Vive Les Nukes? Non!

Somehow this got left out of the glowing "60 Minutes" piece on the nuclear wonderland of France.

French Shun Nuclear Energy, Choose Conservation  - Angus Reid Global Monitor -  04 Nov 07

"The overwhelming majority of people in France agree there is a need to conserve energy and favour renewable sources, according to a poll by CSA. 96 per cent of respondents think conserving energy should be a priority, and 94 per cent think the European country should focus on developing solar and wind power.  Only 35 per cent of respondents think developing nuclear power should be a priority for France, and 61 per cent think this should not be the focus of the country’s energy policy."

Vive Les Nukes? Non!

Somehow this got left out of the glowing "60 Minutes" piece on the nuclear wonderland of France.

French Shun Nuclear Energy, Choose Conservation  - Angus Reid Global Monitor -  04 Nov 07

"The overwhelming majority of people in France agree there is a need to conserve energy and favour renewable sources, according to a poll by CSA. 96 per cent of respondents think conserving energy should be a priority, and 94 per cent think the European country should focus on developing solar and wind power.  Only 35 per cent of respondents think developing nuclear power should be a priority for France, and 61 per cent think this should not be the focus of the country’s energy policy."

Electric Cars + Biofuels = The Future?

I certainly think so.  Good to see V2G technology getting some demo time.

How Silicon Valley Could Become the Detroit of Electric Cars - San Jose Mercury News - 7 Nov 07

"Why electric cars? Among the reasons: the rising cost and possible scarcity of oil, growing worries about pollution and global warming, and developments in technology that will make batteries more affordable.

And using the power grid for transportation will be more affordable and more environmentally sound, electric-car proponents argue. That's especially true as governments require utilities to get power from renewable sources such as solar, wind, water and geothermal.

Agassi has computed the economics of oil - prices are above $90 a barrel - and concluded that electricity is the only answer for future personal transportation, because gas will be too expensive.  'Whether Shai does it, or someone else does it,' he said, electric cars are inevitable."

Xcel to Test Plug-in Hybrid Cars - Denver Business Journal - 22 Oct 07

"Xcel Energy Inc. plans to test six plug-in hybrid cars that not only can pull electricity off the grid, but also give power back to the grid if needed, the utility said Monday.  Xcel (NYSE: XEL) is based in Minneapolis. It's Colorado's largest utility, with about 1.3 million customers in the state.

The six-month test program is expected to cost about $465,000, said Xcel spokeswoman Ethnie Groves.  Denver and Minneapolis each will have one of the cars."

"The test will begin in early 2008, after the six Ford Escape Hybrids are converted to plug-in cars that can accept power from a standard, household plug. The cars will have additional technology, called "vehicle to grid" (V2G), that allows the cars' batteries to send power through the cord back to the grid on command.

'With every U.S. home connected to the electricity grid, vehicle-to-grid technology could be key to meeting our growing energy needs,' Michael Lamb, executive director of Xcel's Utility Innovations test division, said in a statement. 'This project will allow us to explore how PHEVs can become an integrated part of a 'smart house' and our vision of the smart grid energy system of the future -- one that allows customers and utilities to work together to balance the power grid, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve our nation's energy security.'"

Agencies Line Up for Plug-in Cars - CNET News.com - 27 Nov 07

"'There is kind of a snowball effect, from individuals and small companies to larger companies and agencies,' said Marc Kohler, the business development manger at Valence Technology, which makes lithium ion batteries for plug-ins and laptops. 'Everybody is still in the testing phase, but the testing is becoming more mature. People are looking at crash testing and cold-weather testing.'  Right now, only a few small companies, such as Energy Control Systems Engineering and HyMotion, offer help to hybrid owners who want to install the extra batteries necessary to turn a Toyota Prius into a plug-in.

Although no major car manufacturer currently produces a plug-in hybrid, they are beginning to warm up to the concept. "We are seriously studying the plug-in, especially for short distance drivers," Yusei Higaki, a project manager in the global external affairs division at Toyota, said in an interview last month."

Electric Cars + Biofuels = The Future?

I certainly think so.  Good to see V2G technology getting some demo time.

How Silicon Valley Could Become the Detroit of Electric Cars - San Jose Mercury News - 7 Nov 07

"Why electric cars? Among the reasons: the rising cost and possible scarcity of oil, growing worries about pollution and global warming, and developments in technology that will make batteries more affordable.

And using the power grid for transportation will be more affordable and more environmentally sound, electric-car proponents argue. That's especially true as governments require utilities to get power from renewable sources such as solar, wind, water and geothermal.

Agassi has computed the economics of oil - prices are above $90 a barrel - and concluded that electricity is the only answer for future personal transportation, because gas will be too expensive.  'Whether Shai does it, or someone else does it,' he said, electric cars are inevitable."

Xcel to Test Plug-in Hybrid Cars - Denver Business Journal - 22 Oct 07

"Xcel Energy Inc. plans to test six plug-in hybrid cars that not only can pull electricity off the grid, but also give power back to the grid if needed, the utility said Monday.  Xcel (NYSE: XEL) is based in Minneapolis. It's Colorado's largest utility, with about 1.3 million customers in the state.

The six-month test program is expected to cost about $465,000, said Xcel spokeswoman Ethnie Groves.  Denver and Minneapolis each will have one of the cars."

"The test will begin in early 2008, after the six Ford Escape Hybrids are converted to plug-in cars that can accept power from a standard, household plug. The cars will have additional technology, called "vehicle to grid" (V2G), that allows the cars' batteries to send power through the cord back to the grid on command.

'With every U.S. home connected to the electricity grid, vehicle-to-grid technology could be key to meeting our growing energy needs,' Michael Lamb, executive director of Xcel's Utility Innovations test division, said in a statement. 'This project will allow us to explore how PHEVs can become an integrated part of a 'smart house' and our vision of the smart grid energy system of the future -- one that allows customers and utilities to work together to balance the power grid, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve our nation's energy security.'"

Agencies Line Up for Plug-in Cars - CNET News.com - 27 Nov 07

"'There is kind of a snowball effect, from individuals and small companies to larger companies and agencies,' said Marc Kohler, the business development manger at Valence Technology, which makes lithium ion batteries for plug-ins and laptops. 'Everybody is still in the testing phase, but the testing is becoming more mature. People are looking at crash testing and cold-weather testing.'  Right now, only a few small companies, such as Energy Control Systems Engineering and HyMotion, offer help to hybrid owners who want to install the extra batteries necessary to turn a Toyota Prius into a plug-in.

Although no major car manufacturer currently produces a plug-in hybrid, they are beginning to warm up to the concept. "We are seriously studying the plug-in, especially for short distance drivers," Yusei Higaki, a project manager in the global external affairs division at Toyota, said in an interview last month."