Category: Archive

Electricity prices spiral due to water shortages

admin /13 May, 2007

By David Uren, Economics correspondent
The Australian
May 12, 2007

PANIC has developed over the Sydney Futures Exchange electricity futures contract as major consumers try to protect themselves from soaring prices while generators seek to profit.

Weekly turnover has leapt fourfold as the price of electricity for delivery in 2008 has jumped from $40 a megawatt hour to $70 in the space of the last six weeks.

"I’ve never seen anything like it," says Sydney Futures Exchange general manager of emerging markets Anthony Collins.

The daily spot and contract national electricity market has frequent spikes at points of peak demand but Collins says the change in the last six weeks has shifted electricity prices to a completely different level, stretching all the way out to 2011.

"It is being attributed to everything from water shortages to lack of investment in new generation, given the level of prices and all the uncertainty around emissions trading and the cost of carbon."

The electricity market is rife with rumours that at least one large generator is sitting on massive losses, having sold forward to secure a price but no longer having enough electricity to deliver on its contract as a result of water shortages.

GM is causing bee death

admin /13 May, 2007

LONDON (AFP) – Research by a leading German zoologist has shown that genes used to genetically modify crops can jump the species barrier, newspapers reported here on Sunday. A three-year study by Professor Hans-Heinrich Kaatz at the University of Jena found that the gene used to modify oil-seed rape (canola) had transferred to bacteria living Continue Reading →

Cloud seeding across Australia reviewed

admin /10 May, 2007

International scientists meet to review issue of cloud seeding across Australia; Melbourne symposium seeks to clear up scientific basis

The national water shortage has prompted the Bureau of Meteorology to organise a special meeting of international scientists to review the issue of cloud seeding across Australia, reported The Age (4/5/2007, p.4).

History of skepticism about cloud seeding: Scientists from organisations including the bureau and CSIRO have previously said the benefits of cloud seeding were difficult to measure, given the natural variations in rainfall.

New technology may bring new insights about method: But the bureau’s chief scientist, Dr Neville Smith, said the prolonged drought, and developments in technologies such as radar and satellite, suggested it was time to re-examine the viability of the practice. “When you have such significant stresses on your water resources, everyone is arguing – from the farmer to the politician – shouldn’t we at least look at this technology again?"

Silver iodide sprayed into clouds: Cloud seeding involves spraying clouds with silver iodide to increase the number of ice crystals and generate more rain as the melted ice falls to the ground.

History of cloud seeding in Australia: The first cloud-seeding experiments in Australia were held 60 years ago. Energy business Hydro Tasmania has been running an operational program for the past two decades.

Time to sort out the science: Climate expert Professor Roger Stone, who was heading the Queensland trial, said new, comprehensive assessments of cloud seeding were due. “We need to actually sort out the science," he said. "With the country the way it is, this is an area that shouldn’t be ignored."

Spain’s Asco nuclear plant shuts down on fault

admin /10 May, 2007

By Kristian Rix

May 9 (Bloomberg) – Spain’s Asco 2 nuclear power plant, majority-owned by Endesa SA, unexpectedly halted output for the third time in four days because of a fault.

The operator is dismantling the generator to carry out in- depth checks, a spokesman, who declined to be identified, said today. He couldn’t give a date when production will resume.

The 1,027-megawatt generator stopped automatically yesterday afternoon after a valve in the steam generator failed, Operator Asociacion Nuclear Asco-Vandellos said in a statement.

Nuclear plant shutdowns affect prices more than other power sources because they usually run at full output and must be replaced by more expensive coal, gas and oil units.

Three of the nation’s eight nuclear power plants are idle today. The Vandellos and Cofrentes stations are halted for refueling and repairs, which together with Asco 2 represent about 9 percent of Spain’s production.

The Spanish nuclear plant Asco II in the Spanish province of Tarragona was closed down and disconnected from the national grid after it registered a fault.

 

A Hard Rain (dvd)

admin /10 May, 2007

Twice Academy award nominee and five times AFI winner David Bradbury’s latest contribution, A Hard Rain, explores the ‘other side’ of the nuclear debate. Traversing five countries – China, France, UK, Japan and Australia, and using what Bradbury learnt from his previous three nuclear documentaries (Public Enemy Number One, Jabiluka and Blowin’ in the Wind), Continue Reading →

Who killed the electric car? (dvd)

admin /10 May, 2007

With gasoline prices approaching $4/gallon, fossil fuel shortages, unrest in oil producing regions around the globe and mainstream consumer adoption and adoption of the hybrid electric car (more than 140,000 Prius’ sold this year), this story couldn’t be more relevant or important. The foremost goal in making this movie is to educate and enlighten audiences Continue Reading →