Category: Archive

Liddell Power Station to integrate solar heating into coal power generation cycle

admin /8 January, 2006

Grant Every-Burns, Chief Executive and Managing Director of Macquarie
Generation, took the opportunity offered by the company’s Annual Report
2004/2005 to acknowledge the career and contribution of John Marcheff,
who retired during the year after 21 years as Manager of Liddell Power
Station.

Introduction of solar to coal generation: Among Mr Marcheff’s
many achievements, was the championing of the research work underway at
Liddell Power Station to integrate solar heating into the coal power
generation cycle. The prospects offered by this technology are
exciting: when proven it should be possible to enhance the output of
coal-fired power stations with solar energy.

ORER accredits 11 power stations in 2004-05, bringing total number to 217

admin /8 January, 2006

In 2004-05 the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER)
accredited 11 power stations, bringing the total number of accredited
power stations to 217 by 30 June 2005, reported Erisk Net (13 December
2005).

Installation rate of solar water heaters continues to rise

admin /8 January, 2006

The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER) noted in its
financial annual report that the installation rate of solar water
heaters continues to rise, increasing the volume of RECs related to
this particular energy source, reported Erisk Net (13 December 2005).

Solar water generates significant number of RECs: Solar water
heaters, while individually eligible for relatively small numbers of
RECs, combined represent over 20 per cent of all RECS created and are a
significant administrative load for the ORER.

2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature speaks out against silence on USA history of atrocities

admin /5 January, 2006

2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature speaks out against silence
on USA history of atrocities

Harold Pinter, British playwright, actor, director, author
and winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature, discusses the phenomena of
the Western world’s collective amnesia regarding the international atrocities
committed by the USA since the end of WW2. 

Here is an excerpt from Harold Pinter’s December, 2005 Nobel
Lecture: 

 “Hundreds of thousands of deaths took place throughout
these countries. Did they take place? And are they in all cases attributable to
US foreign policy? The answer is yes they did take place and they are
attributable to American foreign policy. But you wouldn’t know it.

It never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was
happening it wasn’t happening. It didn’t matter. It was of no interest. The
crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless,
but very few people have actually talked about them. You have to hand it to
America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power world wide
while masquerading as a force for universal good. It’s a brilliant, even witty,
highly successful act of hypnosis.”  

 Source: http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/2005/pinter-lecture.html.
Go to this page for text format of the lecture, provided in four languages, and
video/audio of the lecture – English, 46 minutes duration.

Wholesale electricity price leaps in heatwave

admin /2 January, 2006

The heatwave in Australia’s South East over the weekend saw demand
and whiolesale prices of electricity surge to near record highs.
Maximum demand was 6 per cent higher across the system resulting in a
price spike of $4187 per Megawatt. Prices of $10 per Megawatt are
standard during non-peak periods. 

Energy news and data
service, ERisk, reported that there were multiple spikes across all
states participating in the national grid, with problems in NSW
resulting in a shortfall in supply in that state. The Directlink
connector from Queensland was used to maintain supply.

Detailed analysis of the day’s wholesale trading  has been carried out by ERisk .

US states that plan greenhouse gas reductions are well placed for the future

admin /29 December, 2005

Studies for states involved in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
(RGGI), which aimed to cut utility emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) to
be 10 per cent lower in 2020 than in 2000-2004, showed it could
increase homeowner power bills by $3 to $34 a year, reported Timothy
Gardner of Reuters News Service.

However, Connecticut’s
environment department said costs involved in the proposed regional
greenhouse gas market could eventually be offset because the plan would
encourage utilities to become more efficient.