “also pleaded guilty to deceiving federal mine safety inspectors and hiding safety violations.”
With the methane monitor shut off, the buildup of volatile methane fumes from coal dust eventually led to an explosion at Upper Big Branch so forceful that it traveled seven miles underground and killed the 29 workers.
But it’s unlikely that May was acting on his own when he shut down safety procedures. Don Blankenship was a “CEO whose micromanagement is well-documented,” as Vicki Smith reported for the Associated Press. “At Upper Big Branch, for example, Blankenship demanded production reports every 30 minutes.”
A higher-ranking former Massey executive, David Hughart, potentially facing heavy charges for his role in the proliferation of safety hazards in Massey mines, has also agreed to cooperate. Hughart’s testimony could be critical in finally holding Blankenship responsible, observed Phil Smith, communications director of the United Mine Workers of America, to Working In These Times. “The burden of proof is that [federal prosecutors] need to prove Blankenship’s direction and or knowledge of Massey’s efforts to evade the law. With Hughart, this is the first time that anyone has looked past the mine level and looked at the corporate level.”
Blankenship was forced to step down after the disaster but walked away with a lavish “golden parachute” that included $2.7 million upon his retirement, another $10 million paid out in 2011, millions more in deferred compensation, a free house for life, health insurance coverage, a secretary and other perks.
Blankenship and other top Massey executives smugly refused to testify before federal and state committees investigating the disaster, perhaps believing that they could successfully stonewall investigators by practicing the Mafia-style code of silence known as “omerta.” Shielded also by the conservative deification of “job creators” like Blankenship and demonization of laws that protect workers’ lives as “excess regulations,” the Massey CEO—with the confidence of an old-time Sicilian mafioso—brazenly stated, “I pretty well think I know what happened and what the outcome will be, so I’m not concerned anymore about the investigation. I think it’s pretty much behind us.”
However, last Thursday’s conviction of Massey executive Gary May—who agreed to cooperate with authorities in exchange for his relatively light sentence—may cause Blankenship to become more concerned. The conviction could be the first step on a trail that leads directly to Blankenship.
May, a former Blankenship underling, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for conspiracy. He admitted to ordering a company electrician to disable a methane monitor on a mining machine so it could continue to cut coal without automatic shutdowns. NPR reports that May “also pleaded guilty to deceiving federal mine safety inspectors and hiding safety violations.”
With the methane monitor shut off, the buildup of volatile methane fumes from coal dust eventually led to an explosion at Upper Big Branch so forceful that it traveled seven miles underground and killed the 29 workers.
But it’s unlikely that May was acting on his own when he shut down safety procedures. Don Blankenship was a “CEO whose micromanagement is well-documented,” as Vicki Smith reported for the Associated Press. “At Upper Big Branch, for example, Blankenship demanded production reports every 30 minutes.”
A higher-ranking former Massey executive, David Hughart, potentially facing heavy charges for his role in the proliferation of safety hazards in Massey mines, has also agreed to cooperate. Hughart’s testimony could be critical in finally holding Blankenship responsible, observed Phil Smith, communications director of the United Mine Workers of America, to Working In These Times. “The burden of proof is that [federal prosecutors] need to prove Blankenship’s direction and or knowledge of Massey’s efforts to evade the law. With Hughart, this is the first time that anyone has looked past the mine level and looked at the corporate level.”
2013年1月22日 星期二
Strong rural communities
Last week, the Department hosted several members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) at USDA headquarters in Washington to highlight the findings of a new report, Promoting Growth in All Regions, that says investments in rural places are vital for aggregate national economic growth and in many cases, such investments have found that rural regions have, on average, enjoyed faster growth than urban regions.
In this time of economic challenges, the United States and other members of OECD cannot leave significant growth opportunities in rural regions untapped. The authors of the OECD report are in Washington this month to launch the report and urge policy makers not to overlook this reality when crafting economic policy for the country.
President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack have long believed that "strong rural communities are key to a stronger America."
This study provides rigorous research and explanation for why regional rural economies are so important to a nation’s overall economic health. While this report is certainly not the first study to examine the importance of strengthening rural regions, it is notable for its comprehensive, longitudinal, and cross-national analysis.
The report’s authors point out that overlooking the economies of these regions may constitute a missed opportunity for significant economic growth.
Missed growth opportunities are also missed revenue opportunities for governments facing budgetary shortfalls and rising deficits. Policy experts must develop comprehensive policy packages that integrate investments in infrastructure, human capital and the labor force to improve rural economies. Additionally, regions must identify their local assets and build a development plan based on those assets.
Many US regions are leading the way in developing such place-based growth strategies. A second recent OECD report, called Linking Renewable Energy to Rural Development contains case studies from Iowa, Maine, Vermont, Tennessee and Oregon.
In each of these states, local regions identified renewable energy generation as a local opportunity, and with the help of Rural Development, made strategic investments to develop the potential of renewable energy in the area by linking it to already existing industries, like manufacturing to wind turbine production in Iowa, and the forest products industry to woody biomass in Maine.
Council Bluffs city attorney Dick Wade said the conversions at the Walter Scott Jr. plant shouldn't cause an economic disruption for the city because MidAmerican Energy has until April 2016 to complete the project.
"In that timeframe, they can be converted to natural gas or whatever they see most appropriate to keep them operational," he said. Settlement negotiations included MidAmerican Energy completing the installation of baghouses at Neal Energy Center Units 3 and 4 by Dec. 31, 2014. The company said construction is already in progress and was under way prior to the lawsuit.
Also as part of the settlement, both parties agreed to work with the Iowa State Fair to install 600 kilowatts worth of solar panels. Agreeing on such a project is common in a settlement, Potthoff said."This is a new aspect in the agreement that we're very excited about," she said.
MidAmerican Energy currently has a wind turbine at the state fair that, when installed in 2007, was supposed to provide one-quarter of the total energy used to power the fair each year.
In this time of economic challenges, the United States and other members of OECD cannot leave significant growth opportunities in rural regions untapped. The authors of the OECD report are in Washington this month to launch the report and urge policy makers not to overlook this reality when crafting economic policy for the country.
President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack have long believed that "strong rural communities are key to a stronger America."
This study provides rigorous research and explanation for why regional rural economies are so important to a nation’s overall economic health. While this report is certainly not the first study to examine the importance of strengthening rural regions, it is notable for its comprehensive, longitudinal, and cross-national analysis.
The report’s authors point out that overlooking the economies of these regions may constitute a missed opportunity for significant economic growth.
Missed growth opportunities are also missed revenue opportunities for governments facing budgetary shortfalls and rising deficits. Policy experts must develop comprehensive policy packages that integrate investments in infrastructure, human capital and the labor force to improve rural economies. Additionally, regions must identify their local assets and build a development plan based on those assets.
Many US regions are leading the way in developing such place-based growth strategies. A second recent OECD report, called Linking Renewable Energy to Rural Development contains case studies from Iowa, Maine, Vermont, Tennessee and Oregon.
In each of these states, local regions identified renewable energy generation as a local opportunity, and with the help of Rural Development, made strategic investments to develop the potential of renewable energy in the area by linking it to already existing industries, like manufacturing to wind turbine production in Iowa, and the forest products industry to woody biomass in Maine.
Council Bluffs city attorney Dick Wade said the conversions at the Walter Scott Jr. plant shouldn't cause an economic disruption for the city because MidAmerican Energy has until April 2016 to complete the project.
"In that timeframe, they can be converted to natural gas or whatever they see most appropriate to keep them operational," he said. Settlement negotiations included MidAmerican Energy completing the installation of baghouses at Neal Energy Center Units 3 and 4 by Dec. 31, 2014. The company said construction is already in progress and was under way prior to the lawsuit.
Also as part of the settlement, both parties agreed to work with the Iowa State Fair to install 600 kilowatts worth of solar panels. Agreeing on such a project is common in a settlement, Potthoff said."This is a new aspect in the agreement that we're very excited about," she said.
MidAmerican Energy currently has a wind turbine at the state fair that, when installed in 2007, was supposed to provide one-quarter of the total energy used to power the fair each year.
2013年1月21日 星期一
2013年1月20日 星期日
Moroccan ministry pledge renewable energy cooperation
Masdar on Sunday announced the signing of a framework agreement with the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment of the Kingdom of Morocco that will enable them to have a thorough cooperation in the field of renewable energy.
The agreement was signed during the sixth World Future Energy Summit (WFES), a global platform that addressed the future of renewable energy and sustainable development in the Middle East and the world.With ambitious clean energy targets and large solar and wind power potential, Morocco is one of the Middle East and North Africa's most promising clean energy markets. Morocco's aim is to reach 42 per cent of its total power capacity installed from renewable sources by 2020."Morocco is an ambitious supporter of the adoption of renewable energy projects," said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company.
"By capitalising on its abundant solar and wind energy resources, Morocco is establishing a strong renewable energy industry that will drive economic development and diversify its energy portfolio. We look forward to contributing to the development of Morocco's renewable energy industry."
Fouad Douiri, Morocco's minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, said, "With tremendous wind and solar resources, Morocco has already strong and concrete achievements in solar and wind capacity, thanks to its experienced local skills and within an attractive legal and regulatory framework."
"As a country focused on the development of its renewable energy, we see major benefits in building a valuable cooperation with renewable energy players, in particular with the industry. Masdar's portfolio of regional and international projects, combined with their experience in renewable energy project development and research and development activities, makes it a partner of excellence in renewable energy cooperation," added Fouad Douiri.
During her visit, Hammack received an overview of some of the testing missions that take place on the installation. While here, she also visited Colonel Smith Middle School, Arizona's first net-zero school.
"A couple of things that were interesting were some of the testing missions here," Hammack said. "We spent some time talking about the kind of frequencies generated by wind turbines and [the SunZia] power lines. Yesterday afternoon, we heard some very interesting research that is going on or results that are a little bit surprising, and it just created more questions. It is fascinating when you see the mission side and the installation side come together on some of these issues."
Hammack also has experience in the evaluation of energy conservation projects, including lighting efficiency, sustainable design, solar energy and building operation. Being that Fort Huachuca is home to Colonel Smith Middle School, the first net-zero energy school to open in Arizona, she requested a tour of the facility.
"The net-zero concept is how to better use our resources to ensure that the Army of the future has the same access to resources as the Army of today," Hammack explained. "It's learning, somewhat similar to this school, what are the best practices and how can we institutionalize them across the Army. Net-zero is net-zero energy, net-zero water and net-zero waste. Net-zero energy looks at a building, facility or footprint that consumes as much energy as it is able to generate."
The school achieved net-zero energy through methods including water harvesting, green products, a dashboard for students to monitor energy conservation, sensor-controlled lighting, watching plug loads and producing energy through solar panels and wind turbines, as well as a cost-effective layered daylight program. Classrooms are also equipped with iPad2s that visually monitor energy use throughout the school.
The agreement was signed during the sixth World Future Energy Summit (WFES), a global platform that addressed the future of renewable energy and sustainable development in the Middle East and the world.With ambitious clean energy targets and large solar and wind power potential, Morocco is one of the Middle East and North Africa's most promising clean energy markets. Morocco's aim is to reach 42 per cent of its total power capacity installed from renewable sources by 2020."Morocco is an ambitious supporter of the adoption of renewable energy projects," said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company.
"By capitalising on its abundant solar and wind energy resources, Morocco is establishing a strong renewable energy industry that will drive economic development and diversify its energy portfolio. We look forward to contributing to the development of Morocco's renewable energy industry."
Fouad Douiri, Morocco's minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, said, "With tremendous wind and solar resources, Morocco has already strong and concrete achievements in solar and wind capacity, thanks to its experienced local skills and within an attractive legal and regulatory framework."
"As a country focused on the development of its renewable energy, we see major benefits in building a valuable cooperation with renewable energy players, in particular with the industry. Masdar's portfolio of regional and international projects, combined with their experience in renewable energy project development and research and development activities, makes it a partner of excellence in renewable energy cooperation," added Fouad Douiri.
During her visit, Hammack received an overview of some of the testing missions that take place on the installation. While here, she also visited Colonel Smith Middle School, Arizona's first net-zero school.
"A couple of things that were interesting were some of the testing missions here," Hammack said. "We spent some time talking about the kind of frequencies generated by wind turbines and [the SunZia] power lines. Yesterday afternoon, we heard some very interesting research that is going on or results that are a little bit surprising, and it just created more questions. It is fascinating when you see the mission side and the installation side come together on some of these issues."
Hammack also has experience in the evaluation of energy conservation projects, including lighting efficiency, sustainable design, solar energy and building operation. Being that Fort Huachuca is home to Colonel Smith Middle School, the first net-zero energy school to open in Arizona, she requested a tour of the facility.
"The net-zero concept is how to better use our resources to ensure that the Army of the future has the same access to resources as the Army of today," Hammack explained. "It's learning, somewhat similar to this school, what are the best practices and how can we institutionalize them across the Army. Net-zero is net-zero energy, net-zero water and net-zero waste. Net-zero energy looks at a building, facility or footprint that consumes as much energy as it is able to generate."
The school achieved net-zero energy through methods including water harvesting, green products, a dashboard for students to monitor energy conservation, sensor-controlled lighting, watching plug loads and producing energy through solar panels and wind turbines, as well as a cost-effective layered daylight program. Classrooms are also equipped with iPad2s that visually monitor energy use throughout the school.
2013年1月17日 星期四
Chase donation offers ALS victims independence
Former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason, whose body was once a well-oiled machine, now doesn’t possess the motor skills needed to be able to turn on a light switch.
But Gleason, whose physical strength has been sapped by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and others suffering from ALS and multiple sclerosis can tap technology to retain their independence.
JPMorgan Chase, Ouachita Parish’s largest private employer, joined Gleason in New Orleans Thursday to announce a $350,000 grant for The Team Gleason House for Innovative Living. Former teammate and current Saints quarterback Drew Brees also spoke at the event.
Chase employs about 2,600 people in Ouachita Parish at its national mortgage records center, mortgage servicing call center and various retail banking locations.
The Team Gleason House will be located at St. Margaret’s Skilled Nursing Residence and will be the second U.S. facility of its kind.
“The Team Gleason House was only a dream less than a year ago,” Gleason said. “Through our efforts and the extraordinary efforts of Chase and St. Margaret’s, we have realized that dream so ALS patients can continue to live, thrive and contribute to the community. Until there is a medical cure for ALS, technology is the cure and we are proving that today.”
Gleason has become a folk hero on and off the field as a symbol of the city’s determination and perseverance. His celebrated punt-block on the night the Superdome reopened in 2006 renewed hope that New Orleans was ready for a big comeback following Hurricane Katrina.
“That was the day when the people of New Orleans began to believe that we can win again,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “What Steve did is prove that no matter how bad things got, if we work hard and come together, we can turn it around. What’s in his heart represents the best that the city of New Orleans has to offer.”
Gleason retired from football in 2008 and was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. He has made it his mission to show ALS patients can thrive after this diagnosis.
The Team Gleason House for Innovative Living will be a residential facility within St. Margaret’s that provides care for people living with incurable neuromuscular disorders, such as ALS and MS. Since these diseases are incurable, The Team Gleason House’s approach will focus on employing technology that allows patients to control doors, lights, televisions, shades and other devices through eye-sensitive technologies.
“The Team Gleason House will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, making it part of the city’s progress in developing a more entrepreneurial, innovative economy,” said Todd Maclin, chairman of Chase Consumer and Commercial Banking. “Investing in biosciences and digital technology will create more economic diversity and greater opportunity in New Orleans.”
Since Hurricane Katrina, Chase has donated more than $30 million to nonprofits working in Louisiana.
“Steve Gleason inspired our city when he blocked that punt,” said Lizette Terral, president of Chase in New Orleans. “But even more inspiring is his work to prove ALS patients can still lead productive lives. Chase is very proud to partner with Steve and Team Gleason.”
But Gleason, whose physical strength has been sapped by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and others suffering from ALS and multiple sclerosis can tap technology to retain their independence.
JPMorgan Chase, Ouachita Parish’s largest private employer, joined Gleason in New Orleans Thursday to announce a $350,000 grant for The Team Gleason House for Innovative Living. Former teammate and current Saints quarterback Drew Brees also spoke at the event.
Chase employs about 2,600 people in Ouachita Parish at its national mortgage records center, mortgage servicing call center and various retail banking locations.
The Team Gleason House will be located at St. Margaret’s Skilled Nursing Residence and will be the second U.S. facility of its kind.
“The Team Gleason House was only a dream less than a year ago,” Gleason said. “Through our efforts and the extraordinary efforts of Chase and St. Margaret’s, we have realized that dream so ALS patients can continue to live, thrive and contribute to the community. Until there is a medical cure for ALS, technology is the cure and we are proving that today.”
Gleason has become a folk hero on and off the field as a symbol of the city’s determination and perseverance. His celebrated punt-block on the night the Superdome reopened in 2006 renewed hope that New Orleans was ready for a big comeback following Hurricane Katrina.
“That was the day when the people of New Orleans began to believe that we can win again,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “What Steve did is prove that no matter how bad things got, if we work hard and come together, we can turn it around. What’s in his heart represents the best that the city of New Orleans has to offer.”
Gleason retired from football in 2008 and was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. He has made it his mission to show ALS patients can thrive after this diagnosis.
The Team Gleason House for Innovative Living will be a residential facility within St. Margaret’s that provides care for people living with incurable neuromuscular disorders, such as ALS and MS. Since these diseases are incurable, The Team Gleason House’s approach will focus on employing technology that allows patients to control doors, lights, televisions, shades and other devices through eye-sensitive technologies.
“The Team Gleason House will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, making it part of the city’s progress in developing a more entrepreneurial, innovative economy,” said Todd Maclin, chairman of Chase Consumer and Commercial Banking. “Investing in biosciences and digital technology will create more economic diversity and greater opportunity in New Orleans.”
Since Hurricane Katrina, Chase has donated more than $30 million to nonprofits working in Louisiana.
“Steve Gleason inspired our city when he blocked that punt,” said Lizette Terral, president of Chase in New Orleans. “But even more inspiring is his work to prove ALS patients can still lead productive lives. Chase is very proud to partner with Steve and Team Gleason.”
2013年1月16日 星期三
Electric cars still await the next generation
If we fail to see it then it cannot be for a lack of trying on the part of campaigners. The apparent effects of climate change are clear for all to see. Changes in weather patterns, more frequent outbursts of severe weather and the steady shrinking of global ice caps and glaciers.
If anyone still doubts the effects of anthropogenic climate change the change caused by humans then perhaps we should just heed the words of no less a figure than Stephen Hawking, who has compared the seriousness of the climate situation to that of nuclear weapons when it comes to securing our future on this planet.
Private car use is seen as Public Enemy No 1 by environmental campaigners and that s why we re all now paying Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and motor tax on the basis of the carbon emissions of our cars.
It s also why there has been such a blaze of publicity (good and bad) about electric vehicles recently. Clearly, the car maker that can crack the conundrum of making a usable, desirable car that emits no exhaust gases will make a sales killing. It s not just something that we want to do: it s something that we have to do, says Dermot McArdle of ESB eCars.
The macro factors are moving in one direction only. Fossil fuel prices are increasing on almost a daily basis. As a country we ve also signed up to a lot of international agreements, which inform Government policy, and that policy is to move transport into a low-carbon environment.
How do we do that? By making electric vehicles a realistic possibility for as many people as possible. Choice is a factor, and every major car manufacturer is currently working on bringing either a battery electric vehicle to the market or a plug-in hybrid, and a lot of that is being driven by EU directives on carbon emissions.
What makes it realistic from a consumer point of view is an efficient network of recharging.
The ESB is crucial to the development of electric cars in Ireland, and the company s carbon emissions level will be one of the deciding factors in whether or not it s worth making the switch from fossil fuels to electrons.
This is expected to drop closer to 50g by 2020 as additional renewable generating capacity, mostly from wind farms, comes on stream. A conventional car in this case a Renault Fluence would cost 14.2 cent per kilometre on the urban cycle for a petrol model, 8.6 cent for the diesel version.
Of course, that s not to forget reduced maintenance costs, lower insurance costs and, thanks to recent budget changes, an even lower motor tax rate for EVs, says McArdle.
The ESB s figures assume the wind power component of the system is working efficiently, something that is not always the case, although electric cars offer a potential storage solution for excess wind power generated, especially at night.
There is also the question of the additional demand on power generation created by any major switchover to electric cars.
With a generating system still primarily dependent on fossil fuels, if we all bought electric cars surely we d just be shunting our emissions up the chain to power stations that use fossil fuels?
Yes and no. The ESB currently works under an emissions cap, which means any extra demand on the generating system must be offset.
So, theoretically, no matter how many of us purchase and run electric cars, that extra charging demand on the power plants won t lead to a rise in generation emissions but will lead to a reduction of emissions from transport. Potentially it s a win-win situation.
So if we reached 250,000 EVs by then, as a country we would be saving over EUR 30 million per year on carbon costs, not to mention other savings in generation, by increasing the night-time demand curve and thereby keeping generating stations on load, and also utilising wind energy that might otherwise go to waste.
If anyone still doubts the effects of anthropogenic climate change the change caused by humans then perhaps we should just heed the words of no less a figure than Stephen Hawking, who has compared the seriousness of the climate situation to that of nuclear weapons when it comes to securing our future on this planet.
Private car use is seen as Public Enemy No 1 by environmental campaigners and that s why we re all now paying Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and motor tax on the basis of the carbon emissions of our cars.
It s also why there has been such a blaze of publicity (good and bad) about electric vehicles recently. Clearly, the car maker that can crack the conundrum of making a usable, desirable car that emits no exhaust gases will make a sales killing. It s not just something that we want to do: it s something that we have to do, says Dermot McArdle of ESB eCars.
The macro factors are moving in one direction only. Fossil fuel prices are increasing on almost a daily basis. As a country we ve also signed up to a lot of international agreements, which inform Government policy, and that policy is to move transport into a low-carbon environment.
How do we do that? By making electric vehicles a realistic possibility for as many people as possible. Choice is a factor, and every major car manufacturer is currently working on bringing either a battery electric vehicle to the market or a plug-in hybrid, and a lot of that is being driven by EU directives on carbon emissions.
What makes it realistic from a consumer point of view is an efficient network of recharging.
The ESB is crucial to the development of electric cars in Ireland, and the company s carbon emissions level will be one of the deciding factors in whether or not it s worth making the switch from fossil fuels to electrons.
This is expected to drop closer to 50g by 2020 as additional renewable generating capacity, mostly from wind farms, comes on stream. A conventional car in this case a Renault Fluence would cost 14.2 cent per kilometre on the urban cycle for a petrol model, 8.6 cent for the diesel version.
Of course, that s not to forget reduced maintenance costs, lower insurance costs and, thanks to recent budget changes, an even lower motor tax rate for EVs, says McArdle.
The ESB s figures assume the wind power component of the system is working efficiently, something that is not always the case, although electric cars offer a potential storage solution for excess wind power generated, especially at night.
There is also the question of the additional demand on power generation created by any major switchover to electric cars.
With a generating system still primarily dependent on fossil fuels, if we all bought electric cars surely we d just be shunting our emissions up the chain to power stations that use fossil fuels?
Yes and no. The ESB currently works under an emissions cap, which means any extra demand on the generating system must be offset.
So, theoretically, no matter how many of us purchase and run electric cars, that extra charging demand on the power plants won t lead to a rise in generation emissions but will lead to a reduction of emissions from transport. Potentially it s a win-win situation.
So if we reached 250,000 EVs by then, as a country we would be saving over EUR 30 million per year on carbon costs, not to mention other savings in generation, by increasing the night-time demand curve and thereby keeping generating stations on load, and also utilising wind energy that might otherwise go to waste.
2013年1月15日 星期二
'Smart' appliances are stupid
Smart appliances get no love. Every year at the Consumer Electronics Show, the world's gadget makers unveil a slate of refrigerators, ovens, and washer-dryers that they insist have been infused with superior intelligence.
And every year, everyone scoffs. That's because smart appliances' smarts are usually pretty stupid and never worth the price. This year Samsung showed off a $4,000 fridge called the T9000.
It's got an LCD touch screen and a wireless connection to the Internet. That's the sine qua non of intelligence according to gadget makers—slap a touch screen and Wi-Fi on a fridge and voila, you've got yourself an icebox with an IQ to rival Einstein's!
Why do you need a touch screen and Wi-Fi on your fridge? Is it better for your cucumbers? That's where the whole argument breaks down.
The T9000 will show you a clock, news headlines, and let you use apps like Evernote right on the door. Apparently you can add an item to your grocery list by tapping it into the fridge then have it available to you on your phone later on.
Why wouldn't you just type it into your phone in the first place? Or on one of the four iPads you've likely got lying around, considering that you're rich and dumb enough to drop $4,000 on a ridiculous fridge? I haven't got a clue.
And neither do any of the companies pushing smart devices. What's the point of an Internet-connected washing machine and dryer? To check the status of your washing from anywhere in the world, obviously! You'll never again find yourself panicked about your whites while you're partying with your bros.
You can also "start a load of laundry while driving home from work," an executive from LG boasted in a press release. That sounds great until you remember that LG's machine can't load itself.
To do your laundry on the go, you had to have filled it with dirty clothes and added soap, just like with any cheapo machine, and then brazenly left the house without starting the washer. Smart!
LG didn't announce the price of its new washer-dryers, but its old smart washing machines and dryers were priced at $1,600 each.
That's about $1,000 more than you'd spend on a run-of-the-mill model. If starting your laundry from your car is that important to you, knock yourself out, but understand that you're basically throwing your money away.
Some critics argue that the self-evident stupidity of these smart gadgets shows that the entire pursuit of intelligence in our appliances is misguided. "Maybe I'm just a snob who just wants a fridge that keeps food cooled and makes good ice," says Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz.
But I don't quite agree that we should keep our appliances dumb and simple. The real problem with smart devices isn't that they're trying to be smart but that they're not nearly smart enough. I would love to have a refrigerator that was legitimately intelligent, not one that put on airs because it got gussied up with a touch screen.
What's a legitimately smart fridge? Well, how about one that automatically keeps track of everything I put in it so that I can check to see if I've got any Dijon mustard left while I'm at the store?
Or maybe it could figure out that my four carrots, three ribs of celery, and last night's chicken leftovers will add up to a great stock—and then flash a recipe on its screen when I go get a Coke.
Or take my stove: What if it could determine when the sauce that's been reducing on the back burner has just reached the proper consistency—and then shut off the burner all by itself?
And every year, everyone scoffs. That's because smart appliances' smarts are usually pretty stupid and never worth the price. This year Samsung showed off a $4,000 fridge called the T9000.
It's got an LCD touch screen and a wireless connection to the Internet. That's the sine qua non of intelligence according to gadget makers—slap a touch screen and Wi-Fi on a fridge and voila, you've got yourself an icebox with an IQ to rival Einstein's!
Why do you need a touch screen and Wi-Fi on your fridge? Is it better for your cucumbers? That's where the whole argument breaks down.
The T9000 will show you a clock, news headlines, and let you use apps like Evernote right on the door. Apparently you can add an item to your grocery list by tapping it into the fridge then have it available to you on your phone later on.
Why wouldn't you just type it into your phone in the first place? Or on one of the four iPads you've likely got lying around, considering that you're rich and dumb enough to drop $4,000 on a ridiculous fridge? I haven't got a clue.
And neither do any of the companies pushing smart devices. What's the point of an Internet-connected washing machine and dryer? To check the status of your washing from anywhere in the world, obviously! You'll never again find yourself panicked about your whites while you're partying with your bros.
You can also "start a load of laundry while driving home from work," an executive from LG boasted in a press release. That sounds great until you remember that LG's machine can't load itself.
To do your laundry on the go, you had to have filled it with dirty clothes and added soap, just like with any cheapo machine, and then brazenly left the house without starting the washer. Smart!
LG didn't announce the price of its new washer-dryers, but its old smart washing machines and dryers were priced at $1,600 each.
That's about $1,000 more than you'd spend on a run-of-the-mill model. If starting your laundry from your car is that important to you, knock yourself out, but understand that you're basically throwing your money away.
Some critics argue that the self-evident stupidity of these smart gadgets shows that the entire pursuit of intelligence in our appliances is misguided. "Maybe I'm just a snob who just wants a fridge that keeps food cooled and makes good ice," says Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz.
But I don't quite agree that we should keep our appliances dumb and simple. The real problem with smart devices isn't that they're trying to be smart but that they're not nearly smart enough. I would love to have a refrigerator that was legitimately intelligent, not one that put on airs because it got gussied up with a touch screen.
What's a legitimately smart fridge? Well, how about one that automatically keeps track of everything I put in it so that I can check to see if I've got any Dijon mustard left while I'm at the store?
Or maybe it could figure out that my four carrots, three ribs of celery, and last night's chicken leftovers will add up to a great stock—and then flash a recipe on its screen when I go get a Coke.
Or take my stove: What if it could determine when the sauce that's been reducing on the back burner has just reached the proper consistency—and then shut off the burner all by itself?
2013年1月14日 星期一
Jeep Grand Cherokee gets surprisingly comprehensive update
Traditionally, automotive journalists can be heard muttering something to the effect of "Geeze, it's about time!" whenever a vehicle's midcycle refresh is revealed. As we routinely see and drive new models many months before the public even claps eyes on them in showrooms – and then go on to tweeze apart their minutia in our daily writings – perhaps some impatience is to be expected. With so much exposure to a given vehicle, it's fair to say we tire of most cars and trucks far more quickly than the average consumer.
Which is why we're pleased to say "Oh, is it time for that already?" when it comes to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The current WK2 Grand Cherokee hit the market in 2011 and climbed its way into our hearts with its rugged good looks, go-anywhere capability and surprising refinement. We're not yet tired of its appearance or performance, but even so, we're very glad to see Chrysler giving its flagship Jeep some attention, including a much-anticipated diesel powertrain option and some other economy-minded measures.
The changes for 2014 start with a fresh look, including one of two different slimmer headlamp treatments (upper-rung models are treated to bi-xenon units with LED daytime running lamps, and Summit models feature dynamic corner lighting), along with reworked grilles and repositioned foglamps in new lower fascias. Redesigned taillamps incorporating yet more LEDs take up residence out back and the rear liftgate has received a once-over, too. We've seen the vehicles in the metal already, and the alterations are handsome, if not subtle touches from the "If It Ain't Broke" school of design.
More impressive is the interior rework, which includes a new three-spoke steering wheel with standard paddle shifters, a seven-inch configurable screen in the gauge cluster, reworked center stack with Chrysler's award-winning 8.4-inch UConnect infotainment system, and new electronic gearshift selector. In addition, there's a brace of optional active safety features including adaptive cruise control, front park assist and front collision alert. What we're most impressed with is designers' efforts to further differentiate trim levels on the 2014 Grand Cherokee.
Regardless of whether the buyer chooses the V6 diesel, 3.6-liter Pentastar gasoline-fed V6 or 5.7-liter V8, there's a new eight-speed transmission to help improve fuel economy and smoothness. Chrysler says the V8, which is also fitted with cylinder deactivation, will see a five-percent improvement in fuel economy, ringing up at 15/21 on 4x2 models and 14/21 on 4x4 examples. There's a new Eco Mode button to maximize economy, but pushing it will only deactivate the system, which governs items like shift points, cylinder deactivation and ride height, depending on model, as it defaults to active whenever the vehicle is turned on.
Then, of course, there's the road-oriented Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT performance model, which also receives the lion's share of the changes listed above. Visually, the SRT will pack a revamped grille, LED headlamps shared with higher-end Grand Cherokee models and a new rear spoiler. Also of note is the availability of a new set of more traditional five-spoke alloys (SRT boss Ralph Gilles acknowledged to us that the spidery 10-spoke wheels that the SRT arrived with in 2012 have proven to be somewhat controversial). The new overall look is a subtle improvement, but we wish designers would have found a way to better integrate (or remove) the LED daytime running lamp strip in the bumper, as it looks tacked on – particularly now that 2014's headlamps incorporate sleek new light pipes.
Which is why we're pleased to say "Oh, is it time for that already?" when it comes to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The current WK2 Grand Cherokee hit the market in 2011 and climbed its way into our hearts with its rugged good looks, go-anywhere capability and surprising refinement. We're not yet tired of its appearance or performance, but even so, we're very glad to see Chrysler giving its flagship Jeep some attention, including a much-anticipated diesel powertrain option and some other economy-minded measures.
The changes for 2014 start with a fresh look, including one of two different slimmer headlamp treatments (upper-rung models are treated to bi-xenon units with LED daytime running lamps, and Summit models feature dynamic corner lighting), along with reworked grilles and repositioned foglamps in new lower fascias. Redesigned taillamps incorporating yet more LEDs take up residence out back and the rear liftgate has received a once-over, too. We've seen the vehicles in the metal already, and the alterations are handsome, if not subtle touches from the "If It Ain't Broke" school of design.
More impressive is the interior rework, which includes a new three-spoke steering wheel with standard paddle shifters, a seven-inch configurable screen in the gauge cluster, reworked center stack with Chrysler's award-winning 8.4-inch UConnect infotainment system, and new electronic gearshift selector. In addition, there's a brace of optional active safety features including adaptive cruise control, front park assist and front collision alert. What we're most impressed with is designers' efforts to further differentiate trim levels on the 2014 Grand Cherokee.
Regardless of whether the buyer chooses the V6 diesel, 3.6-liter Pentastar gasoline-fed V6 or 5.7-liter V8, there's a new eight-speed transmission to help improve fuel economy and smoothness. Chrysler says the V8, which is also fitted with cylinder deactivation, will see a five-percent improvement in fuel economy, ringing up at 15/21 on 4x2 models and 14/21 on 4x4 examples. There's a new Eco Mode button to maximize economy, but pushing it will only deactivate the system, which governs items like shift points, cylinder deactivation and ride height, depending on model, as it defaults to active whenever the vehicle is turned on.
Then, of course, there's the road-oriented Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT performance model, which also receives the lion's share of the changes listed above. Visually, the SRT will pack a revamped grille, LED headlamps shared with higher-end Grand Cherokee models and a new rear spoiler. Also of note is the availability of a new set of more traditional five-spoke alloys (SRT boss Ralph Gilles acknowledged to us that the spidery 10-spoke wheels that the SRT arrived with in 2012 have proven to be somewhat controversial). The new overall look is a subtle improvement, but we wish designers would have found a way to better integrate (or remove) the LED daytime running lamp strip in the bumper, as it looks tacked on – particularly now that 2014's headlamps incorporate sleek new light pipes.
2013年1月13日 星期日
Trampling on People
Policy integrity. Ethical culture. Environmental protection. Environmental defense. Friends of earth. Defenders of wildlife. Not just their names, but their charter, culture and policies – their very being – represent a commitment to these profound values. Or so we are supposed to believe.
The activist groups and government agencies certainly talk a good game. They’ve certainly got the “mainstream” media and a lot of legislators and regulators on their side, while many who question their claims and agendas lack the greens’ money, influence, connections and firepower.
In truth, the very foundation for many of their policies is built on sand, worthless computer models or outright deception. A movement begun to curtail serious environmental abuses won most of those battles, but then evolved (regressed?) into organizations fixated on eradicating hydrocarbon and nuclear power, acquiring more money and power, and using environmental rules to control people’s lives, restrict or roll back modern technology and living standards, and perpetuate poverty, misery and disease in poor countries – in the name of precaution, biodiversity, sustainable development and climate stabilization.
Organizations and agencies ill-funded and on the periphery 40 years ago now share tens of billions of dollars annually – courtesy of taxpayer payments and tax code largesse – and dictate decision-making. Companies are created, establish divisions and hire $50,000-a-month lobbyists to turn environmental policies and programs into billion-dollar cash cows that have more lives than Freddy Krueger.
Climategate, doctored data, new theories about solar forces – and the stubborn refusal of climate reality to cooperate with computer models, carbon dioxide theorizing and climate cataclysm headlines – have turned the Kyoto Protocol into a toothless laughingstock that stands for little more than wealth redistribution. By unlocking another century of oil and gas, 3-D seismic and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have eviscerated Club of Rome and Sierra Club assertions that we are rapidly running out of petroleum.
One would think these paradigm shifts would alter environmentalist thinking and government programs designed to replace “disappearing” oil and gas with wind, solar and biofuel energy. But hell hath no fury like an environmentalist scorned. Any attempt to revise laws, regulations or subsidies is met with derision, outrage, expanded rules and funding, and new allegations, grievances and justifications.
Petroleum depletion and dangerous manmade climate change continue to drive public policy. This is so even when outdated programs that supposedly advance health and ecological goals are found to do just the opposite. A few energy sector examples illustrate the harsh reality that common citizens face.
Congress enacted automobile mileage standards as an energy conservation mandate. The Environmental Protection Agency unilaterally raised the requirement to 54.5 mpg, based mainly on global warming concerns. The result has been more cars that are smaller, lighter and less crashworthy – and thus thousands of additional fatalities, and tens of thousands of serious extra injuries, every year.
EPA routinely justifies onerous, job-killing regulations by claiming they will save thousands of lives, which the agency values at $8.9 million each. But it obstinately ignores the injuries, deaths and billions of dollars in healthcare and mortality costs that its mileage standards are exacting on America every year.
In their determination to make more oil and gas prospects off limits, promote renewable energy, and slash emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollution, EPA and the Interior Department promote highly exaggerated health and welfare benefits, and statistical lives theoretically saved. They routinely ignore the adverse health and welfare impacts caused by regulations and other actions that increase heating, food and transportation costs, cause numerous layoffs, and hurt poor and minority families most of all. EPA even employs illegal human experiments to advance its anti-hydrocarbon agenda.
The activist groups and government agencies certainly talk a good game. They’ve certainly got the “mainstream” media and a lot of legislators and regulators on their side, while many who question their claims and agendas lack the greens’ money, influence, connections and firepower.
In truth, the very foundation for many of their policies is built on sand, worthless computer models or outright deception. A movement begun to curtail serious environmental abuses won most of those battles, but then evolved (regressed?) into organizations fixated on eradicating hydrocarbon and nuclear power, acquiring more money and power, and using environmental rules to control people’s lives, restrict or roll back modern technology and living standards, and perpetuate poverty, misery and disease in poor countries – in the name of precaution, biodiversity, sustainable development and climate stabilization.
Organizations and agencies ill-funded and on the periphery 40 years ago now share tens of billions of dollars annually – courtesy of taxpayer payments and tax code largesse – and dictate decision-making. Companies are created, establish divisions and hire $50,000-a-month lobbyists to turn environmental policies and programs into billion-dollar cash cows that have more lives than Freddy Krueger.
Climategate, doctored data, new theories about solar forces – and the stubborn refusal of climate reality to cooperate with computer models, carbon dioxide theorizing and climate cataclysm headlines – have turned the Kyoto Protocol into a toothless laughingstock that stands for little more than wealth redistribution. By unlocking another century of oil and gas, 3-D seismic and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have eviscerated Club of Rome and Sierra Club assertions that we are rapidly running out of petroleum.
One would think these paradigm shifts would alter environmentalist thinking and government programs designed to replace “disappearing” oil and gas with wind, solar and biofuel energy. But hell hath no fury like an environmentalist scorned. Any attempt to revise laws, regulations or subsidies is met with derision, outrage, expanded rules and funding, and new allegations, grievances and justifications.
Petroleum depletion and dangerous manmade climate change continue to drive public policy. This is so even when outdated programs that supposedly advance health and ecological goals are found to do just the opposite. A few energy sector examples illustrate the harsh reality that common citizens face.
Congress enacted automobile mileage standards as an energy conservation mandate. The Environmental Protection Agency unilaterally raised the requirement to 54.5 mpg, based mainly on global warming concerns. The result has been more cars that are smaller, lighter and less crashworthy – and thus thousands of additional fatalities, and tens of thousands of serious extra injuries, every year.
EPA routinely justifies onerous, job-killing regulations by claiming they will save thousands of lives, which the agency values at $8.9 million each. But it obstinately ignores the injuries, deaths and billions of dollars in healthcare and mortality costs that its mileage standards are exacting on America every year.
In their determination to make more oil and gas prospects off limits, promote renewable energy, and slash emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollution, EPA and the Interior Department promote highly exaggerated health and welfare benefits, and statistical lives theoretically saved. They routinely ignore the adverse health and welfare impacts caused by regulations and other actions that increase heating, food and transportation costs, cause numerous layoffs, and hurt poor and minority families most of all. EPA even employs illegal human experiments to advance its anti-hydrocarbon agenda.
2013年1月10日 星期四
It's not easy being green…
I was reminded of this unreasonable obstinacy regarding all things green when I gave a presentation to an audience of public sector building managers. I did my normal breathless 20-minute spiel about the golden age of renewable energy funding, once in a lifetime opportunity, etc, then stood back expecting a smatter of polite applause, a few questions and possibly the odd whoop of enthusiasm.
But, instead, I was met by a silent sea of sullen faces, folded arms and the odd mutter about listed buildings, austerity cuts and 'some of us having to live in the real world'.
This experience was not entirely unexpected. Most of the developers and investors I work with used to moan about trying to sell energy efficiency to the public sector. They complained about a wall of bureaucracy, inflexible procurement regulations and a 'not invented here' mentality.
What is more telling now is that the market has stopped complaining and has pretty much just given up on the public sector all together. They are working with industry, retail and other more sectors where it is simply easier to get things done.
For the hard-pushed public sector, this is a massive missed opportunity. You probably work in a big draughty old building that leaks energy like a sieve. I am guessing you also complain about austerity cuts and worry about your future job security. These three facts are not entirely unrelated.
We have been over this ground before, but it is worth rehearsing once again. Collectively the public sector is the UK's single largest consumer of energy. It has thousands of buildings, most of which are more than 50 years old and cost a fortune to heat, light and cool. As a rough guide, the sector probably spends at least a couple of billion pounds annually buying fossil fuel energy. The price of this is going up inexorably and in the last three years the price of electricity alone has risen by 50%.
At the same time, the development of technology to reduce energy consumption is booming along in leaps and bounds. Low-energy lighting, building management systems, more efficient boilers and good old-fashioned insulation have all become mainstream technologies that collectively can save 25-30% on the average building's energy bill.
So we have three factors coming together: lots of leaky old buildings occupied by users who are facing unparalleled budget cuts; continual improvements in technology that deliver massive savings in energy usage; and, finally, the price of fossil fuel power going up every year.
You would think this would lead to a huge industry in public sector energy efficiency schemes. You would think everybody in your organisation would be turning down the thermostat, installing LED lighting and switching to newer boilers. You would think energy conservation would be top of the list of priorities for your leadership team and members. You would think all of these things, but you would be wrong.
There are lots of public sector organisations that talk about their green credentials but the number that are actually doing anything significant is still less than a couple of hundred or so. Yes, that's right, a couple of hundred or so in a sector that, according to my helpful contact at the Office of National Statistics, employs 5.7 million people and has precisely 8,280 separate organisations.
As ever, there are few shining beacons in the gloom and some councils and hospitals are doing a huge amount to cut their energy costs. Peterborough, Nottingham and Wiltshire councils are all great examples of what can be done, but they are laudable exceptions. 95% of the public sector is not doing anything significant at all about energy conservation or, if they are, they are keeping it very, very quiet.
But, instead, I was met by a silent sea of sullen faces, folded arms and the odd mutter about listed buildings, austerity cuts and 'some of us having to live in the real world'.
This experience was not entirely unexpected. Most of the developers and investors I work with used to moan about trying to sell energy efficiency to the public sector. They complained about a wall of bureaucracy, inflexible procurement regulations and a 'not invented here' mentality.
What is more telling now is that the market has stopped complaining and has pretty much just given up on the public sector all together. They are working with industry, retail and other more sectors where it is simply easier to get things done.
For the hard-pushed public sector, this is a massive missed opportunity. You probably work in a big draughty old building that leaks energy like a sieve. I am guessing you also complain about austerity cuts and worry about your future job security. These three facts are not entirely unrelated.
We have been over this ground before, but it is worth rehearsing once again. Collectively the public sector is the UK's single largest consumer of energy. It has thousands of buildings, most of which are more than 50 years old and cost a fortune to heat, light and cool. As a rough guide, the sector probably spends at least a couple of billion pounds annually buying fossil fuel energy. The price of this is going up inexorably and in the last three years the price of electricity alone has risen by 50%.
At the same time, the development of technology to reduce energy consumption is booming along in leaps and bounds. Low-energy lighting, building management systems, more efficient boilers and good old-fashioned insulation have all become mainstream technologies that collectively can save 25-30% on the average building's energy bill.
So we have three factors coming together: lots of leaky old buildings occupied by users who are facing unparalleled budget cuts; continual improvements in technology that deliver massive savings in energy usage; and, finally, the price of fossil fuel power going up every year.
You would think this would lead to a huge industry in public sector energy efficiency schemes. You would think everybody in your organisation would be turning down the thermostat, installing LED lighting and switching to newer boilers. You would think energy conservation would be top of the list of priorities for your leadership team and members. You would think all of these things, but you would be wrong.
There are lots of public sector organisations that talk about their green credentials but the number that are actually doing anything significant is still less than a couple of hundred or so. Yes, that's right, a couple of hundred or so in a sector that, according to my helpful contact at the Office of National Statistics, employs 5.7 million people and has precisely 8,280 separate organisations.
As ever, there are few shining beacons in the gloom and some councils and hospitals are doing a huge amount to cut their energy costs. Peterborough, Nottingham and Wiltshire councils are all great examples of what can be done, but they are laudable exceptions. 95% of the public sector is not doing anything significant at all about energy conservation or, if they are, they are keeping it very, very quiet.
2013年1月9日 星期三
France sets 'emergency measures' for solar
France has instituted a series of "emergency measures" to revive its flagging solar energy industry, Energy Minister Delphine Batho said this week.
Appearing Monday at the MPO Energy solar panel plant in Mayenne, France, Batho said the government has doubled its target for annual photovoltaic energy growth from 500 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts and is seeking to build large-scale solar farms under the measures.
The minister said the decisions constitute an "emergency response" to help the solar energy industry in the country remain viable at a time when it is reeling following the loss of thousands of jobs during the government of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The new subsidies are meant to spark $2.6 billion in private investments and create or maintain about 10,000 jobs at an added average cost of $1.30-$2.60 per year on energy bills of French households.
French solar manufacturers are also taking a hit from Chinese PV panels that officials say are being unfairly dumped in the European market at below cost. As part of the decree signed Monday, a 10 percent feed-in tariff bonus will be awarded to French buyers of European-made PV panels.
"The challenge is to show that the French industry has a card to play on products with high added-value and that the battle is not lost, even in a fiercely competitive environment," Batho told Le Monde.
The European Commission in September launched an investigation of alleged "dumping" of Chinese-made solar cells, modules and photovoltaic wafers, as well looking into alleged subsidies handed out by China to its solar panel makers.
For its part, China has protested to the World Trade Organization. Batho, however, said the bonuses to be paid to European-made panel buyers are "consistent with the energy code," Le Parisien reported.
Under the decree, annual growth targets for small rooftop installations will double from 200 megawatts to 400 megawatts per year and pricing will be simplified to end the distinction between facilities depending on the use of the building.
Meanwhile, a new push will be made to establish new, large-scale solar farms. The government has submitted a new tender for large PV plants with a volume of 400 megawatts, which are to also to be used to develop and research solar technologies as well as help redevelop polluted "brownfield" sites.
A second call for tenders will be launched during 2013, specifically targeting other innovative technologies in the solar field.
The moves come after French President Francoise Hollande in November initiated a national "energy transition debate" over the future mix of France's energy sector, which is now largely dependent on nuclear power.
Hollande campaigned against continued reliance on nuclear power in the run-up to his May 6 defeat of center-right incumbent Sarkozy and has since repeated his pledge to cut nuclear power's share of the energy mix from 75 to 50 percent by 2025.
Batho said the moves to prop up the solar industry are necessary to keep it viable as the country awaits the outcome of the debate at the end of this year.
"The national debate on energy transition will define a predictable, stable and sustainable development of solar energy and other renewable energies in the context of the 2025 goal set by the President Hollande," she said.
Appearing Monday at the MPO Energy solar panel plant in Mayenne, France, Batho said the government has doubled its target for annual photovoltaic energy growth from 500 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts and is seeking to build large-scale solar farms under the measures.
The minister said the decisions constitute an "emergency response" to help the solar energy industry in the country remain viable at a time when it is reeling following the loss of thousands of jobs during the government of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The new subsidies are meant to spark $2.6 billion in private investments and create or maintain about 10,000 jobs at an added average cost of $1.30-$2.60 per year on energy bills of French households.
French solar manufacturers are also taking a hit from Chinese PV panels that officials say are being unfairly dumped in the European market at below cost. As part of the decree signed Monday, a 10 percent feed-in tariff bonus will be awarded to French buyers of European-made PV panels.
"The challenge is to show that the French industry has a card to play on products with high added-value and that the battle is not lost, even in a fiercely competitive environment," Batho told Le Monde.
The European Commission in September launched an investigation of alleged "dumping" of Chinese-made solar cells, modules and photovoltaic wafers, as well looking into alleged subsidies handed out by China to its solar panel makers.
For its part, China has protested to the World Trade Organization. Batho, however, said the bonuses to be paid to European-made panel buyers are "consistent with the energy code," Le Parisien reported.
Under the decree, annual growth targets for small rooftop installations will double from 200 megawatts to 400 megawatts per year and pricing will be simplified to end the distinction between facilities depending on the use of the building.
Meanwhile, a new push will be made to establish new, large-scale solar farms. The government has submitted a new tender for large PV plants with a volume of 400 megawatts, which are to also to be used to develop and research solar technologies as well as help redevelop polluted "brownfield" sites.
A second call for tenders will be launched during 2013, specifically targeting other innovative technologies in the solar field.
The moves come after French President Francoise Hollande in November initiated a national "energy transition debate" over the future mix of France's energy sector, which is now largely dependent on nuclear power.
Hollande campaigned against continued reliance on nuclear power in the run-up to his May 6 defeat of center-right incumbent Sarkozy and has since repeated his pledge to cut nuclear power's share of the energy mix from 75 to 50 percent by 2025.
Batho said the moves to prop up the solar industry are necessary to keep it viable as the country awaits the outcome of the debate at the end of this year.
"The national debate on energy transition will define a predictable, stable and sustainable development of solar energy and other renewable energies in the context of the 2025 goal set by the President Hollande," she said.
2013年1月8日 星期二
Wind farms making way to reality
A last-minute rescue of a federal tax credit for renewable energy last week was welcomed by the companies behind two proposed wind-turbine projects in the area. However, it will likely be years before anyone around here sees any giant windmills going in the ground.
A U.S. production tax credit, extended as part of the fiscal-cliff deal passed by Congress and signed by the president, provides a rebate of 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour over a wind farm’s first 10 years of operation. That rebate can knock up to 30 percent off the cost of such a project.
But two wind farms in the works in north central Ohio still have numerous hurdles to clear before they can take advantage of the tax giveaway.
The Black Fork Wind Farm, a 91-turbine project west of Shelby that was given the go-ahead by the state a year ago, is slowly working its way through the appeals process in the Ohio Supreme Court — a number of area residents are seeking to halt the project on legal grounds.
Meanwhile, another wind farm proposed for northeastern Morrow County is still awaiting approval by the Ohio Power Siting Board before it can proceed.
“We are still actively developing the project. We were meeting with Richland and Crawford counties back in November and December and are working through the road-use issues,” said Scott Hawken, senior project manager with Element Power, an Oregon-based alternative energy company that’s handling the Black Fork project.
That wind farm is to be built over 24,200 acres in Crawford County’s Auburn, Jackson, Jefferson and Vernon townships and Richland County’s Plymouth, Sandusky and Sharon townships, with the cooperation of 150 landowners. It would be located west of Shelby, north of Crestline and nearly surround the village of Tiro. Ohio 598 would bisect the entire site from north to south.
“Sooner or later these things will have to come down, because everything eventually becomes obsolete,” Patrick Murphy, a Bucyrus attorney representing the appellants, said. “If this company goes bankrupt, who’s going to pay for that? It’s going to cost $30,000 to take one of these things down.”
Hawken, who noted local communities would split an estimated $1.8 million in tax revenues, said the Black Fork project would have a life span of 20 to 25 years.
“I would anticipate in 20 years that these projects get upgraded with newer technology,” he said. “This is a good location to gather wind for years and years to come.”
“ I believe in green energy, but we have other alternatives other than wind. We have a 110-year supply of natural gas under our feet, more energy than Saudi Arabia ever had, and it’s clean,” Murphy said.
“These farmers don’t want to be surrounded by 50-story structures. It doesn’t make any sense at all to do this.”
Opponents of wind turbines have also cited their danger to birds, noise level and aesthetic concerns. Studies into shadow flicker, caused by rapidly rotating blades, have not uncovered any significant health threat, although the flicker’s strobing effect has been shown to spook horses, disorient livestock and cause headaches in people.
“We don’t think the siting board gave us an opportunity to present our side and that it went beyond the scope of its authority,” Murphy said.
Although the Black Fork project has yet to secure a long-term agreement to purchase power from local utilities, “because of Ohio’s alternative energy portfolio standard, we are well-positioned to proceed with this project, with or without the tax incentive,” Hawken said.
A U.S. production tax credit, extended as part of the fiscal-cliff deal passed by Congress and signed by the president, provides a rebate of 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour over a wind farm’s first 10 years of operation. That rebate can knock up to 30 percent off the cost of such a project.
But two wind farms in the works in north central Ohio still have numerous hurdles to clear before they can take advantage of the tax giveaway.
The Black Fork Wind Farm, a 91-turbine project west of Shelby that was given the go-ahead by the state a year ago, is slowly working its way through the appeals process in the Ohio Supreme Court — a number of area residents are seeking to halt the project on legal grounds.
Meanwhile, another wind farm proposed for northeastern Morrow County is still awaiting approval by the Ohio Power Siting Board before it can proceed.
“We are still actively developing the project. We were meeting with Richland and Crawford counties back in November and December and are working through the road-use issues,” said Scott Hawken, senior project manager with Element Power, an Oregon-based alternative energy company that’s handling the Black Fork project.
That wind farm is to be built over 24,200 acres in Crawford County’s Auburn, Jackson, Jefferson and Vernon townships and Richland County’s Plymouth, Sandusky and Sharon townships, with the cooperation of 150 landowners. It would be located west of Shelby, north of Crestline and nearly surround the village of Tiro. Ohio 598 would bisect the entire site from north to south.
“Sooner or later these things will have to come down, because everything eventually becomes obsolete,” Patrick Murphy, a Bucyrus attorney representing the appellants, said. “If this company goes bankrupt, who’s going to pay for that? It’s going to cost $30,000 to take one of these things down.”
Hawken, who noted local communities would split an estimated $1.8 million in tax revenues, said the Black Fork project would have a life span of 20 to 25 years.
“I would anticipate in 20 years that these projects get upgraded with newer technology,” he said. “This is a good location to gather wind for years and years to come.”
“ I believe in green energy, but we have other alternatives other than wind. We have a 110-year supply of natural gas under our feet, more energy than Saudi Arabia ever had, and it’s clean,” Murphy said.
“These farmers don’t want to be surrounded by 50-story structures. It doesn’t make any sense at all to do this.”
Opponents of wind turbines have also cited their danger to birds, noise level and aesthetic concerns. Studies into shadow flicker, caused by rapidly rotating blades, have not uncovered any significant health threat, although the flicker’s strobing effect has been shown to spook horses, disorient livestock and cause headaches in people.
“We don’t think the siting board gave us an opportunity to present our side and that it went beyond the scope of its authority,” Murphy said.
Although the Black Fork project has yet to secure a long-term agreement to purchase power from local utilities, “because of Ohio’s alternative energy portfolio standard, we are well-positioned to proceed with this project, with or without the tax incentive,” Hawken said.
2013年1月7日 星期一
Why George Will Was Wrong
The allure of many environmentally beneficial technologies is that they also hold the eventual promise of being economically efficient. This is particularly true in the field of energy. However, efficient devices that require less fossil fuel generally involve higher capital costs, especially when they are newly introduced to the market. This is particularly the case if one doesn’t include any externalities – the costs borne by somebody else.
But leaving aside the consideration of externalities just for a minute, let’s just look at the as-priced economics. More efficient technologies often have higher upfront costs for at least two reasons: 1) because there is some additional technological element built into the thing we are buying, compared with the technology being replaced, and 2) because they are newer technologies and have to amortize development costs over a smaller number of units produced. In other words, they haven’t gotten to scale yet.
This holds true for many efficient technologies. In buildings, efficient lights, special windows, and new design technologies aren’t cheap, but t hey lower overall operating costs. It holds true with renewable power plants, such as solar and wind facilities. These technologies are still evolving, and costs still have a way to fall as conversion efficiencies improve and manufacturing scales up. However, recent trends in solar show us the way: once manufacturing does scale up and markets mature, costs can drop dramatically – as much as 30% over the past two years for solar. Grid parity is within sight in some markets already.
If the technologies are good, and the market is there, then market transformation is probable over time. With scale, new technologies become more competitive in price. Or at least close enough in cost that people actually buy the product based on lifecycle costs rather than just the initial sticker price. This transition has happened with compact fluorescent bulbs. It will happen with LED lighting very shortly. It will occur shortly with solar energy. And it has clearly happened with hybrid cars.
Government subsidies can help such technologies to reach an inflection point at which they can survive and thrive on their own. It’s a similar path to that taken by countries that launch and support infant industries. Initial subsides and tariffs create enough breathing room for the new entrant to eventually flourish. In many cases, the result is that whole new markets are created, while older technologies give way.
More efficient devices are good for everybody. They lower overall user costs to the user and to the environment, and they decrease demand on fuel, lowering costs for all everybody. And yet, for all of these new and more efficient technologies, and their beneficial impact on demand, there always seems to be a crowd that just doesn’t like them. Sometimes we see justified skepticism, and perhaps the emotion is aimed at some of the perceived piety of the eco crowd, but it’s a curious phenomenon.
George Will’s stance on Toyota’s Prius is a fascinating case in point. For the record, the Prius isn’t really a green vehicle (marketing notwithstanding), but it is a step in the right direction. My 2007 Prius still pollutes, but it uses only a third of the gasoline consumed by my 2001 Ford F150. While I appreciate the environmental benefits, I really like that I can go 450 miles on 30 dollars of gasoline.
It turns out Consumer Reports likes the Prius for the same reason. They not only rated the Prius as having the best value – in terms of total cost of ownership – among cars in its class, but among all 2013 models they tested. Based on their calculations, the Prius costs an estimated 49 cents/mile, less than 50% of the cost of the average car, with a reliability factor also much better than average.
But leaving aside the consideration of externalities just for a minute, let’s just look at the as-priced economics. More efficient technologies often have higher upfront costs for at least two reasons: 1) because there is some additional technological element built into the thing we are buying, compared with the technology being replaced, and 2) because they are newer technologies and have to amortize development costs over a smaller number of units produced. In other words, they haven’t gotten to scale yet.
This holds true for many efficient technologies. In buildings, efficient lights, special windows, and new design technologies aren’t cheap, but t hey lower overall operating costs. It holds true with renewable power plants, such as solar and wind facilities. These technologies are still evolving, and costs still have a way to fall as conversion efficiencies improve and manufacturing scales up. However, recent trends in solar show us the way: once manufacturing does scale up and markets mature, costs can drop dramatically – as much as 30% over the past two years for solar. Grid parity is within sight in some markets already.
If the technologies are good, and the market is there, then market transformation is probable over time. With scale, new technologies become more competitive in price. Or at least close enough in cost that people actually buy the product based on lifecycle costs rather than just the initial sticker price. This transition has happened with compact fluorescent bulbs. It will happen with LED lighting very shortly. It will occur shortly with solar energy. And it has clearly happened with hybrid cars.
Government subsidies can help such technologies to reach an inflection point at which they can survive and thrive on their own. It’s a similar path to that taken by countries that launch and support infant industries. Initial subsides and tariffs create enough breathing room for the new entrant to eventually flourish. In many cases, the result is that whole new markets are created, while older technologies give way.
More efficient devices are good for everybody. They lower overall user costs to the user and to the environment, and they decrease demand on fuel, lowering costs for all everybody. And yet, for all of these new and more efficient technologies, and their beneficial impact on demand, there always seems to be a crowd that just doesn’t like them. Sometimes we see justified skepticism, and perhaps the emotion is aimed at some of the perceived piety of the eco crowd, but it’s a curious phenomenon.
George Will’s stance on Toyota’s Prius is a fascinating case in point. For the record, the Prius isn’t really a green vehicle (marketing notwithstanding), but it is a step in the right direction. My 2007 Prius still pollutes, but it uses only a third of the gasoline consumed by my 2001 Ford F150. While I appreciate the environmental benefits, I really like that I can go 450 miles on 30 dollars of gasoline.
It turns out Consumer Reports likes the Prius for the same reason. They not only rated the Prius as having the best value – in terms of total cost of ownership – among cars in its class, but among all 2013 models they tested. Based on their calculations, the Prius costs an estimated 49 cents/mile, less than 50% of the cost of the average car, with a reliability factor also much better than average.
Hourly total should include small tasks
Brushing teeth or pressing a suit doesn't count as the start of the workday for most people. But for many, the job still starts well before punching in for the day -- and experts say those employees should make sure they're being paid in full.
Whether a worker is securing a protective suit in a steel mill or checking emails before hitting the office, those actions -- if required by an employer -- could add to an employee's hourly total under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Enacted in 1938, the act defines employment loosely but the Supreme Court has ruled that work hours include "physical or mental exertion that is controlled or required by the employer." According to that definition, time spent waiting to complete a task for the employer's benefit, time spent working off-site for employers and time spent putting on or securing certain equipment for work could qualify.
Joseph Chivers, an employment attorney who founded the Downtown-based law firm Employment Rights Group, said a more refined definition of work hasn't prevented years of misinterpretation of the law by employers and employees alike.
"A lot of employees really don't understand [the law], and some employers are also clueless," Mr. Chivers said. "They figure the only time they need to pay for is the time an employee punches in or punches out, and that's not always the case."
Varying state laws add to the confusion surrounding what are considered paid actions, but many court cases that arise from the law focus on an employee's intent, according to an article by Rebecca Bentz, associate editor for Neenah, Wisc.-based safety and regulatory consulting firm J.J. Keller and Associates.
The article noted that nurses whose jobs require them to change into antimicrobial scrubs when arriving at work would be compensated for their time, whereas a nurse who could wear scrubs from home wouldn't be paid for the clothing change. Time spent putting on personal protective equipment such as full-body safety suits or footwear can qualify as paid work but the law allows employers to ignore that time if the employee is doing a minor task such as putting on a hard hat or safety glasses.
Once a paid work action or "principal activity" takes place, other actions including walking and waiting are considered work, too. Mr. Chivers said nurses and other shift workers should be paid for duties such as updates to incoming shift workers or chemical showers that take place after the shift.
Principal activities are described as "integral and indispensable" to an employee's job, according to the U.S Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Ms. Bentz's article uses the example of a nurse who puts on antimicrobial scrubs to illustrate when the law would apply.
"Consider the earlier example of the nurse who must change into scrubs at the start of the workday. The time the nurse takes to walk from the locker room to the nurse's desk or a patient's room would be compensable, as changing into scrubs was the principal activity that started this person's workday," reads the article.
Still, even actions that would be difficult to interpret as anything other than work have come into question by employers, Mr. Chivers said.
He noted a current case he is working where a company requires its employees to log in to computers or smartphones before they leave their homes, but the company does not mark the employees' hours until they arrive at the work site.
Whether a worker is securing a protective suit in a steel mill or checking emails before hitting the office, those actions -- if required by an employer -- could add to an employee's hourly total under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Enacted in 1938, the act defines employment loosely but the Supreme Court has ruled that work hours include "physical or mental exertion that is controlled or required by the employer." According to that definition, time spent waiting to complete a task for the employer's benefit, time spent working off-site for employers and time spent putting on or securing certain equipment for work could qualify.
Joseph Chivers, an employment attorney who founded the Downtown-based law firm Employment Rights Group, said a more refined definition of work hasn't prevented years of misinterpretation of the law by employers and employees alike.
"A lot of employees really don't understand [the law], and some employers are also clueless," Mr. Chivers said. "They figure the only time they need to pay for is the time an employee punches in or punches out, and that's not always the case."
Varying state laws add to the confusion surrounding what are considered paid actions, but many court cases that arise from the law focus on an employee's intent, according to an article by Rebecca Bentz, associate editor for Neenah, Wisc.-based safety and regulatory consulting firm J.J. Keller and Associates.
The article noted that nurses whose jobs require them to change into antimicrobial scrubs when arriving at work would be compensated for their time, whereas a nurse who could wear scrubs from home wouldn't be paid for the clothing change. Time spent putting on personal protective equipment such as full-body safety suits or footwear can qualify as paid work but the law allows employers to ignore that time if the employee is doing a minor task such as putting on a hard hat or safety glasses.
Once a paid work action or "principal activity" takes place, other actions including walking and waiting are considered work, too. Mr. Chivers said nurses and other shift workers should be paid for duties such as updates to incoming shift workers or chemical showers that take place after the shift.
Principal activities are described as "integral and indispensable" to an employee's job, according to the U.S Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Ms. Bentz's article uses the example of a nurse who puts on antimicrobial scrubs to illustrate when the law would apply.
"Consider the earlier example of the nurse who must change into scrubs at the start of the workday. The time the nurse takes to walk from the locker room to the nurse's desk or a patient's room would be compensable, as changing into scrubs was the principal activity that started this person's workday," reads the article.
Still, even actions that would be difficult to interpret as anything other than work have come into question by employers, Mr. Chivers said.
He noted a current case he is working where a company requires its employees to log in to computers or smartphones before they leave their homes, but the company does not mark the employees' hours until they arrive at the work site.
2013年1月5日 星期六
A damning indictment of the new 'Green-friendly' Energy Bill
In Britain, however, the Government remains wedded to a post-Kyoto strategy, and along with the rest of the EU has agreed to ‘extend’ the treaty’s provisions. One consequence of this is the new Energy Bill, which by 2020 will triple the subsidies paid by taxpayers and consumers to ‘renewable’ energy suppliers to 7.6 billion a year.
The bungs paid to operate offshore wind turbines – the most expensive form of energy ever devised – will rise 16-fold to an annual 4.2 billion. The hated onshore turbines will also get huge new subsidies, at least doubling their number to about 6,500.
Even this underestimates the Bill’s full burden, which is closer to 110 billion. Among its enormous further costs are those which will be incurred by the inconvenient fact that wind turbines make electricity for only a third of the time.
Replacing coal or ageing nuclear stations with wind requires new back-up capacity powered by gas at the same time – though this itself will be uneconomic because when the wind is blowing it will have to be switched off.
Meanwhile, as Oxford University’s Professor Dieter Helm points out in his recent book, The Carbon Crunch, Britain’s claim to stand as a shining example of emissions rectitude is bogus.
Yes, the UK’s own production of CO2 fell by 15 per cent between 1990 and 2005, but this was achieved only by exporting British industries to countries such as China, where on average two new power stations fuelled by coal – by far the dirtiest type – come on stream each week.
Taking this into account, writes Prof Helm, means the emissions caused by UK economic activity rose by 19 per cent. It doesn’t matter whether one is a global warming sceptic, or an alarmist: considered either as an effective means of cutting world CO2 emissions, or as a way to restart growth, Britain’s energy strategy is self-defeating.
And however much subsidy existing renewable technology gets, it will never be enough. In 2008, David Mackay, now the chief scientific adviser at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), wrote that if one put a strip of wind turbines more than two miles wide around the whole of Britain’s coastline, it would still generate only less than half of the country’s electricity needs. Needless to say, the cost would be utterly ruinous.
So what should we be doing? The immediate answer is obvious. Thousands of feet beneath Lancashire and many other areas is a vast and readily accessible energy source: clean natural gas, which can be tapped through fracking – pumping in water and one non-toxic chemical to release the gas trapped in shale rock fissures.
This in turn should be used to fuel modern ‘combined cycle’ power stations whose emissions are only 37 per cent of the coal plants they would replace. All of this could be achieved with no subsidy at all. By such means, America, where fracking began on a large scale in 2003, has reduced its gas price by two-thirds and cut its CO2 emissions to the levels of 20 years ago.
However, the ultimate scandal is that the new technologies that really do present an opportunity to create a low-carbon future are being starved of funds.
One is nuclear fission using thorium as a fuel, which produces less than one per cent of the radioactive waste of a conventional, uranium reactor and cannot be used to make weapons.
Professor Steve Cowley, the project’s director, told me that by the mid-2020s, there would be a ‘Wright Brothers moment’ when people finally grasped that commercial fusion power was attainable: the successor to Culham, being built at Aix-en-Provence in the South of France, will, he said, produce a self-sustaining fusion ‘burn’ with a net output of 500 MW for an hour.
However, in the meantime, he admitted, progress is frustratingly slow because of the lack of funds. The UK budget for fusion research amounts to a pitiful 25 million a year, a tiny fraction of the money being thrown at wind power.
The bungs paid to operate offshore wind turbines – the most expensive form of energy ever devised – will rise 16-fold to an annual 4.2 billion. The hated onshore turbines will also get huge new subsidies, at least doubling their number to about 6,500.
Even this underestimates the Bill’s full burden, which is closer to 110 billion. Among its enormous further costs are those which will be incurred by the inconvenient fact that wind turbines make electricity for only a third of the time.
Replacing coal or ageing nuclear stations with wind requires new back-up capacity powered by gas at the same time – though this itself will be uneconomic because when the wind is blowing it will have to be switched off.
Meanwhile, as Oxford University’s Professor Dieter Helm points out in his recent book, The Carbon Crunch, Britain’s claim to stand as a shining example of emissions rectitude is bogus.
Yes, the UK’s own production of CO2 fell by 15 per cent between 1990 and 2005, but this was achieved only by exporting British industries to countries such as China, where on average two new power stations fuelled by coal – by far the dirtiest type – come on stream each week.
Taking this into account, writes Prof Helm, means the emissions caused by UK economic activity rose by 19 per cent. It doesn’t matter whether one is a global warming sceptic, or an alarmist: considered either as an effective means of cutting world CO2 emissions, or as a way to restart growth, Britain’s energy strategy is self-defeating.
And however much subsidy existing renewable technology gets, it will never be enough. In 2008, David Mackay, now the chief scientific adviser at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), wrote that if one put a strip of wind turbines more than two miles wide around the whole of Britain’s coastline, it would still generate only less than half of the country’s electricity needs. Needless to say, the cost would be utterly ruinous.
So what should we be doing? The immediate answer is obvious. Thousands of feet beneath Lancashire and many other areas is a vast and readily accessible energy source: clean natural gas, which can be tapped through fracking – pumping in water and one non-toxic chemical to release the gas trapped in shale rock fissures.
This in turn should be used to fuel modern ‘combined cycle’ power stations whose emissions are only 37 per cent of the coal plants they would replace. All of this could be achieved with no subsidy at all. By such means, America, where fracking began on a large scale in 2003, has reduced its gas price by two-thirds and cut its CO2 emissions to the levels of 20 years ago.
However, the ultimate scandal is that the new technologies that really do present an opportunity to create a low-carbon future are being starved of funds.
One is nuclear fission using thorium as a fuel, which produces less than one per cent of the radioactive waste of a conventional, uranium reactor and cannot be used to make weapons.
Professor Steve Cowley, the project’s director, told me that by the mid-2020s, there would be a ‘Wright Brothers moment’ when people finally grasped that commercial fusion power was attainable: the successor to Culham, being built at Aix-en-Provence in the South of France, will, he said, produce a self-sustaining fusion ‘burn’ with a net output of 500 MW for an hour.
However, in the meantime, he admitted, progress is frustratingly slow because of the lack of funds. The UK budget for fusion research amounts to a pitiful 25 million a year, a tiny fraction of the money being thrown at wind power.
2013年1月4日 星期五
Sandy victims weigh future
Two months after Hurricane Sandy bludgeoned the city with the new year at hand, residents in the hardest-hit areas of Queens were mixed on their outlook for 2013. Al Kinsler was one of those who thought things were looking bright.
“I’m always optimistic,” said Kinsler, who lives on the corner of Beach 47th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways.
Details of Kinsler’s story may be familiar to others living in the path of the storm’s surge, which caused soaring floodwaters that left a wake of destruction. He, like others, faced daunting water damage to his home and has had to live elsewhere as he applied for federal aid and made needed repairs.
Although he still cannot live in his house in its present condition, he said, he was working on the dwelling Saturday and was hopeful he could move back in within a month. And he said there are good signs around that his neighborhood was slowly inching back to life.
“I think we’ll bounce back,” he said. “I’ve seen [the neighborhood] at its worst and I’ve seen it at its best,” adding that its best was during the storm with so many people rallying to help others.
Broad Channel resident Robert Keith was also optimistic about 2013.
“I feel very good now that Rapid Repairs is here,” he said, referring to the program aimed at accelerating home repairs through a team of trade workers contracted by the city.
He said things were not looking as good about two weeks ago, when the program seemed to be poorly managed in the neighborhood. He said contractors would show up to make assessments or repairs late or not at all.
But at a recent community meeting to discuss the neighborhood’s concerns, Keith said an official from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office showed up and got an earful from residents about the disorganization.
“Somebody put a flame under the mayor’s rear end,” he said.
He said since then the program has been running smoothly and effectively, making him look hopeful to the future.
But others were angry at the government response to the storm and worried about what 2013 had in store.
“I’m very nervous about the new year,” said Bruno Rinaldi, owner of Bruno restaurant, at 158-22 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach.
The restaurant sustained nearly $400,000 in damages during the storm, including the complete destruction of freezers, an ice machine, refrigerators and its entire inventory. It was shut down for five weeks and is now operating at half capacity with many employees loyally working for free because there is no money to pay them.
Although Rinaldi immediately applied to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a loan and filed a claim with his insurance company, he said so far both have delayed payments and are projecting it could still be weeks before they send any money.
And without monetary aid soon, he said, the restaurant will have to close for good, putting his employees out of work. Two weeks from now, we don’t get help, we’re done, he said, making a cutting motion across his neck.
A single tunnel boring machine (TBM) will be launched in early 2014 tocreate nearly 1km of twin-bore tunnels between Limmo Peninsula near Canning Town station and Victoria Dock Portal in the Royal Docks, completing a key part of the Crossrail route in east London. Once the TBM completes its first tunnel and breaks through at Victoria Dock Portal, it will then be turned around and driven back to Limmo to create the second adjacent tunnel.
Bill Tucker, Crossrail Area Director Central said:“Engineers worked around the clock over the Christmas break to complete these important track works as planned. The completion of this DLR track work paves the way for construction of Victoria Dock Portal to begin, a key part of the Crossrail route in east London.”
“I’m always optimistic,” said Kinsler, who lives on the corner of Beach 47th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways.
Details of Kinsler’s story may be familiar to others living in the path of the storm’s surge, which caused soaring floodwaters that left a wake of destruction. He, like others, faced daunting water damage to his home and has had to live elsewhere as he applied for federal aid and made needed repairs.
Although he still cannot live in his house in its present condition, he said, he was working on the dwelling Saturday and was hopeful he could move back in within a month. And he said there are good signs around that his neighborhood was slowly inching back to life.
“I think we’ll bounce back,” he said. “I’ve seen [the neighborhood] at its worst and I’ve seen it at its best,” adding that its best was during the storm with so many people rallying to help others.
Broad Channel resident Robert Keith was also optimistic about 2013.
“I feel very good now that Rapid Repairs is here,” he said, referring to the program aimed at accelerating home repairs through a team of trade workers contracted by the city.
He said things were not looking as good about two weeks ago, when the program seemed to be poorly managed in the neighborhood. He said contractors would show up to make assessments or repairs late or not at all.
But at a recent community meeting to discuss the neighborhood’s concerns, Keith said an official from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office showed up and got an earful from residents about the disorganization.
“Somebody put a flame under the mayor’s rear end,” he said.
He said since then the program has been running smoothly and effectively, making him look hopeful to the future.
But others were angry at the government response to the storm and worried about what 2013 had in store.
“I’m very nervous about the new year,” said Bruno Rinaldi, owner of Bruno restaurant, at 158-22 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach.
The restaurant sustained nearly $400,000 in damages during the storm, including the complete destruction of freezers, an ice machine, refrigerators and its entire inventory. It was shut down for five weeks and is now operating at half capacity with many employees loyally working for free because there is no money to pay them.
Although Rinaldi immediately applied to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a loan and filed a claim with his insurance company, he said so far both have delayed payments and are projecting it could still be weeks before they send any money.
And without monetary aid soon, he said, the restaurant will have to close for good, putting his employees out of work. Two weeks from now, we don’t get help, we’re done, he said, making a cutting motion across his neck.
A single tunnel boring machine (TBM) will be launched in early 2014 tocreate nearly 1km of twin-bore tunnels between Limmo Peninsula near Canning Town station and Victoria Dock Portal in the Royal Docks, completing a key part of the Crossrail route in east London. Once the TBM completes its first tunnel and breaks through at Victoria Dock Portal, it will then be turned around and driven back to Limmo to create the second adjacent tunnel.
Bill Tucker, Crossrail Area Director Central said:“Engineers worked around the clock over the Christmas break to complete these important track works as planned. The completion of this DLR track work paves the way for construction of Victoria Dock Portal to begin, a key part of the Crossrail route in east London.”
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