Energy & Fuel

"State: PG&E Could Have 'Junked' Pipe in Its System"

"SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- State regulators have uncovered evidence that suggests Pacific Gas and Electric Co. installed 'salvaged or junked transmission pipe' on its natural-gas system in the 1940s and '50s, raising fears that a problem like the one that caused the San Bruno disaster could be lurking undetected, officials said in a regulatory filing Wednesday.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 10/21/2011

"U.S. Solar Panel Makers Say China Violated Trade Rules"

"Seven American makers of solar panels filed a broad trade case in Washington against the Chinese solar industry on Wednesday, accusing it of using billions of dollars in government subsidies to help gain sales in the American market.

The companies also accused China of dumping solar panels in the United States for less than it costs to manufacture and ship them.

Source: NY Times, 10/20/2011

"U.S. Admits Limits in Monitoring Cuba's Offshore Oil Drilling"

"As exploratory oil drilling is set to begin in December off the coast of Cuba, the U.S. government acknowledged Tuesday that because of chilly diplomatic relations it could have a limited ability to control the response to an oil spill there, let alone one the magnitude of last year's Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico."

Source: McClatchy, 10/19/2011

"Rand Paul's Switch Clears Way for Pipeline Bill"

"The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a pipeline safety bill late Monday after a senator with strong Tea Party ties did an about-face - lifting a hold that had blocked the legislation for weeks and adding a provision that would close a regulatory loophole that drew widespread attention after the San Bruno disaster."

"The bill boosts the federal government's regulatory enforcement powers, calls for automatic shutoff valves for new pipelines and, thanks to last-minute language, ends an exemption from rigorous safety inspections for older natural-gas pipelines.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 10/19/2011

Watchdog Alert: Tracking Energy Loan Guarantees

The topic of federal loan guarantees for energy projects has become prime media territory with the bankruptcy of the solar company Solyndra after it received one of these loans. As of September 30, 2011, DoE has issued about $40 billion for solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, nuclear, energy efficiency, energy storage, battery storage, or transmission projects.

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Many Are Claiming Health Problems Caused by Smart Meters

Numerous allegations of health damage from people in the US and around the globe, the common threads in the descriptions of health damage (often appearing to involve the neurological, immune, and/or endocrine systems), and the evidence from thousands of published studies that address a wide range of electrical, magnetic field, and radio-frequency impacts suggest this could be a major public health issue that warrants coverage.

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