Windmills Tilting Back in Spain

Spain was relatively late to the wind game.  Denmark and Germany had the jump on them.  But they put in similar incentives and made it so that they only applied to wind systems manufactured within Spain.  Boom.  Instant industry. 

Spain Sees Success with Wind Energy, Opposes Nuclear Power - Truthout.org - 26 Mar 08

"Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend. As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind parks generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 percent of total consumption. Between Friday and Sunday wind power accounted for an average of 28 percent of all electricity demand in Spain. Spain's wind power generation equaled that of hydropower for the first time in 2007."

( more stuff )

"Only 4 percent of Spaniards say they want more nuclear power, the second- lowest percentage among the 25-country EU, after Greece." (circa 2006 or so)

Windmills Tilting Back in Spain

Spain was relatively late to the wind game.  Denmark and Germany had the jump on them.  But they put in similar incentives and made it so that they only applied to wind systems manufactured within Spain.  Boom.  Instant industry. 

Spain Sees Success with Wind Energy, Opposes Nuclear Power - Truthout.org - 26 Mar 08

"Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend. As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind parks generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 percent of total consumption. Between Friday and Sunday wind power accounted for an average of 28 percent of all electricity demand in Spain. Spain's wind power generation equaled that of hydropower for the first time in 2007."

( more stuff )

"Only 4 percent of Spaniards say they want more nuclear power, the second- lowest percentage among the 25-country EU, after Greece." (circa 2006 or so)

Back to the Future

A billion here a billion there.  What's the big deal?

Nuclear Fears Return to Haunt Siemens - Forbes - 31 Mar 08

"Shares in Germany’s flagship conglomerate Siemens suffered a slight slip on Monday, after a press report resurrected old fears about its delay-stricken Finnish nuclear power plant project."  "The German engineering firm owns a 34% stake in Areva’s  nuclear power arm, which is leading the project, and the report said total charges could reach between 700 million euros ($1.1 billion) and 1.5 billion euros ($2.4 billion)."

Back to the Future

A billion here a billion there.  What's the big deal?

Nuclear Fears Return to Haunt Siemens - Forbes - 31 Mar 08

"Shares in Germany’s flagship conglomerate Siemens suffered a slight slip on Monday, after a press report resurrected old fears about its delay-stricken Finnish nuclear power plant project."  "The German engineering firm owns a 34% stake in Areva’s  nuclear power arm, which is leading the project, and the report said total charges could reach between 700 million euros ($1.1 billion) and 1.5 billion euros ($2.4 billion)."

Fantasy Predictions Around Nuclear Power

Nice opinion piece in the Independent (UK) today:

They Called Chernobyl "The New Venice" - Independent (UK) - 30 Mar 08

"He [Fred Lee, Minister of Power under Harold Wilson] went on to say: 'As we now know, there is something like a 10 per cent advantage in this development, and it could be greater ... Certainly a 10 per cent saving is involved.' The first station of this new generation was to be built at Dungeness in Kent; Dungeness B was ordered a few months later, in August 1965. The reactor eventually started up, 10 years late, in December 1982. It cost more than five times the 1965 estimates."

"His [David Howell, the Secretary of State for Energy under Maggie Thatcher] junior minister, Norman Lamont, soon declared 'the government's intention to build at least one nuclear power station a year for the next 10 years'. One – Sizewell – was built. Eventually, in 1995, it produced electricity for the grid, 15 years after Howell's announcement, costing 50 per cent more than the original estimate."

"So don't hold your breath. On past form, the early days of Heathrow's Terminal 5 seem a more likely guide to the future than John Hutton."

Fantasy Predictions Around Nuclear Power

Nice opinion piece in the Independent (UK) today:

They Called Chernobyl "The New Venice" - Independent (UK) - 30 Mar 08

"He [Fred Lee, Minister of Power under Harold Wilson] went on to say: 'As we now know, there is something like a 10 per cent advantage in this development, and it could be greater ... Certainly a 10 per cent saving is involved.' The first station of this new generation was to be built at Dungeness in Kent; Dungeness B was ordered a few months later, in August 1965. The reactor eventually started up, 10 years late, in December 1982. It cost more than five times the 1965 estimates."

"His [David Howell, the Secretary of State for Energy under Maggie Thatcher] junior minister, Norman Lamont, soon declared 'the government's intention to build at least one nuclear power station a year for the next 10 years'. One – Sizewell – was built. Eventually, in 1995, it produced electricity for the grid, 15 years after Howell's announcement, costing 50 per cent more than the original estimate."

"So don't hold your breath. On past form, the early days of Heathrow's Terminal 5 seem a more likely guide to the future than John Hutton."