GPS News  
France ends EDF's quasi-monopoly over hydro projects: source

by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) July 23, 2008
French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo has signed a decree to end electricity giant EDF's quasi-monopoly over the running of the country's hydroelectric dams, a source said Wednesday.

The decree ends the preferential treatment accorded to Electricite de France in getting tenders. EDF currently runs about 80 percent of the 399 hydroelectric projects opened to bidding.

EDF turned into a public company in 2004 and a law came into force two years later ending the preferential treatment. But only a few small dams were opened to competition.

The source said tenders would be launched soon for dams whose current contracts expire in a few years. The new contracts will start from 2012.

In a parliamentary report made public in early July, deputy Christian Kert called for strict guidelines in the floating of new tenders.

"We have to be absolutely sure of the expertise of those who eventually take over dams run by EDF," he said, adding that the "security" of the dams was of paramount importance.

Hydroelectricity accounts for 12 percent of the total power produced in France.

Related Links




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Japanese town blazes trail in clean energy
Kuzumaki, Japan (AFP) July 23, 2008
Here in the mountains of northern Japan, wind, sun and even cow dung are being turned into electricity as part of efforts to turn a whole town into an experiment in renewable energy use.







  • China Southern Airlines managers take paycut due to oil prices
  • British PM blasts polluting 'ghost' flights
  • Air China says it is to buy 45 Boeing aircraft
  • Raytheon Leads Team To Evaluate Impact Of New Classes Of Aircraft For NASA

  • China unsold new car stock hits four-year high: report
  • SKorea's Ssangyong plans shutdown as SUV demand falls
  • China loses WTO car parts case against US
  • Off-peak electricity could power hybrids

  • US Navy Selects Next Gen Command And Control Processor
  • DRS Completes Testing Of PMM System
  • Boeing To Demo Net-Centric Upgrade On AWACS Aircraft
  • Satellite's Instrumentation Providing Scintillation Forecast Data

  • Test Boosts Missile Tracking Radars
  • New Cuban nuke crisis threat
  • Boeing And MDA Complete Missile Defense Sensor Integration Test
  • Raytheon Radars Play Key Role In Missile Defense Test

  • Reclaimed Wastewater Benefits Florida's Citrus Orchards
  • UN chief calls for sharp hike in world farm output
  • Pollination Habits Of Endangered Rice Revealed To Help Preservation
  • Digital Cameras And Remote Satellites Measure Crop Water Demand

  • Asia's disaster response in spotlight at security talks
  • Thousands evacuated as storm hits China: state media
  • China quake zone govt to sell luxury HQ after outcry: report
  • China quake sends 1.4 million back into poverty: report

  • RT Logic Awarded South Pole TDRSS Relay II Project
  • Big Space Junk
  • APL-Operated Midcourse Space Experiment Ends
  • Tree Branching Key To Efficient Flow In Nature And Novel Materials

  • NASA Robots Perform Well During Arctic Ice Deployment Testing
  • Eight Teams Taking Up ESA's Lunar Robotics Challenge
  • Three Engineers, Hundreds of Robots, One Warehouse
  • Tartalo The Robot Is Knocking On Your Door

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement