February 3 NEC Energy News
¶ “PG&E To Stand Trial Over Deadly California Wildfire” • The California utility giant PG&E must face trial for manslaughter for its role in a 2020 wildfire that killed four people, a state judge has ruled. It is the latest legal trouble for Pacific Gas & Electric, which has been blamed for a series of deadly wildfires in the state in recent years. [BBC]
¶ “France Seeks Strategy As Nuclear Waste Site Risks Saturation Point” • The fuel-cooling pools in La Hague, in the northwest of France, could be full by the end of the decade and state-owned Orano, which runs them, says the government needs to outline a long-term strategy to modernise its ageing facilities no later than 2025. [International Business Times]
¶ “Should The Infrastructure Investment Act Bail Out A Retired Nuclear Reactor?” • Some 115 organizations and 179 people sent a letter to US Energy Secretary Granholm asking for a rejection of Holtec Decommissioning International’s request for a federal bailout to restart the retired Palisades atomic reactor on the shore of Lake Michigan. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How undersea cables may affect marine life” • Thousands of miles of cables crisscross our deep seas, carrying data or electric power. These artificial structures can serve as shelter to a vast array of bottom-dwelling sea life that have been found to take up residence on or near them. But we don’t know much about the effects of their electromagnetic fields. [BBC]
¶ “Solar And Wind With Batteries Are Set To Produce Cheaper Electricity Than Natural Gas In Alberta And Ontario” • In Alberta and Ontario, wind can now produce electricity at lower costs than natural-gas-fired power, and more reductions are on the horizon, according to a report from Clean Energy Canada based on newly commissioned research. [GlobeNewswire]
¶ “EPA Blocks Mining Project Proposal That Threatened Alaskan Salmon” • The EPA has blocked the controversial Pebble Mine project, which was set for development in Alaska, over concerns about adverse effects on salmon fisheries, an agency release said. It could have become the largest copper, gold and molybdenum extraction site on the continent. [CNN]
¶ “Clean Energy To Communities Program Launched By US DOE” • The US DOE announced that it launched the Clean Energy to Communities program to provide up to $50 million to support a range of clean energy needs of communities. The program is especially to help small communities that might ‘’fall through cracks.” [CleanTechnica]
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