Russian Natural Gas and Energy Independence

With the Ukrainian natural gas supply disruption still fresh in the minds of many Europeans, a number of countries are scrambling to find alternatives to Russian natural gas:

[B]ear in mind that Russia has alerted its European consumers that their prices will increase by about 50% to $240 per 1,000 cm by the end of 2006, and the Ukrainian crisis provides no confidence that Russia has any intention of seeing its largely state-run energy industry as anything other than a political tool. EU members will have to write cheques to Russia for natural gas in 2006 edging up toward some $30 billion. In that light, coughing up an extra $10 billion to reduce their long-term Russian exposure seems a much more viable Â— and likely unavoidable Â— option.

In addition, the article notes, "Roughly 40% of EuropeÂ’s natural gas imports come from or through Russia Â— and 80% of that transits Ukraine. A glance at the map shows that there are not any obvious alternate suppliers."

Technorati tags: Energy, Electricity, Home Heating, Natural Gas, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Vladimir Putin, Electricity, G8

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How Nanomaterials Can Make Nuclear Reactors Safer and More Efficient

The following is a guest post from Matt Wald, senior communications advisor at NEI. Follow Matt on Twitter at @MattLWald.

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With 50 different state legislative calendars, more than half of them adjourn by June, and those still in session throughout the year usually take a recess in the summer. So springtime is prime time for state legislative activity. In the next few weeks, legislatures are hosting hearings and calling for votes on bills that have been battered back and forth in the capital halls.

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NEI Nuclear Notes

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