Riverkeeper to NYC Mayor Bloomberg: replace Indian Point with renewables and efficiency

In an open letter to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has taken a position that the Big Apple is simply stuck with the risky Indian Point nuclear power plant, Hudson Riverkeeper has called on him to join New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in pushing for the twin reactors' shut down at the expiration of their 40 year licenses. Riverkeeper writes:

"...Contrary to Mayor Bloomberg’s warnings, we can transition to a sustainable energy future, without Indian Point and without dooming ourselves to rely on dirty sources of replacement power. Instead, we can increase energy efficiency, establish renewables and improve the state’s transmission grid.

Over 5,000 Megawatts (MW) are due to come online by 2015 from renewable energy sources alone. In addition, the potential for renewable power generation within New York City is virtually untapped. Researchers at CUNY predict that putting solar collection panels on two thirds of NYC’s rooftops could generate enough power to replace two Indian Points. Thankfully, we only need to replace one.

Combine these safe, sane renewable energy projects with new transmission capacity, such as the 660 MW cross-Hudson transmission line, and then add in easily-attainable energy efficiency savings of 2% per year [New York City's peak power use actually declined last summer – one of the hottest on record -- due to proactive energy conservation policies], and Indian Point’s 2,000 MW won’t be missed..."

Riverkeeper's letter comes in response to a July 7th New York Times article reporting Mayor Bloomberg's position.

Even France to prioritize renewable over nuclear energy

French ecology minister, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, has announced plans for France to step up its investments in renewable energy, throwing into doubt future nuclear power expansion in the country. France gets 80% of its electricity from its 58 reactors. "Our objective is to rebalance the energy mix in favour of renewables,” Kosciusko-Morizet told the Financial Times.  Regarding the future of nuclear, she told the FT: "We are investing in [nuclear] safety, not in growth objectives as we are doing in renewables." France is launching a bid for five new offshore wind farms.

Huge potential for clean, safe, reliable, cost-effective wind power expansion in Nebraska

NREL map of huge wind power potential in NebraskaAs Missouri River floodwaters lapping at the buildings of the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant raise the specter of a catastrophic radioactivity release on the Great Plains, one wonders, are there alternatives for electricity in the Cornhusker State? Why yes indeed. Nebraska already has had some wind power generation for over a decade, but the potential is there for a huge expansion. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab has documented the potential for up to 7,800 Megawatts-electric of new wind power in Nebraska. Assuming predominantly local, public ownership (high Community-Based Energy Development, C-BED) -- a Nebraska tradition that will benefit the Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska Public Power District), the direct impacts of 7,800 MW-e of new wind in Nebraska would include: 17,795 short term jobs during construction-period employment; $3.238 billion (yes, billion with a B!) in construction-period economic output; 2,269 operations-period employment (long-term jobs); $255 million per year of operations-period economic output. In terms of total impact (direct, indirect, and induced), the potential benefits to Nebraska from a wind power expansion are even more lucrative: 36,508 short term jobs during construction-period employment; 4,038 operations-period employment (long-term jobs); 2,925 average annual employment impacts (jobs supported on average over the facility's lifetime); $14 million per year of average property tax revenues; and lifetime economic output of $14.1 billion (yes, with B!). Compare that with just 1,330 MW-e of nuclear generated electricity in Nebraska, of which Ft. Calhoun's 500 MW-e has been shut down since April for safety reasons due to the Missouri River's historic flooding, and Cooper's 830 MW-e should be shut down immediately for safety's sake as well.

More ingenuity from Germany - 100% renewable electricity 24 hours a day

German farmers harvest $15 million from wind power

Harvesting Clean Energy on Ontario Farms, a new report commissioned by the Heinrich Boell Foundation,

highlights the untapped business opportunities for farmers that can be found in renewable energy. The report will be presented during a tour through the Canadian province of Ontario in partnership with the Climate Action Network Canada, Pembina Institute, and The United Church of Canada. It focuses on numerous benefits of renewable energy, such as rural economic development and improved environmental conditions. It also describes the government policies needed to allow farmers to embrace these benefits.Some farmers in northern Germany make $2.5 million in a good year growing wheat. They make $15 million harvesting the wind, as the Ottawa Citizen reports.