Moniz Unanimously Confirmed As New DOE Chief

Moniz's nomination to head up the Department of Energy had received a green light by the Senate Energy Committee more than a month ago, but had been held up by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) in protest of a proposed shutdown of a nuclear material processing facility.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) praised Moniz as "uniquely qualified to tackle the many policy challenges facing our nation and the world," particularly "in today’s combative political environment." The Edison Electric Institute likewise called him "a visionary leader with excellent credentials for his new job," adding with a broader take their desire that Moniz "use all of our resources to produce electricity affordably, reliably and in an environmentally responsible manner for consumers." The Sierra Club, while congratulating Moniz on his confirmation, also again urged him to reconsider his stance on fracking and also liquefied natural gas terminals in the U.S.

As we've previously covered, Moniz's background specific to renewable energy includes his directorship of MIT's Energy Initiative, and board seats at the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems and on a number of solar companies. He also has a policy background with previous stints at the DoE (1997-2001) and the Office of Science and Technology. He has been a supporter of natural gas and nuclear energy policies.

TEPCO Chief stranded started as a crisis

TOKYO - the Japanese Government said Tuesday it had the President of the utility do continue in Japan's nuclear power plant by a military transport flight a few hours after a tsunami, is an accident caused, saying it required the aircraft to supply battered Northeast fly came.

Reuters Tepco President Masataka Shimizu is shown talking to the media earlier this month. The Japanese Government said Tuesday it joined the Executive of a military transport flight caused a few hours after a tsunami an accident there last month.

The incident, confirmed in news conferences by Japan's top Government spokesman and Minister of defence, underline the exceptional burdens and the confusion, the decisions in the wake of March of 11 massive earthquake and tsunami, the thousands killed and solved one of the largest makes nuclear disasters in history characterized.

The incident helps explain also why the President of Tokyo Electric Power Co., or Tepco, it never made the crisis in Tokyo on 11 March by the Kansai region a few headquarters one hundred miles to the West, where he was when the quake hit. As President, Masataka Shimizu Tepco disaster response team should head and approve emergency measures, such as such as the ventilation of the radioactive steam from overheating reactors.

Observers have said, Mr Shimizu absence of company's slowness in these tough calls response can have contributed during the critical first hours.

By the time Mr. Shimizu was finally to Tokyo the next morning, overheating reactor No. 1 had caused fuel rods in Fukushima Daiichi pressure dangerous increase, and the company had not started venting of the steam. The delayed venting can to an explosion in the reactor building during the day experts say led have.

Mr. Shimizu, who Charter a helicopter to Tokyo morning of March 12, said that he was the situation in the Western Japan connection and everything was properly handled.

Tuesday news conferences Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and chief Government spokesman Yukio Edano defended the decision, Mr. Shimizu military transport, refuse to say that on the evening of 11 March, it was to other possibilities for the Tepco President return to Tokyo.

"If the President Tepco were stranded not questions, for a level, had somewhere self-defense force, I could understand, because he had to handle on the nuclear accident," said Mr Edano. "But between Nagoya and Tokyo, where roads were open to travel, I have to questions, why he made a request for consultations."

TEPCO says that not the case, as Mr Shimizu tried that back to Tokyo after the earthquake magnitude-9 hit at 2:46 pm on 11 March. Two highways had closures and Japan's high-speed train was not run in immediately after the quake, said a Tepco of spokesman for. Mr. Shimizu, East, could travel get as far as Nagoya, 165 miles or 264 km west of Tokyo, he said.

At 9: 40 showed in the evening, as some of the reactors in Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi plant, that signs of a heating up dangerous, Mr Shimizu in a call to Japan's self defense forces, asked to return to Tokyo in a cargo plane be flown. He received the approval of low-level civil servants, and the aircraft flying from Nagoya to 11:30 pm

But Mr. Kitazawa had request Mr. Shimizu actually 10 minutes early at 11:20 am, say, that the transport of supplies to the Northeast Japan had to Quake and tsunami battered be given priority. An official self-defense forces ordered the plane back to Nagoya. Mr. Shimizu came in Tokyo the next morning.

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