Utilities Sector
Japan protest over nuclear restart
Jun 22, 2012 14:26 EDT
About 20,000 people gathered in front of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's residence in Tokyo late Friday to protest his decision to restart two nuclear reactors.
Romania to review moratorium on shale gas
Jun 22, 2012 13:58 EDT
Romania will review its stand on shale gas when a drilling moratorium expires in December and align itself with a future joint EU position on the controversial issue, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Friday.
Solar plane starts new bid to fly over Morocco desert
Jun 21, 2012 07:57 EDT
The Swiss-made solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, took off early Thursday from Rabat airport in a fresh bid to cross the Moroccan desert, after being foiled by rough conditions last week.
Oracle chief buys Hawaiian island
Jun 21, 2012 02:38 EDT
Oracle boss Larry Ellison has bought a Hawaiian island from a fellow multi-billionaire businessman, the governor of the US Pacific Ocean state said.
Abandoning Fukushima was never an option: TEPCO
Jun 20, 2012 07:20 EDT
The embattled operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant on Wednesday denied it had ever considered abandoning the crippled power station, blaming poor communication with Japan's government for the claim.
Indian 'sadhus' protest dam projects on holy Ganges
Jun 18, 2012 13:57 EDT
Hundreds of saffron-clad Indian "sadhus," or holy men, protested in New Delhi Monday against plans to construct more than 50 dams on the River Ganges -- whose waters are sacred to millions of Hindus.
6.4 quake hits off east coast of Japan: USGS
Jun 17, 2012 20:01 EDT
A 6.4-magnitude undersea earthquake on Monday jolted the sea area off the east coast of Honshu, the main island of Japan, US seismologists said, but no tsunami alert was issued.
Corporations pledge sustainability at Rio+20
Jun 17, 2012 16:50 EDT
Microsoft and other firms attending the Rio+20 business forum are falling over each other to prove their corporate responsibility credentials, but critics remain highly skeptical about their commitments.
US fuels giant ExxonMobil ends prospecting in Poland
Jun 16, 2012 13:51 EDT
US oil and gas giant ExxonMobil is set to leave Poland, after prospecting for shale gas deposits but not finding enough for commercial use at its test wells, according to company officials.
Work begins on controversial Japan nuclear restart
Jun 16, 2012 03:42 EDT
Japan started work to put nuclear reactors back online Saturday, despite public distrust of the technology after last year's meltdowns at Fukushima, the world's worst atomic accident since Chernobyl.
Japan PM orders nuclear restart amid protests
Jun 16, 2012 00:55 EDT
Japan ordered nuclear reactors back online on Saturday, defying public sentiment against atomic power following last year's meltdowns at Fukushima sparked by a huge quake-tsunami disaster.
Japan PM orders nuclear restart
Jun 15, 2012 23:06 EDT
Japan ordered nuclear reactors back online on Saturday, defying public sentiment against atomic power following last year's meltdowns at Fukushima sparked by the quake-tsunami, reports said.
Fracking can cause earthquakes, but risk is low: study
Jun 15, 2012 16:24 EDT
Certain oil and gas operations that involve injecting wastewater underground can cause earthquakes, but the risk from hydraulic fracturing is generally low, said a US scientific report Friday.
Oil and gas operations can cause earthquakes: study
Jun 15, 2012 13:27 EDT
Certain oil and gas operations that involve injecting water underground can cause earthquakes, but the risk from hydraulic fracturing is generally low, said a US scientific report Friday.
Bulgaria relaxes ban on controversial gas drilling method
Jun 14, 2012 15:33 EDT
Bulgaria's parliament relaxed on Thursday a ban on a controversial natural gas drilling method that had threatened to completely halt exploration in the country.
Japan 'closer to restarting nuclear reactors'
Jun 14, 2012 11:44 EDT
A controversial decision to restart two nuclear reactors in western Japan moved closer on Thursday when the mayor of a town near the plant gave his approval, reports said.
Japan's Hitachi says atomic power sales to double
Jun 14, 2012 05:24 EDT
Japan's Hitachi said Thursday it would more than double its nuclear power business within a decade owing to growing overseas demand and post-disaster work at the crippled Fukushima atomic plant.
Gulf states look to the sun for future power
Jun 13, 2012 07:42 EDT
After decades of relying on carbon-emitting fossil fuels to build their cities in the desert, some oil and gas rich nations of the Gulf are now turning skywards to the sun to meet future energy demands.
German utilities 'seek damages for nuclear exit'
Jun 13, 2012 07:03 EDT
German power suppliers are suing the government for 15 billion euros ($19 billion) in damages over the decision to abandon nuclear power, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported Wednesday.
German utilities want 15 bn euros for nuclear exit: report
Jun 13, 2012 03:30 EDT
German power suppliers are suing the government for 15 billion euros ($19 billion) in damages over the decision to abandon nuclear power, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported Wednesday.
