Citing the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, environmental activists at a U.N. meeting Sunday urged bolder steps to tap renewable energy so the world doesn’t have to choose between the dangers of nuclear power and the ravages of climate change.

In a move, which is set to face severe opposition from motorists, the EU is planning to ban petrol and diesel powered cars from European cities by 2050. The decision is seen as an attempt by the 27-nation bloc to force people to adopt ‘green’ cars and reduce their dependence on oil. The plan will also help in protecting the environment.

In Paris they met Eric Besson, France's minister of industry and energy, and took part in a round-table discussion with both countries' energy and industrial leaders aimed at exchanging experience and developing partnerships. One result was the creation of a high level group jointly chaired by GDF-Suez CEO Gérard Mestrallet and Guillermo Luksic of the wide-ranging Quiñenco conglomerate.

Trong một vài tuần nay, đất nước Nam Mỹ này đã nỗ lực chuẩn bị sẵn sàng tâm thế để cân nhắc một cách nghiêm túc về việc sử dụng năng lượng hạt nhân. Ngày 18 tháng 2 vừa qua, ông Jaime Salas đã được bổ nhiệm là giám đốc Hội đồng Năng lượng Nguyên tử Chile (Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear, CCHEN), chỉ 1 tuần sau chuyến thăm chính thức của ông cùng Bộ trưởng bộ năng lượng - khai khoáng Chile tới Pháp và Bỉ, thăm quan nhà máy điện hạt nhân Tihange.

America is yearning for leadership, and energy policy is another area where it is lacking. Democrats argue we must do more to promote and develop alternative fuels. Republicans counter that there is no alternative to oil and gas in the short term and that we need to increase our domestic output to secure our energy supply.

Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said, “The goal is to reduce the consumption of oil and gas to reduce our energy bill which has risen in recent days and which we do not forecast will drop.” The Deputy Prime Minister also added that the measures are just temporary, though he did not clarify as to till when these will be in effect.

The annual survey of cell manufacturers published in the March 2011 issue of PHOTON International shows that the PV industry increased global cell production to 27.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2010, which is as much as the output of the previous 4 years combined. This incredibly large volume means an increase of 118-percent over the 12.5 GW produced in 2009 - the highest annual growth rate since PHOTON International started tracking cell production in 1999.

Richard MacLellan, Halifax Regional Municipality’s SEMO Manager (Sustainable Environment Management Office) remarked that adopting solar heating technology was a good cost- effective proposition. As the demand for hot water was very high in the building, the opportunity for savings by decreasing the operating costs in the facility was also huge. He mentioned that they would continue their exploration to discover the most promising and innovative renewable technology that could be used in the projects.

Senator Joe Lieberman called for a temporary halt on the building of nuclear plants in the U.S., and many news organizations have reported that it could cause a major setback for U.S. nuclear policy. Last year, the Department of Energy announced $8.3 billion in loan guarantees for the construction of two nuclear plants in Georgia. The plants are part of a major push by President Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu to support nuclear power in the United States.

Theo tờ Bloomberg, cả Trung Quốc và Ấn Độ cũng đang xem xét lại các nhà máy điện hạt nhân. Một lãnh đạo cấp cao của tổ chức Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu tại Mumbai phát biểu: “ Thật khó để khiến người dân tin vào năng lượng hạt nhân sau những gì xảy ra tại Nhật Bản”. Ấn Độ là nước có kế hoạch tài trợ 175 tỷ dolla vào các dự án năng lượng hạt nhân vào năm 2030.

IDTechEx recently visited GS Caltex in Seoul, Korea, who have developed a solid state lithium thin film battery. The company is a joint venture between GS, Korea and Chevron, USA, and its core business is oil refinery where they are number two in Korea. The company also works on renewable energy including fuel cells, biofuels, materials for supercapacitors and thin film batteries.

Under the RCUK programme, Nanoscience through Engineering to Application, the EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) are investing in four industry-led collaborative research and development projects that will address challenges in building the supply chain and scaling up technologies.

Một trong những giải pháp chiếu sáng của tập đoàn Philips Electronics (Hà Lan) là "đèn hoa" - hệ thống chiếu sáng bằng diode phát quang (LED) có hình dạng giống một bông hoa. Nó tự động tăng độ sáng khi có người đi qua và giảm độ sáng khi vắng người. Công nghệ mới chẳng những không phụ thuộc vào lưới điện thành phố, mà còn tiết kiệm năng lượng, bởi đèn hoa hoạt động nhờ ánh sáng mặt trời và gió.

The first new nuclear reactor ordered in the U.S. in roughly three decades is beginning to take shape near Augusta, Ga. Southern Company and its partners have dug 27.5 meters down to reach bedrock and are now refilling the hole to provide a stable, anchored foundation for what is likely to be the first of a new generation of reactors in the U.S.: two new AP1000 models at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant that stand next to two older pressurized water reactors, which came online in the 1980s—the first of some 14 AP1000s and 20 new reactors in total that may be built in the U.S. in the next 15 years.

"It's great to see the intersection of three things that I love," Snyder told the audience that included hundreds of students. "We're talking about innovation and entrepreneurship, we're talking about clean energy, something that is vitally important for our future. It's about economic growth, and doing it in the most responsible way possible in terms of the legacy we leave and the opportunity it provides us and the third thing is it involves students”

Công nghệ ứng dụng trong pin Li-Ion giá rẻ đã dành giải thưởng nhất trị giá 50 nghìn đôla Mỹ tại cuộc thi dành cho các ý tưởng kinh doanh Clean Energy Prize. Phát biểu tại lễ trao giải được tổ chức tại hội trường Rackham, Đại học Michigan ngày 18 tháng 2 vừa qua, chủ tịch Rick Snyder nói: “Thật là tuyệt khi được thấy 3 điều tôi quan tâm cùng xuất hiện trong cuộc thi này. Chúng ta đang nói tới việc cải cách và các doanh nghiệp, chúng ta đang nói tới năng lượng sạch - một nhân tố tối quan trọng trong tương lại.

In doing so, it will launch the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), to take decisions on cross border energy supply. ACER will draft framework guidelines for the operation of cross border electricity networks, establishing rules that are consistent with these guidelines, the Commission said. Its role will be to monitor the newly managed internal European electricity market, including retail prices, available network access for electricity produced from renewable sources.

American consumers don’t want things forced on them by the government, but they are slowly starting to become aware of energy issues via the rising cost of energy and the geo-political climate, said Crane. “Everyone in this room has a vested interest in electric vehicles becoming successful,” said Crane to the room largely made up by investors, and the future is “all about electric vehicles.”

Solar Junction is a 4-year-old company spun out of Stanford University that designs high-efficiency, multi-junction solar cells for concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) solar collectors. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently certified that its solar cells can operate at 40.9% efficiency, a significantly higher efficiency than typical silicon solar cells that convert sunlight to electricity at an efficiency of about 15-20%.

Scientists are reporting development of an advanced lithium-ion battery that is ideal for powering the electric vehicles now making their way into dealer showrooms. The new battery can store large amounts of energy in a small space and has a high rate capacity, meaning it can provide current even in extreme temperatures.