STUFF

DOE-owned uranium enrichment plant in KY to shut down next month. Only American-owned enrichment plant left, uses gaseous diffusion tech. (European-owned centrifuge tech plant in NM.) Opened in '54. Uses 20x el as centrifuge tech. Steep cost to decontaminate, tear down. 1K employees. USEC operates plant, will import uranium from Russia to supply utilities.

Britain came within 6 hours of running out of NG in March.

Heat wave across northern, western India causing massive power cuts, protests.

Iranian-backed hackers escalating cyber assaults on computer nets running energy comps.

DOD going forward with $16M Phase I of advanced biofuels program. Industry cost-share match. Aims for under $4/gal drop-in fuels. Contracts for Emerald Biofuels, Natures BioReserve, Fulcrum Biofuels. To develop plans for up to 150M gal/yr biorefineries. Phase II  to award up to $180M to accel build of at least 1 biorefinery.

Absolute Energy (Iowa) 115M gal/yr ethanol plant now offering E85 directly to retailer for ~$1.93/gal. 11 cents/gal savings at pump v. unleaded, adjusted for energy density.

Shanghai launching biodiesel from used cooking oil program after scandal last 2 yrs over resale of used cooking oil leading to 32 arrests, national crackdown. (The wild wild East.)

Itochu (Japan), Benefuel (TX), Flint Hills Resources Renewable launched JV to produce biodiesel from inedible feedstocks in Neb. 50M gal/yr target. Benefuel claiming breakthrough tech to convert oil, fat, free fatty acids into biodiesel in single step.

SE Asia's 1st shale gas contract just let in Indonesia. Reserves could be up to 16TCF.

German beer brewers warning fracking may threaten biz. (Even just from perceptions.) (Don't mess with german beer.)

JV including Lutz, China comp made $20M bid for Fisker. Lutz plans to convert Fisker Karma into V8 gas guzzler.

LOI for Energy Fuels to buy Strathmore Minerals for $28M to create 1 of largest uranium mining comps in US.

Renault ending 5-yr partnership with Better Place (Israel). BP plans to shut down. Had batt switch-out tech for EVs.

India plans to auction 4 solar thermal power projects. Total cap 120Mw. Call for bids w/in year. Up to $183M of govt grants.

Deep Earth Energy Production Corp planning Canada's 1st geothermal plant to tap heat beneath Saskatchewan oil/gas fields. May cost $34M for 5Mw.

Obama admin granted final approval of Cal wind power project despite endangered condor safety.

Derailed cars spilled 49K gal of ethanol into Iowa river.

Participants in DOE Better Bldgs Challenge reduced energy intensity 2.5% in 1st year, achieving ~$58M in annual energy savings. DOE says comm bldgs spend $200B/yr on energy, factories another $200B. Together account for ~1/2 US energy use, over 40% CO2 emiss.

EU, China solar talks fell apart. Merkel says Germany opposes punitive EU tariffs. Both sides want to avert trade war.

World Bank released 1st set of global data on energy access, clean/renewable energy capacity, energy efficiency. ~1.2B people have no access to el. 2.8B rely on wood, other biomass for cooking, heating. Clean/ren is 18% of global energy mix. China had largest energy savings, largest expansion of clean/ren.

South Britain to spend 7.8B Pounds on "vital" network upgrades for clean/ren energy.

Fed appeals court gave EPA victory on air standards for lead smelters.

S Korea idled 2 nuke plants after finding faked tests.