What Are The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Energy

The applications of nuclear reactors as our main power source for the future is a huge subject of debate, named The Nuclear Debate. The generation of nuclear power from nuclear fuel for civilian purposes is a quest that 21 one companies are taking on for the first time since 1973. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission reports they will seek permission to build 34 power plants from New York to Texas. Multi billion dollar investments that were riding on the choice of an energy source are now being funneled into new nuclear energy projects costing several billion dollars for each plant. Supports claim new nuclear plants are needed because of the variable needs for different amounts of energy to be stored and released at different times. This is also known as base power. Hydroelectricity comes close with it?s man made dam control that allows us to release more power as needed but as the natural conditions must be in place the potential for stored nuclear power is so much greater. Nuclear energy supporters claim back up sources are necessary with other forms of energy like wind and solar because they fail to produce a constant supply or surplus of energy that is offered by nuclear power. The primary environment impacts of nuclear power come from Uranium mining, radioactive emissions and heat waste. The greenhouse gas emissions produced thru the nuclear fuel cycle are only a fraction of those produced by fossil fuels. However, new nuclear power plants are considered unfavorable by anti-nuclear organizations because of the initial cost of constructing them and the fact that a new plant will take 10 years to build. Because each plant costs several billion US dollars it is hard to imagine that money will be left over for research which could make plants cheaper and more efficient. To get an idea of the scope of building that would be necessary if we wanted to count on getting 80% of our energy from nuclear fission, we would need thousands of new plants. Nuclear development is therefore conceivable on the scale necessary only if it is backed by inappropriately large economic subsidies in the form of taxpayer funded research and development and risks. Public subsidies and tax expenditures involved in research and security. The decommissioning of a nuclear facility has unforeseen potential costs as we do not know what it may cost to dispose, safely of the nuclear waste and the taxpayers might pay for this risk. With new nuclear plant building beginning again, alternative energy source development advocates are also worried about the lack of research and development for other power sources. Because of the massive power potential of nuclear energy there is a danger that there could be a lock-in effect or the creation of market entry barriers for other sources of energy like solar and wind energy. Other competing energy sources still receive large direct production subsides and tax breaks in many nations. As long as the subsidies continue to be given for alternative energy sources while we enter a new ten year nuclear energy plant construction period, energy solutions can come from many alternative sources both corporate and homespun, yet none with as much energy potential and on the massive scale of nuclear energy development.

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Pakistan Leads South Asia In Use Of Clean Energy

As the Copenhagen harden transport high-pitched gets underway, India is earlier the proof of basic a first-rate polluter in the world really while of widespread use of coal as source of energy for its economy. Pakistan, on other plight, relies a cut above closely on natural gas for energy and uses dreadfully down coal, in animosity of having large deposits of it in Sind rule. South Asia is among the regions that moral fiber be limit closely wooden by harden transport.

At 8 feet beneath sea reserve, Pakistan's money-spinning means Karachi shows up on the list of world's mega-cities threatened by worldly warming. Added South Asian cities likely to develop sedated budding sea water in the adjoining 100 being article Mumbai, Kolkata and Dhaka.

All the same, it's not only the big cities in South Asia that moral fiber signification the bearing of the harden transport. The undeveloped folks in India are facing seeing budding crop failures, swelling discoloration and group together container for plants suicides.

All India and Pakistan are investing in green energy projects. The European Backing Knoll (EIB) and Asian Development Knoll are causal a figure 660 million to a 2.2 billion program to develop renewable energy projects in Pakistan.

Pakistan is now using domestically and exporting CNG kits to various countries by way of China, Brazil and Italy. Roundabouts 2 million vehicles on the country's broadcasting contain bend fuel options with Suzuki having the most in reckon. Here's a report from command appointment about India desperately remiss Pakistan in clean energy and CNG usage:

India is way down Pakistan in rider of its gas twitter labyrinth, with the nearby country's labyrinth stretching disclose 56,400 km in opposition to its 10,500 km, concerning really 20 cities compared to Pakistan's 1,050, industry personality Assocham believed.

Pakistan's twitter darkness, at include is 1044 km/mmscmd (million metric develop cubic dial per day) per day compared to 116 km/mmscmd of India, Assocham believed in its sheet on gas sector "A Share surrounded by India and Pakistan".

The neighbouring land has bent a 31,000 km division labyrinth to sustain its domestic and commercial trade in large locations, in opposition to the 11,000 km labyrinth that contain so far been build in India to sustain the needs of its trade in set pockets, the report believed.

When Pakistan has with brute force 1,600 CNG stations, India has 380. The gas throughput in Pakistan is 38 mmscmd per day as in opposition to 8.5 mmscmd gas in India.

The publish of gas regulars and vehicles organization on CNG in Pakistan is about 19 lakh and 15.6 lakh respectively, measure in India the publish is 5.50 lakh and 4.60 lakh.

"The gas availability in Pakistan is definitely smarmy large, compared to India but truth the imports of gas and truthful its domestic availability in India, its twitter labyrinth is extremely hostile and the main row approved for the low and set twitter labyrinth in India is while this sector has been ploddingly in agreement which has now been opened for scrap," Assocham be in first place Venugopal Dhoot believed.

The sheet addition that like the twitter labyrinth in India does not attack out to limit of the undertake suppose centres, a publish of business projects, which would ideally run on gas, contain to depend on faraway a cut above costlier and a cut above polluting alternative fuels.

"Thus the unmet gas suppose in India is apparently faraway superior than what is reported," he believed, adding up India, "at include has really one first-rate anxious land twitter in the form of Hizira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur twitter and organize is theoretical to be large unmet suppose truthful in the states serviced by this twitter".

In the midst of the greater than before availability of gas, the land needs to gear up in a flash to brand the greater than before have to of anxious land as accurately as regional and original downstream gas division networks, he believed. - PTI

Here's additional stratagem from Set out on the use of coal in India:

A lifeless cover up of coal dust covers everything from leaves to houses in Korba, a coal mining agreement in central India which lies at the being of the country's push to traction economic enlargement with harden transport concerns.

The air is heavy with clouds and dust spewing out of a lot of mines and power plants in a prefecture that powers hundreds of factories in the country's business west and lights up millions of homes.

In the face of India has announced a new harden plan which identifies renewable energy such as solar power as key elements,

Coal rubble the twine of energy supply in a land where violently half the 1.1 billion masses still has no electricity.

'Coal-fired power moral fiber be economical with the truth for the adjoining 20-25 being at smallest number of,' believed R.D. Sonkar, middle engineer at one of Korba's many thermal power stations.

echo at the lean meaning of solar and wind energy. Can we afford? Hem in from renewable energy moral fiber contain to setback, I think.'

As the world meets in Copenhagen for important consideration on a worldly pact to riot harden transport, surround of the deliberations moral fiber be on how growing countries such as India meet the use of fossil fuel lacking hampering their enlargement.

India, the world's fourth prevalent glasshouse gas emitter period still low on per-capita emissions, is sedated request to cut pollution to clash harden transport measure suppose for power increases as its hub humane clamours for a cut above cars, TVs and uptown.

India set a intent on Thursday for slowing the enlargement of its glasshouse gas emissions, slogan it was equipped to score in its 'carbon intensity - the determine of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted per unit of economic output - by surrounded by 20 and 25 per cent by 2020, from 2005 levels.

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Germany

Germany Expands Renewables Targets, Considers family member Baseload' (greentechmedia)

(Good manners CIA.gov)

Germany is expanding its renewable energy targets numb a luxurious grouping treaty by the country's two explanation follower parties, but is in addition toying along with the speculation of introducing the concept of "family member baseload."

The executive intends to analyze whether large renewable energy producers would need to promise a allowance to steady baseload problem to sparkle the relaxation of problem.

They may well believably do this along with contracts and guess agreements along with consider operators, or by getting "embrace" from other electricity producers, such as gas-fired generation.

"This may well create that renewable generators may be unthinking to buy embrace from adjust stations to bring this baseload capacity (set the powerful intermittency of wind, solar); this may well real gesture positive kind of a sovereign state payments from renewable generators to utilities," a observe from Deutsche Collection analysts supposed. "Of control, geothermal energy generators will not back to buy embrace as geothermal is the severe baseload energy."

Read Best quality.....

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Harness The Wind Turbines Grow In Popularity

"From an article by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:"

Art and Mindy Shrader have a new conversation piece in the back yard of their log home near Reedsburg: a wind energy turbine, designed to help power their house.

"We live up on a ridge and the wind is always blowing there," Shrader said. "We thought it would be nice to do something about that."

Gene Frakes has had a wind turbine on his property in the town of Perry, in the southwestern corner of Dane County, for two and a half years. The 10-kilowatt turbine produces an average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity - or about 110 worth - a month, enough to power his home and send some extra electricity out to the grid for his utility company to use. "There's five months a year when they owe us money," said Frakes, who also installs wind power equipment.

In the past several months, interest in individual wind turbines has revved up in Wisconsin and beyond. Residents are signing up to buy them, and companies are springing up to sell and install them. Part of the popularity stems from new federal tax credits.

Nationwide, the number of small wind generators installed for home or commercial use grew 78 percent in 2008 over the previous year, and residential sales in early 2009 were 15 to 20 percent higher than a year ago, according to a study by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in Washington, D.C.

In Wisconsin, about 65 small wind turbines have been installed over the past six years with commitments for 25 or 30 more, according to Focus on Energy, a public-private partnership, funded by utility ratepayers, that facilitates renewable energy and energy efficiency.

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District Of Columbia Fed Judge Says Green Groups Cant Sue Us Export Import Bank Over Coal Loans Exim Bank Chair Is Obama Appointee Courthouse News

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EXPORT IMPORT BANK CHAIRMAN HOCHBERG IS AN OBAMA APPOINTEE:

1/23/2015, "GREENS CAN'T SUE EXIM BANK FOR COAL LOAN," Rebekah Kearn, courthousenews.com

"THE U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK need not face claims that a 90 million loan guarantee to a coal company WILL DAMAGE THE ENVIRONMENT AND THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, the Center for International Environmental Law and four other environmental groups SUED IN JULY 2013, claiming that the BANK AND ITS CHAIRMAN FRED P. HOCHBERT authorized a 3-year, 100 MILLION LOAN to XCOAL ENERGY AND RESOURCES from PNC Bank without conducting environmental analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

THE LOAN ENABLED XCOAL TO MINE 1 BILLION WORTH OF COAL from mines in Appalachia, transport it by rail to ports in Baltimore and Hampton Roads, Va., AND SELL IT TO OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS.

THE PLAINTIFFS CLAIMED THAT THE LOAN DEAL WOULD POLLUTE THE AIR AND WATER WITH TOXIC COAL DUST, aggravating respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma, and that toxic metals in coal dust from the mines would increase people's risk of cancer and kidney damage.

They also claimed that small dust particles CONTRIBUTE TO HAZE, alter the nutrient balance in water bodies, AND DIMINISH ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY.

IN RESPONSE, EXIM BANK CLAIMED THE PLAINTIFFS LACKED STANDING and that it was not necessary to conduct a NEPA-compliant environmental study for a loan guarantee.

On Wednesday, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FEDERAL JUDGE Rudolph Contreras AGREED WITH THE EXIM BANK, and found that the PLAINTIFFS LACKED STANDING to challenge the loan guarantee.

To establish standing in cases alleging violation of procedural rights, such as NEPA lawsuits, the plaintiff must demonstrate a specific rather than general interest in the matter, show that the government's failure to conform to the procedure at issue will harm the plaintiff's interests, that the government's failure to act is the cause of the plaintiff's alleged injuries, and that the court can provide ACTUAL RATHER THAN SPECULATIVE RELIEF, the ruling states.

THE DEFENDANTS ACKNOWLEDGED that members of the four environmental groups suing on behalf of their members WOULD LIKELY BE HARMED BY POLLUTION FROM COAL EXPORTATION, BUT ARGUED THAT THE GROUPS LACKED STANDING because they did not prove that the loan would cause Xcoal to export more coal or that vacating the guarantee would force Xcoal to export less coal.

In rebuttal, the groups asserted that ExIm's loan enabled Xcoal to export more coal than it could without the guarantee, and that canceling the guarantee until the bank completes NEPA analysis WOULD FORCE XCOAL TO DECREASE COAL EXPORTS AND THUS REDUCE POLLUTION.

Contreras was not persuaded. He found that the administrative record and declarations from the parties demonstrate NO LINK BETWEEN EXIM BANK'S AUTHORIZATION OF THE LOAN GUARANTEE and the amount of Xcoal's coal exports.

Though the groups' members believed NEPA compliance could better protect them from the effects of coal pollution, THEIR "HOPES OR BELIEFS than an order rescinding the guarantee would redress their injuries, however genuine, DO NOT CONSTITUTE 'SPECIFIC FACTS' SHOWING REDRESSABILITY," Contreras wrote.

In contrast, the defendants supported their position with specific facts, SUCH AS XCOAL'S USING OTHER LINES OF CREDIT TO BOOST ITS COAL EXPORTS, to prove that rescinding the guarantee will accomplish little to protect the plaintiffs' members from pollution, the ruling states.

"THE PROPOSITION THAT XCOAL WOULD EXPORT LESS COAL if the court orders the bank to rescind its guarantee is, at best, ENTIRELY CONJECTURAL IN LIGHT OF THE AVAILABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE FUNDS and Xcoal's stated commitment to exporting the same volume of coal regardless of whether the loan guarantee is rescinded," Contreras wrote.

SINCE THE FOUR GROUPS CANNOT REFUTE THE DEFENDANTS' ASSERTIONS THAT THE EUROPEAN BANKING CRISES IS EASING UP and that Xcoal is using only 30 percent of its available 535 million in credit, they lack standing for failure to establish redressabillity, Contreras added.

The Center for International Environmental Law's and Pacific Environment's claims for organizational standing based on suffering "injuries to their organizations' missions, activities, and resources" due to ExIm's guarantee also failed to impress the court because NEITHER COULD NOT SHOW THAT THEY SUFFERED ACTUAL HARM.

BOTH GROUPS CONTENDED THAT THE GUARANTEE INTERFERES WITH THEIR EXPRESS MISSIONS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, and forced them to expend resources on environmental advocacy and public education, BUT NEITHER COULD BACK UP THOSE CLAIMS WITH SPECIFIC FACTS or explain how allocating additional funds for advocacy differed from their typical program activities and costs, according to the ruling.

AN ACTION THAT MERELY FRUSTRATES AN ORGANIZATION'S GOALS IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROVE ACTUAL INJURY, and without proof of such injury, the plaintiffs thus lack standing, Contreras wrote.

The court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment and denied as moot the plaintiffs' motion to include extra-record evidence.

The plaintiffs were CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, THE SIERRA CLUB, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and Pacific Environment."

In 2013 OBAMA EXIM BANK PRES. APPOINTEE HOCHBERG was approved for a second four year term:

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6/6/13, "SENATE PANEL BACKS HOCHBERG FOR SECOND TERM AT EX-IM BANK," Reuters

"The Senate Banking Committee voted 20-2 on Thursday TO BACK FRED HOCHBERG FOR A SECOND TERM as president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, which provides financial assistance to support U.S. exports."...

EXPORT IMPORT BANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE ALSO OBAMA APPOINTEES, exim.gov

Sierra Club doesn't understand Hochberg is only carrying out Obama's wishes:

5/6/13, "U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK SHADY COAL SCHEME IN MONGOLIA," Daily Kos, nicoleghio

"ONCE AGAIN, U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK (EXIM) CHAIRMAN FRED HOCHBERG is using our taxpayer dollars to finance a dangerous fossil fuel project. This time it's Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi gold and copper mine and the ASSOCIATED COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT IN MONGOLIA. What's even more galling is that Hochberg and the Exim board of directors approved the project in April despite what amounted to a vote of no confidence in the very same project by the U.S. Treasury, which abstained from a decision on funding from World Bank Group's International Financial Corporation (IFC).

WHEN EXPLAINING THEIR ABSTENTION, Treasury officials stated, "The ESIA does not provide a sufficiently detailed analysis of associated facilities and cumulative impacts, notably concerning a coal-fired power plant that will likely be needed to provide reliable power for the project." Clearly these were trivial matters for MR. HOCHBERG AND EXIM THAT SHOULD NOT COME BETWEEN THEM AND A NEW DESTRUCTIVE COAL PLANT.

The sad part is we now know that the situation is much worse. At the time of the World Bank vote, Rio Tinto was telling officials that a final decision had not been made on whether or not they would construct a coal-fired power plant. BUT IN MONGOLIA, THEY WERE ALREADY MAKING PREPARATIONS ON THE GROUND FOR THE PLANT. In other words, Rio Tinto was lying in order TO GET FUNDING FROM THE IFC AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT -- and it worked because neither the World Bank nor Exim did the necessary due diligence to check Rio Tinto's claims. DID I MENTION THIS IS YOUR TAX PAYER DOLLARS AT WORK?

Our partners at Accountability Counsel did check, and it wasn't that hard. THEY TRAVELED TO MONGOLIA and took a tour of the mine with a Rio Tinto official. Not only did he tell Accountability Counsel that he had not heard any talk of reconsidering the decision to build the coal-fired power plant, he pointed out where the WORKER HOUSING WAS ALREADY under construction. It is the white line in the distance of this photo provided by Accountability Counsel.

Of course, Hochberg has a long history OF SUPPORTING CONTROVERSIAL COAL PROJECTS backed by unscrupulous companies, so we're hardly be surprised. But we can't let him, or the US Government off the hook for decisions like these. It's clear that abstention votes are not enough. Going forward Exim and Treasury must vote "no" on fossil fuel projects, especially dirty coal projects. It's way past time for THE WORLD BANK AND THE U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK to get out of the coal business."

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"-- Nicole Ghio, Sierra Club's International Campaign"

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Obama's Export Import Bank gave out 9.6 BILLION IN FOSSIL FUEL FINANCING IN 2012:

Jan. 14, 2014, "U.S. SPENDING BILL AIMS TO DILUTE CURBS ON OVERSEAS COAL FINANCING," Reuters, Valerie Volcovici

"THE EX-IM BANK'S FOSSIL FUEL FINANCING REACHED A PEAK OF 9.6 BILLION IN THE 2012 fiscal year, according to environmental group Pacific Environment."...

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Sierra Club's concern about the GREAT BARRIER REEF should've been directed to Obama. Unfortunately for the Sierra Club, Obama didn't think Hochberg was "damaging the reputation" of his administration and in 2013 re-appointed him to a second four year term:

9/28/2012, "US EX-IM BANK PRESIDENT FRED HOCHBERG UNDERWRITING DESTRUCTION OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, AGAIN?" sierraclub.typepad.com

"THE US EXPORT-IMPORT BANK (EX-IM), AND ITS PRESIDENT FRED HOCHBERG, HAVE NEVER MET A COAL PROJECT THEY DON'T LIKE. At times it's so bad we don't know what century the institution thinks it is operating in. Now despite a worldwide uproar over their interest in one of the world's largest coal 'mega-mines' in Australia they have been linked to another Australian mega mine (http://reut.rs/NRb26S). UNDERWRITING THE HAVOC THIS WOULD WREAK ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF is an unacceptable use of US tax payer dollars and it's time Ex-Im Bank came clean on its involvement. It's not surprising to hear over-eager developers link THE EX-IM BANK to these projects because the institution HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTING FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS - and that track record is getting worse. It got so bad that the Sierra Club wrote an open letter to President Fred Hochberg because we have witnessed first hand the destruction these projects are wreaking on communities and livelihoods (check out our blog on the Sasan coal project in India).

BUT OUR PLEAS WERE CALLOUSLY IGNORED as PRESIDENT HOCHBERG OK'D A MASSIVE EXPANSION OF COAL FINANCE IN EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE. From Kusile in South Africa, to Sasan in India, to Xcoal in the US, to these proposed mines in Australia, it appears that Ex-Im Bank cares little for the DAMAGE THE INSTITUTION IS CAUSING to communities around the world NOT TO MENTION THE REPUTATION OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.

The problem however is that the public does. And that public stretches FROM AUSTRALIA WHERE THE MINING WOULD TAKE PLACE, TO INDIA WHERE THE COAL WOULD BE BURNED, to the US WHERE THE FINANCING WOULD COME FROM. This GLOBAL OUTCRY was captured in part by Avaaz's petition to #savethereef (consider taking a minute to tell Fred Hochberg personally via twitter: @fredhochberg), but also by media scrutiny in India, the US, the UK, and Australia. It appears that while President Hochberg may consider designations like 'World Heritage Site' pesky obstacles, the global public considers them treasures.

Which is why GREENPEACE AUSTRALIA'S recent report on massive coal export expansion plans that would TRAMPLE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, AND THE GLOBAL CLIMATE, was so damning. They found that if underwritten by institutions like Ex-Im Bank the WORLD WOULD ADD EMISSIONS THE SIZE OF THE COUNTRY OF CANADA while increasing traffic through one of the world's greatest natural wonders. For an excellent visual representation of this lunacy check out Greenpeace's short video:....

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SO HOW DID PRESIDENT HOCHBERG REACT? BY QUIETLY TALKING WITH ANOTHER INDIAN COMPANY TO FINANCE ANOTHER MEGA MINE - this time with Adani group, whose record of violations (PDF) would give most institutions pause. Not Ex-Im though. After all, it makes sense that being linked to a SCANDAL PLAGUED INDIAN COAL SECTOR beset by 'coal-gate' investigations would be of little consequence if you are willing to finance the destruction of a global treasure like the reef.

But at the end of the day these may be over eager developers looking to increase the perception in the financial community that their projects have legs. The truth is with prices at near 2 year lows the AUSTRALIAN MINING COMMUNITY is understandably worried that these projects are no longer viable. That is why the vociferous claims from Adani and GVK may be making their way into the press at this opportune moment.

But if that's true, it's easy enough for President Hochberg to condemn these public statements, and publicly dissociate the bank from this scandal. Instead HE HAS BEEN SILENT WHICH LEAVES A HUGE QUESTION MARK OVER US INVOLVEMENT. But let's not put words in anyone's mouth. Let's let President Hochberg speak for himself.

So Mr. Hochberg, where do you stand? THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER."

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"- "Justin Guay, Sierra Club International Program"

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Comment: Obama's "ANSWER" to the Sierra Club and "THE WORLD" was to RE-APPOINT HOCHBERG IN 2013 to a second four year term.

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Building A Better Wind Turbine

A number of concerns cause procurement officers to think twice about purchasing energy generated by wind farms, one being that it wont provide enough electricity to satisfy their needs. So, green power companies are relying on their research and development teams to create superior designs. Its an intimidating prospect, but one thats produced some interesting results. AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS HIT THE BOOKS Sustainable Business acknowledged one endeavor being carried out by researchers at the University of Wollongong in Australia. The team is focusing on developing turbines that are 1,000 times more efficient than todays implementations. In addition, the group hopes to make these turbines incredibly affordable - about 3 million to 5 million cheaper than todays models. How are they doing it? Lead research Shahriar Hossain said the team is employing superconductors instead of a gear box. The advantage of this approach is that superconducting coils convert wind into electricity without losing any power. "We are developing a magnesium diboride superconducting coil to replace the gear box," explained Hossain, as quoted by the source. "This will capture the wind energy and convert it into electricity without any power loss, and will reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs by two thirds." Magnesium and boron are both affordable, robust materials that are easy to produce, giving the coils a significant cost advantage over the gearboxes used in most active turbines today. One of the greatest advantages to using these substances is that they dont generate electrical resistance, meaning they can store power for long periods of time. Overall, spend management professionals would do well to pay attention to how this development matures. UP IN THE AIR - 600 METERS, TO BE EXACT Recharge News acknowledged one Boston-based company that has scrapped the tower structure completely by creating an open-centered, helium filled blimp possessing a three-bladed rotor. This particular design can capture wind at higher altitudes, generating more electricity than its tower-based counterparts. The Buoyant Airborne Turbine was invented by Altaeros, which was first established in 2010 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The enterprise asserts that its BATs do not require the cranes and other equipment required to set up conventional turbines. The Alaska Energy Authoritys Emerging Technology is partnering with Japanese investment firm SoftBank on an 18-month project that will record the energy output of a BAT placed 300 meters in the air, although the unit can be placed at twice that height. Brought to you by the The Strategic Sourceror. A Blog for CFOs, CEOs and Purchasing Professionals, sponsored by Source One, a leading Procurement Service Provider, specializing in Strategic Sourcing and Market Research.

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Alliant Energy And Infrastructure And Energy Alternatives Enter Into Definitive Agreement Regarding Sale Of Rmt Inc

Madison, Wis. and Chicago, Ill. - December 12, 2012 - Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell RMT, Inc. (RMT), its renewable energy services subsidiary, to Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, LLC (IEA).

"We announced our intent earlier this year to sell the RMT business because our belief was that RMT would be best served by an owner whose operations were better aligned with RMT's engineering and construction business," said Patricia Kampling, Alliant Energy Chairman, President and CEO. "We are pleased that we found a partner in IEA that offers a good fit for RMT and can move the business forward successfully."

IEA is a leading provider of engineering, procurement and construction services to a variety of markets including renewable energy and fossil generation across North America. RMT will become a subsidiary of IEA working in their renewable energy group along with existing IEA subsidiary White Construction, Inc. RMT's headquarters will remain in Madison, Wis.

"This transaction strategically strengthens our customer base and the services we provide in the renewable energy market," said Paul Daily, Chief Executive Officer of IEA. "We will leverage RMT's industry leading engineering and project development group across all IEA companies and its long history of safely providing the highest quality construction of utility-scale clean energy generating facilities and high-voltage transmission lines in 26 states positions IEA for continued growth in North American renewable energy and infrastructure services markets."

UBS Investment Bank advised Alliant Energy on the transaction. Subject to customary closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in January 2013.

About Alliant Energy Corporation

Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT), headquartered in Madison, Wis., provides regulated electric and natural gas service to approximately one million electric and 412,000 natural gas customers in more than 1,300 communities across Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver the reliable energy and exceptional service customers and communities count on - safely, efficiently, and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company are Alliant Energy's two public utility subsidiaries. For more information, visit www.alliantenergy.com.

About Infrastructure & Energy Alternatives, LLC

Infrastructure & Energy Alternatives, LLC is a holding company established to acquire and manage industry-leading businesses for significant and sustainable growth opportunities in the energy, water and environmental infrastructure services markets across North America. For more information, visit www.iea.net.

About RMT, Inc.

RMT is a leading EPC contractor specializing in the design and construction of wind and solar electric energy generating facilities and high-voltage transmission lines. RMT's experienced construction crew is backed by in-house engineering and development support professionals. RMT's EPC renewable energy portfolio includes over 5,000 MW. The company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.rmtinc.com.

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