ASIAN ENERGY SECURITY NETWORK DAILY REPORT, Friday, May 7, 2004

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"ASIAN ENERGY SECURITY NETWORK DAILY REPORT, Friday, May 7, 2004", EASSNet, May 07, 2004, https://nautilus.org/eassnet/asian-energy-security-network-daily-report-friday-may-7-2004/

LATEST REPORT
Friday, May 7, 2004

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1. The Application of the LEAP Software Tool In Japan

The Nautilus Institute (David Von Hippel, “APPLICATION OF LEAP IN JAPAN: THE “POWER SWITCH” ENERGY PATH,” November 1st, 2003) released this study examining the application of the LEAP Program (Long-range Energy Alternative Planning) to the energy sector in the Japan written for the Forth East Asian Energy Futures Project (EAEF) workshop convened by Nautilus Institute in November 2003 in Vancouver, Canada. The presentation as well as the data-sets that prepared and used in the study are also available.

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2. Environmental Problems Of Power Transmission Between Russia And The DPRK

The Nautilus Institute (N. D. Gamolya, “ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF POWER TRANSMISSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE KOREAN PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC,” 10/01/03) released a presentation presented to the Nautilus Institute’s 3rd Workshop on Grid Interconnection in Vladivostok, Russia on September 31, 2003. Dr. Gamolya concludes that “The modern level of science, technology and designing as well as cooperation with ecologists make it possible to create power transmission between Russia and the DPRK with minimum damage to the environment.”

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3. Regional Verification of a Denuclearized Korean Peninsula

Sandia National Laboratories (John Olsen, “REGIONAL VERIFICATION OF A DENUCLEARIZED KOREAN PENINSULA: A STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS AFTER THE CURRENT IMPASSE IS OVERCOME,” 2003) released this study looking at the effects of regional verification of denuclearization and concludes that “A regional verification regime for a non-nuclear Korean peninsula could be a new, positive aspect of future US relations with China, South Korea and Japan. It would also cement ties that have developed between the US and the RF over the last decade of cooperation. This might open up new roles for RF scientists and engineers (potentially with Japanese funding), address critical ROK, Japanese, Chinese and US security concerns, and return the US-ROK alliance to smooth cooperation. All of these are substantial gains toward US policy goals.”

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4. Japan on Asia Oil Energy

The Washington Times (“JAPAN URGES NEIGHBOURS TO BOOST OIL RESERVES,” Tokyo, 04/21/04) reported that Japan is urging the PRC and other east Asian nations to build up their scanty oil reserves so that the region is less vulnerable to disruptions in supplies from the Middle East, a senior Japanese energy official said on Wednesday. Japan has already floated the idea of an Asian version of the International Energy Agency – which requires its industrialized country members to keep strategic oil stockpiles – but the PRC’s rapid economic growth and growing thirst for energy imports has given the Japanese campaign a new urgency. “The logic is like that of the IEA,” said the official, from the energy and natural resources agency of the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry in Tokyo. “We believe we should have a similar system in the Asian region. But first we need to build up oil reserves in each country.” Japan has stockpiled more than 160 days of the oil it uses, but the PRC – now the world’s second-biggest oil consumer after the US – is living from hand to mouth and has only about 23 days’ supply. According to Japanese officials and analysts, Meti is eager to provide technical assistance to the PRC because Japan’s economy is particularly dependent on energy imports and would suffer from any oil supply crisis or sudden increase in the price driven by PRC buying. Japan is expected to push for bigger Asian oil stockpiles at an energy ministers’ meeting in Manila in June. http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20040422-033916-4264r.htm

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5. ROK Energy Sector

Donga Ilbo (Seung-Ryun Kim “SOUTH KOREAN ELECTRICITY CROSSING THE DMZ” 4/20/2004) reported that for the first time, the ROK will supply electricity to the DPRK across the DMZ. On April 20, Korea Land Corporation and Hyundai Asan decided to supply electricity directly to South Korean firms undergoing construction in the Kaesung Industrial Complex through Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). KEPCO will set up telegraph poles to Kaesung and supply energy to about 10 factories. They will settle in the initial section (10,000 pyong) of the Kaesung Industrial Complex, which opens in the second half of this year. An official from the Ministry of Unification said, “When the need for electricity increases after the industrial complex is completed and more factories are built, we will construct a substation in the Kaesung area and supply power by linking it with a South Korean substation and transmission tower. Since the South Korean central station has a complete control over the matter, the electricity supply will be intercepted if North Korea attempts to steal energy,” he explained. The DPRK government has asked the ROK to supply power by building a power plant in the Kaesung area. However, the ROK government showed disapproval because electricity is a “strategic resource.”

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6. Climate Change in California

The California Energy Commission, Public Interest Energy Research Program, (Michael Dettinger, “FROM CLIMATE-CHANGE SPAGHETTI TO CLIMATE-CHANGE DISTRIBUTION,” February 2004) released this discussion paper on Climate change in California. The study reports that: “The uncertainties associated with climate-change projections for California are unlikely to disappear any time soon, and yet important long-term decisions will be needed to accommodate those potential changes… However, by focusing on more common projections rather than the most extreme projections (using a new resampling method), new insights into current projections emerge: (1) uncertainties associated with future emissions are comparable with the differences among models, so that neither source of uncertainties should be neglected or underrepresented; (2) twenty-first century temperature projections spread more, overall, than do precipitation scenarios; (3) projections of extremely wet futures for California are true outliers among current projections; and (4) current projections that are warmest tend, overall, to yield a moderately drier California, while the cooler projections yield a somewhat wetter future.

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7. 1st International Solar Cities Congress

Research Institute for Energy, Environment and Economy Center for Solar City Daegu (“1ST INTERNATIONAL SOLAR CITIES CONGRESS,” 04/03/04) reported that the Congress will be held in Daegu, South Korea, from November 14 to 18, 2004. The Congress will be an opportunity to let the world know how important it is to establish effective urban programs and international standards for the use of renewable energy systems and high-efficiency energy technologies.

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