Earth Talk: Can Japan do without nuclear energy?

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: Were Japan to close all its nuclear plants following the recent damage and radiation leaks from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, what could its energy mix look like? Would it be able to provide all of its power in other ways? – Richard Miller, New York Most experts agree that Japan would…

Harrisonburg passes tax exemption as incentive for solar power

AFP

Harrisonburg City Council Tuesday night passed an ordinance offering a 100 percent exemption from local taxes for solar power installations, helping the city to join 13 other localities in Virginia that offer a 100 percent exemption for developers and homeowners to install solar power in their communities. The ordinance, passed by a 4-1 vote, exempts…

EMU dedicates new solar facility

Jim Bishop

Eastern Mennonite University dedicated and celebrated the largest solar photovoltaic project built so far in the state of Virginia in a public ceremony held Monday afternoonon EMU’s campus. During the celebration in EMU’s Campus Center, about 150 members of the campus community, public officials and local neighbors saw the university’s president Loren Swartzendruber unveil the…

Energy-efficiency improvements focus at Harrisonburg center

AFP

The Washington, D.C.,-based Linc Services LLC is working with Harrisonburg to complete energy-efficient improvements to the Cecil F. Gilkerson Community Activities Center. The building renovations, which began in early September and are scheduled for completion by mid-October, are projected to save the city more than $150,000 over the course of 15 years. “We’ve had a…

EMU: Going solar

AFP

The largest deployment of solar power to date in Virginia is being brought to reality on the roof of the Sadie Hartzler Library at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg. The project will begin producing electricity for use at EMU by mid-November, said Tony Smith, the CEO of the Staunton-based Secure Futures LLC and the co-chair…

White House News: President speaks on clean energy manufacturing

Chris Graham

Remarks from President Barack Obama at Menomonee Falls, Wisc., on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010:   Thank you very much. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you very much. It is wonderful to be at ZBB Energy. And thanks for your hospitality, and thanks for helping to build a future. I’ve got a couple of…

Virginia enters Wind Energy Consortium

Chris Graham

Edited by Chris Graham [email protected]   Gov. Bob McDonnell signed onto a Memorandum of Understanding with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and nine East Coast governors, to establish the Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium. Through this consortium, Gov. McDonnell will encourage the environmentally-responsible development of wind energy, and other sources of renewable energy,…

McDonnell signs green energy legislation

Chris Graham

Edited by Chris Graham [email protected]   Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law a number of green energy bills passed by the General Assembly this session. A signing ceremony to mark the signings was held at Old Dominion University in Norfolk today. Among the measures receiving the governor’s signature was his legislation to provide a $500…

New nuclear energy is old news

AFP

And new projects are already under way, benefitting economies and creating jobs Column by Jarret Adams Submit guest columns: [email protected] Right now, nuclear energy is expanding around the world. According to the World Nuclear Association, there are 50 reactors under construction across the globe and another 130 (and counting) scheduled to come online over the…