An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.
This week’s lead story features the growing number of cracks in Scotland’s Hunterston reactor, which according to some requires an immediate shutdown to avoid a second Chernobyl. Then on to our usual mix of energy and energy-related stories: Low oil prices to mandate an OPEC production cut; the Turk Stream gas pipeline: coal in Germany, Hungary, Japan and China; nuclear in Poland, France, Spain and the EU; renewables in Australia and Puerto Rico; batteries in California; tidal power in France; Solheim quits; hydrogen; foldable capacitors for energy storage and how Houston’s high-rises halted Hurricane Harvey.
Note that there is some informed commentary on the gravity of the Huntertson situation. If you don’t hear from me again it will be because I’ve been vaporised 🙁
Californians pay an average of 15.23 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Although that’s decidedly less expensive than the 35 cents per kilowatt-hour in Germany,
The Golden Shower State pays 50% more than the average American but this differential makes me think the Germans aren’t so smart either.
We’ll wave to you as your vapors drift by. Please try not to be radioactive when you reach California.
Huntertson … I imagine the BBC knows where they stand if the lights go out.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-46290475
In Eco BC they boast that the Carbon Tax is working.
I found some interesting numbers from stats Canada. Gasoline sales in 2008 (the year the tax was introduced) were 4.62 billion litres. Gasoline sales in 2017 were 5.18 billion litres. Looks like Justin is right the carbon tax is working. #$@%& 🙂
Uh um Justin didn’t you say consumption is supposed to go down? What’s that Justin? “4.62 minus 5.18 is -0.56. This is a proof that it is working. A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It’s a proof. A proof is a proof, and when you have a good proof, it’s because it’s proven.”
Justin you and Butts need to stop smoking and go back to grade school.
With arithmetic skills like that, no wonder Prinz Dummkopf dropped out of engineering school.
Re: nuclear shutdown
Imagine they discover cracks or some other potentially catastrophic, very difficult to fix issue with a reactor at Bruce in Ontario.
These candu reactors are very similar to those at Pickering and Darlington. It is possible that the flaw in Bruce would require the shutdown of those facilities as well.
Imagine that happening this time of year. And the repairs requiring months to fix. The grid tie-ins to the rest of the continent are far too small to provide remotely enough to keep the lights on.
The catastrophic consequences are difficult to delineate. Suffice to say it would be ruinous to the Ontario and Canadian economy.
And it is not implausible.
And it is why a guy I know who was an engineering exec at Ontario Hydro – since retired – had a large diesel generator and several barrels of fuel at the ready in his house.
Wasn’t Bruce, or was it Darlington, that was plagued with all sorts of start-up bugs during commissioning? Also, I though Pickering was well on its way to being mothballed as it must be around 50 years old by now.