Electricity News

Fishing with guns on a lake under threat in Kenya

By AFP

- The beach looks ready for war: in the sparse lakeshore shade hundreds wait, sweaty from the heat, weapons at their feet.In Kenya's hot, dry and lawless north even the fishermen are armed, but guns will not save them.

San Francisco goes dark amid major power outage

By AFP

San Francisco - Equipment failure at a utility station and a subsequent fire pulled the plug on San Francisco on Friday, cutting power to downtown businesses and homes for hours.

Essential Science: New material generates low-cost electricity

By Tim Sandle

A new material promises the potential to generate sufficient power to allow cooking pan to produce sufficient energy to charge a cell phone within a few hours. The new material is cheap to manufacture and works by using hot and cold air.

Three-pronged approach to electrical power generation

By Tim Sandle

Much of the energy around us is wasted, such as the sunlight around us or the movements we make. What if this could be harnessed to create power to drive wearable devices and portable systems? Researchers have been looking into this.

Ukraine declares state of energy emergency

By AFP

Kiev - Ukraine on Wednesday announced a state of emergency for its energy sector that could result in rolling blackouts as officials try to sharply curtail electricity use by consumers.

Bacteria fed synthetic iron become electrical generators

By Tim Sandle

Some bacteria are electrogenic, meaning they can generate current as part of their metabolism. Researchers have succeeded in conferring this ability onto bacteria that do not naturally have this function. The aim is sustainable electricity generation.

Cold and angry, Gazans challenge Hamas over electricity

By AFP

Gaza - Crippling shortages of electricity in Gaza and reports of children dying of cold have stoked anger in the Palestinian enclave where there are daily protests against its Hamas leaders.

EU clears French rescue of troubled nuclear firm Areva

By AFP

Brussels - EU anti-trust regulators on Tuesday cleared the French government's massive restructuring of troubled state-owned nuclear reactor builder Areva.

China charges 10 in power plant collapse that killed 74

By AFP

China has charged 10 people over a power plant collapse that killed 74 last month, state media reported Monday, after first detaining 13 in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

'13 held' over China power plant collapse as toll hits 74

By AFP

Chinese authorities have detained 13 people in connection with a construction collapse at a power station which killed at least 74 people, state media said Friday, the latest industrial accident in the country.

China power plant collapse 'kills 67'

By AFP

Bejing - At least 67 people were killed when part of a power station under construction in China collapsed Thursday, state media reported, the latest industrial accident in a country with a dismal safety record.

First wave-produced power in U.S. goes online in Hawaii

By Karen Graham

Hawaii has become the first state in the United States to make use of wave-produced electricity, thanks to the up-and-down and side-to-side motion of a large buoy swaying and bobbing in the waters off the coast of Oahu.

Hinkley Point: a huge nuclear gamble for France

By AFP

Paris - The British government's long-awaited green light for the Hinkley Point nuclear power station in England on Thursday is of vital importance to France and its state-backed energy industry.

Britain approves Hinkley Point nuclear deal

By AFP

London - Britain finally gave the go-ahead Thursday for Hinkley Point, its first nuclear plant in a generation, but set conditions to address concerns over China's role in a flagship project for Europe's nuclear sector.

Tidal power turbines activated in Scotland

By Tim Sandle

Lerwick - Tidal powered turbines installed off the coast of Shetland (Bluemull Sound) have been connected to the electricity grid and could herald a "new era" in tidal energy.

Soil bacteria used to generate electricity

By Tim Sandle

In a case of physics and biology coming together, researchers have successfully created conditions under which bacteria isolated from soil generate usable electricity.

China power station explosion 'kills at least 21'

By AFP

Bejing - A pipeline explosion at a power station in China killed at least 21 people and injured five more on Thursday, the official Xinhua news service reported.

Electricity-starved Gazans turn to sun for help

By AFP

Gaza - Nahed Abu Assi's farm has been bombed in each of the three Gaza wars since 2008 and like in the rest of the Palestinian enclave, he receives only a paltry amount of electricity each day.

Venezuela to end electricity rationing

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela will stop rationing electricity next week, ending months of blackouts and other measures meant to alleviate its energy crisis, President Nicolas Maduro said.

Venezuela extends shortened workweek decree for public sector

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela's government on Saturday extended by two weeks a decree reducing the public sector workweek to Mondays and Tuesdays in a bid to tackle the oil-rich country's electricity crisis.

Yemen police kill one in Aden protests over power cuts

By AFP

Aden - Police have opened fire to disperse dozens of Aden residents protesting power cuts in Yemen's second city, killing one, a local government official said on Sunday.

Lights finally come on for Indian village

By AFP

Anandpur - Ram Kishore searched long and hard to find a suitable wife for his son, but his efforts only paid off when electricity finally came to his village in rural north India this year.

Venezuela enforces public sector leave on three weekdays

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela's government Tuesday announced enforced leave for public sector workers three days a week, meaning they will only work just two days, in a bid to tackle an electricity shortage.

Venezuela enforces public sector leave on three weekdays

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela's government Tuesday announced enforced leave for public sector workers three days a week, meaning they will only work just two days, in a bid to tackle an electricity shortage.

Venezuela enforces public sector leave on three weekdays

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela's government Tuesday announced enforced leave for public sector workers three days a week, meaning they will only work just two days, in a bid to tackle an electricity shortage.

Fridges go off as Venezuela power-rationing hits

By AFP

Caracas - Fridges zapped off in kitchens across Venezuela as the government turned off the electricity supply to help ease a power shortage that is worsening the country's economic crisis.

Fridges go off as Venezuela power-rationing hits

By AFP

Caracas - Fridges zapped off in kitchens across Venezuela as the government turned off the electricity supply to help ease a power shortage that is worsening the country's economic crisis.

Fridges go off as Venezuela power-rationing hits

By AFP

Caracas - Fridges zapped off in kitchens across Venezuela as the government turned off the electricity supply to help ease a power shortage that is worsening the country's economic crisis.

Venezuela to ration power four hours a day for 40 days

By AFP

Caracas - Recession-hit Venezuela will turn off the electricity supply in its 10 most populous states for four hours a day for 40 days to deal with a severe power shortage, the government said Thursday.

Venezuela to ration electricity in power crisis

By AFP

Caracas - Recession-wracked Venezuela is to ration electricity in 10 of its most populous and industrialized states, including metropolitan Caracas, the socialist government said.