Enlarge Click image to enlarge. Related Links: ARTBA Puts Gas Tax-Rebate Plan on the Table Construction Groups Fight Proposal to Slash Federal Gas Tax Nebraska is the latest state to raise its gas tax, with the state Legislature overriding Gov. Pete Ricketts' (R) veto of a bill that adds 6¢ per gallon over the next four years.Originally approved by Nebraska's unicameral Legislature by a 26-15 vote in early May, the measure increases Nebraska's current 25.6¢-per-gallon gas tax in yearly 1.5¢ increments, beginning on Jan. 1, 2016. Once fully implemented, the increase is expected to generate $76.2 million in additional revenue
PM Office India Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi (left) and French President Francois Hollande signed agreements to develop the world's largest nuclear reactor park. AREVA signed two agreements with its Indian partners for the preparation of the 9,900-MW Jaitapur European Pressurized Reactors (EPR) project and outlined the importance of the project. Jaitapur is in the western state of Maharashtra. The nuclear-reactor park, which will comprise six 1,650-MW nuclear reactors, is expected to be the world’s largest. AREVA signed the agreements in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi, during his visit to France, and French President François Hollande.AREVA designed
What is being called a first-of-its-kind community microgrid is taking shape in upstate New York. A partnership comprising two universities, a national laboratory, one of the world's leading electrical manufacturers, the region's electric utility and several other participants is working through the issues to create the innovative microgrid in the village of Potsdam, N.Y.New York's North Country, where Potsdam is located, is no stranger to harsh weather. A 1998 ice storm hammered the area for four days, paralyzing cities and cutting power to 130,000 people. Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 struck neighboring Vermont, flooding nearly every river and stream, isolating
Photo Courtesy of Dow Dow Chemical has several major projects near Freeport, Texas, coming on line by 2017. Enlarge Click to enlarge. Related Links: Sasol Ethane Cracker Job Starts Despite Gas-to-Liquids Delay AGC Survey Cites Worse Shortages and Added Quality Concerns The upheaval in world energy markets over the past year has not really hurt petrochemical projects in the U.S. and Canada, according to petchem owners, engineers and contractors. If anything, they say, owner decisions to delay or stretch out the construction of a few petchem projects have eased concerns about skilled-worker shortages and project cost inflation and prompted talk
Courtesy BHP BHP's Olympic Dam uranium mine is the largest uranium-ore extraction operation in Australia. Related Links: Australian Royal Commission issue paper (pdf) IEA World Energy Outlook 2011 An Australian Royal Commission has issued a report that almost 50 companies are exploring for uranium deposits throughout the country. After almost a decade of dwindling activity, the uptick has heartened the construction industry, which would build the supporting infrastructure.More than 230 nuclear reactors worldwide are either under construction or in the planning stages, helping to fuel demand for uranium. Another 200 nuclear powerplants are due for decommissioning and, the industry hopes,
Photo Courtesy of SaskPower Officials say the Boundary Dam project demonstrates that CCS is viable. Related Links: Clean Coal--Is Carbon Capture and Sequestration Fossil Fuels' Best Hope? (ENR, subscription) Saskatchewan Community Wind Report on Boundary Dam CSS Facility The world's first full-scale carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility of its kind at a commercial coal plant is performing better than expected, officials from SaskPower, the Canadian facility that owns the plant, said at a recent meeting in Washington, D.C.CCS has been touted by the Obama administration and advocates around the globe as a way to enable coal to remain part
Related Links: Duke Energy Settles Ash Spill for $102 Million Duke Energy Starts Ash Cleanup as N.C. Considers Tighter Regs Calling a proposed $25.1-million state fine for coal-ash-induced ground- water contamination at a retired coal plant near Wilmington, N.C., "unprecedented" and "improper," Duke Energy on April 9 filed an appeal aimed at dismissing the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources' proposed penalty. The fine is not related to the 2014 coal-ash spill at the utility's Dan River powerplant near Eden, N.C.In its appeal, Duke called the levy "an extreme example of [an] improper civil penalty" and alleged that the DENR
Related Links: In a Test of Technology, the Largest-Ever Fusion Reactor Rises in France International Program Aims To Develop Energy Supply Without Limit A radial array of heavy rebar now marks the circular footprint of a vast experimental nuclear machine that is the centerpiece of a research program into atomic fusion, potentially a limitless energy source. Fusion research at the site will be challenging enough, but just getting the $16-billion facility up and running is no easy task.Weighing over three times more than the Eiffel Tower but far more complicated, the 23,000-tonne Tokamak reactor, located in southern France, is being
Related Links: Private Investment Drives Wind, Solar Projects in California House-Passed Tax 'Extenders' Bill Aids Multiemployer Pension Plans, Renewable Energy Thanks to soon-to-expire tax incentives and the increasing cost-competitiveness of renewable sources of energy, 2015 is shaping up as perhaps the best year ever for wind-farm construction and new, utility-scale solar projects.Also, the variable nature of wind- and solar-energy output is spurring development of battery-storage projects designed to make renewables a more reliable element of the nation's electricity system."The wind-power market continues to grow and is on target to become the leading source of new energy in the country—[expected] to
Related Links: China To Build First New U.K. Nuke Plants in More Than 20 Years China has lifted the ban on constructing new nuclear powerplants as part of an ambitious plan to add 30,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2020, which will bring it closer to U.S. production capability. After the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, China banned capacity expansion as the country closely examined its safety standards in existing plans.The government plans to take the number of nuclear powerplants to 75 from 22 at present in about five years. There are 26 reactors under construction, and 27 more
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