Nuclear power accounts for 16-17 percent of all power generation worldwide.

As one of the world’s fastest growing economies and the second largest consumer of energy, China is looking more to nuclear power to better distribute its energy sources.
Shandong in East China is one example of how this shift is playing out: There are plans afoot to build three nuclear power plants in the province, two in Weihai and one in Yantai, Chinadaily.com reported.
The plants are expected to house five reactors with a combined capacity of more than 4,000 MW. Once these plants are finished, Shandong will become an important nuclear power base for the country.
Statistics show that nuclear power has become the third most important power source in China.
There are currently 11 nuclear reactors in operation, with a total capacity of around 8,000 MW.
The country’s nuclear power plants generated 62.9 billion kWh last year, representing an increase of 14.6 percent compared with a year earlier, according to the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense.
“China’s nuclear power industry has experienced a transition from appropriate development to accelerated development,“ Han Wenke, deputy director of the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said.
At present, nuclear power accounts for less than 2 percent in the country’s total power generation.
The authorities plan to increase the country’s nuclear power capacity to 40,000 MW by 2020, which would take the sector’s share of the total power industry to 4 percent.
Worldwide, nuclear power accounts for 16-17 percent of all power generation.
In countries like France, nuclear power even accounts for around 80 percent of the industry.
All of China’s existing nuclear power plants are located in coastal areas.
Coastal provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong have all said they are preparing sites to host new nuclear stations.
Several inland regions have also taken part in the development of nuclear power.
Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing have all said they are planning to build China’s first inland nuclear power plant.
Construction work started on Sanmen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province in January.
With two 1,000-MW nuclear reactors using technology from the US-based energy company Westinghouse Electric Co, the plant represents the cutting edge in nuclear power.
Last year China finalized a contract with a consortium led by Westinghouse to build four nuclear power reactors, including two in Sanmen, one in Haiyang, and one in Shandong province.
Compared with earlier generation technology, reactors using third generation technology have longer operational lives and are safer.
Westinghouse said its equipment has been selected for at least 12 reactors in the US to be built over the next 10 to 12 years.
Last year China also signed an 8-billion euro ($11.6 billion) agreement with the French nuclear company Areva to supply two third-generation nuclear reactors for a project in Taishan, Guangdong province.
Construction of the two reactors, each with a capacity of 1,700 MW, could begin fall of 2009.

Given today’s climate, Americans are not only concerned about the cost of fuel and how dependent they’ve become on foreign sources, but are increasingly concerned about the impact fuel emissions have on the environment.
The collective environmental consciousness has become a common sense requirement regarding fuel and the future now lies in alternative sources, Nwitimes.com reported.
The following is a guideline to alternative fuels used in some vehicles seen at automakers’ exhibits at the Chicago Auto Show. Some power today’s cars, while others will fuel the future.
Hybrids: A blend of technology that utilizes a gasoline engine coupled to a small electric motor. The electric motor assists the gasoline engine. In some cases, the vehicle can run for limited distances on electric power alone.
Except for the audio options and air conditioning noise, there is no engine noise or vibration. There is no pollution emitting exhaust. This process continues at low speed--in some vehicles up to 30 mph--with no harm done to upset Mother Nature. The gasoline engine instantly starts once pressure is placed on the throttle.
Diesel: Gone are the days when “black smoke’’ was emitted from the exhaust. Chrysler indicates clean diesel technology has improved fuel economy up to 30 percent and has 20 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions.
E85: Today’s major source of ethanol is grain products grown in the United States. This has been a real boom to the farmers in this country.
Ethanol fuel degrades quickly in water and therefore prevents a much lower risk to the environment than an oil or gasoline spill. Ethanol includes lower emissions of unburned hydrocarbons (which form the precursors of smog) and the potential for a significant reduction in U.S. dependence on non-renewable petroleum-based fuels.
Electric: This is one source of fuel everyone can love--no noise pollution, no greenhouse gases and no fuel spillage. Seventy-eight percent of American commuters drive 40 miles or less to and from work each day. Imagine how much gas would be saved if they switched to an electric motor vehicle for their daily drives.
Hydrogen/Fuel Cell: Simply said, 100 percent clean. Powering a vehicle with electricity generated by a fuel cell creates absolutely no toxic emissions. The only discharge whatsoever is warm water vapor from the exhaust. This technology is still in the experimental stages. However, auto industry leaders expect some hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles will be on the road by 2015.

The main obstacle to new turbines and the reason why wind seems excessively profitable, is the difficulty in winning planning consent for new projects.

Can too much of a good thing be bad? Consider wind power. The generous subsidies paid by electricity users to fund a drive towards renewable energy have boosted the profits of wind farm owners. But they have not produced many more turbines.
Now utilities are snapping up the farms to make fast returns.
If wind power can compete without subsidies, it should no longer benefit from them. However, the problem is not the size of the handouts. Rather, it is the constraints imposed by a cumbersome planning system, FT reported.
If Britain is to meet ambitious EU targets to supply 15 percent of its total energy demand with renewables by 2020, it cannot ignore wind power. The UK’s geography means it commands about 40 per cent of Europe’s wind resource, making it an ideal site for turbines. If onshore wind is becoming commercially viable then that is welcome. That, after all, is the purpose of the “renewables obligation“ on electricity firms.
It may be that the renewables subsidy benefits onshore wind disproportionately. But changes can be made to how the subsidy works. The value of renewable certificates that power companies buy could be adjusted to favor less viable alternative energy sources. To scrap the subsidy altogether would be wrong though. Without it, there would be no wind farms at all.
The renewables obligation is more costly than other policies aimed at improving energy efficiency. But alternative forms of subsidy would not necessarily lead to any more turbines being built. In fact, they might pose other problems. For example, the direct cost to the taxpayer of a complete switch to capital allowances could make them politically unpalatable. A broader emissions-based carbon tax has merit but may also draw fire.
One reason, moreover, why wind power is profitable is that power prices are high. They could fall. The volatility of energy markets means investors need regulatory stability.
The main obstacle to new turbines and the reason why wind seems excessively profitable, is the difficulty in winning planning consent for new projects.
Local objections tie up applications for years and put a brake on construction. The result is not enough renewable certificates for power firms to meet their sourcing obligations, forcing them to pay penalties.
By failing to reform planning, the government has subsidized demand for wind power only to restrict its supply. Its proposals to streamline planning laws fall short because they will not cover the smaller farms seen as the engine of progress. Until they do, wind’s potential will remain unharnessed.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) and Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle have established the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a long-term partnership designed to accelerate the transformation of Hawaii into one of the world’s first economies based primarily on clean energy resources. The goal of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative is to use renewable resources--such as wind, sun, ocean, geothermal, and bioenergy--to meet the 70 percent goal.
The result, the governor’s office said in its news release, will increase the state’s energy independence and help bring more price stability to Hawaii consumers, Renewableenergyaccess.com reported.
Unlike states within the contiguous US, Hawaii generates the vast majority--over 80 percent--of its electricity with oil because it is much more easily shipped than other fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas and coal).
Generating power with renewables, therefore, directly displaces foreign oil imports, a fact not lost on the governor.
“This innovative, unprecedented partnership builds on the progress the state has made to increase energy independence by decreasing Hawaii’s reliance on imported oil,“ said Lingle, who previewed the agreement last week in her State of the State Address.
“Our islands’ abundant natural sources of energy, combined with the considerable capabilities of the Department of Energy, will help Hawaii lead America in utilizing clean, renewable energy technologies.“
The partnership will provide technical assistance and technology program support for a variety of innovative projects that draw on technologies developed through a range of DOE research and development programs.
“With an abundance of natural resources and environmental treasures, Hawaii is the ideal location to showcase the broad benefits of renewable energy at work on an unprecedented scale,“ said Andy Karsner, DOE’s assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
“Hawaii’s success will serve as an integrated model and demonstration test bed for the United States and other island communities globally, many of which are just beginning the transition to a clean energy economy.“
Under the program, efforts will focus on working with public and private partners on several clean energy projects throughout the state including:
- Designing cost-effective approaches for 100 percent use of renewable energy on smaller islands,
- Designing systems to improve stability of electrical grids operating with variable generating sources such as wind power facilities on Maui and the island of Hawaii,
- Integrating renewable energy, including solar, wind, energy storage and advanced vehicle technologies into existing systems to meet the islands’ energy needs,
- Minimizing energy use while maximizing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies at new large military housing developments,
- Expanding Hawaii’s capability to use locally grown crops as byproducts for producing fuel and electricity, and
- Developing comprehensive energy regulatory and policy frameworks to promote clean energy technology use.
The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative will also tap the expertise of other federal agencies, including the US Departments of Agriculture and Defense, national research laboratories, and research and development entities, as well as the private sector.