Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.26.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
Atmospheric CO2 concentrations hit 400ppm 2 months early this year (via ClimateWire)
Visualizing the global carbon budget (via WRI Insights)
Christie administration improperly pulled NJ out of RGGI (via Bergen Record)
ENVIRONMENT
EPA proposes greater protections for streams, wetlands under Clean Water Act (via Washington Post)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
US energy efficiency programs cost 2 cents per kilowatt-hour saved (via CleanTechnica)
RENEWABLES
Japan cuts subsidy for solar power, boosts offshore wind (via Bloomberg)
India could cut wind farm subsidies by up to 78% (via Bloomberg)
UK’s offshore wind vital amid Russian tensions, says energy secretary (via The Guardian)
Greece proposes more cuts to renewable energy feed-in tariff (Renewable Energy World)
China loses rare earth export trade dispute, says US (via Reuters)
Siemens to invest $264 million in UK wind turbine manufacturing project (via New York Times)
Top 50 PV module manufacturers to add 10GW in module capacity in 2014 (via Greentech Media)
Solar extends net metering win streak with Vermont decision (via PR Newswire)
California will enable residential PACE through property tax bill (via Solar Industry)
Solar rivals Sungevity, Sunrun form alliance (via San Francisco Chronicle)
NATURAL GAS
US expands gas exports in bid to punish Putin for Crimea (via The Guardian)
CLIMATE
UN climate science report will highlight “limits to adaptation” (via RTCC)
Asia’s great cities face rising flooding risks in warming world (via RTCC)
UK Met Office: Deadly heat wave summers to become the norm by 2040 (via The Independent)
OIL
Kremlin oil partnership places BP at risk in Russia crisis (via Bloomberg)
Crimea crisis pushes Russian energy to China from Europe (via Bloomberg)
Transport limits causing “serious logistical challenge” for shale boom (via Houston Chronicle)
Exxon, PHMSA withholding key documents on Pegasus pipeline as restart nears (via InsideClimate News)
BP confirms oil spill into Lake Michigan from refinery (via Chicago Tribune)
Ohio pipeline spill twice as large as original estimate (via Climate Progress)
TRANSPORTATION
Volvo testing flywheel energy capture with 25% fuel savings (via Green Car Reports)
COAL
House votes to stop Obama’s new coal mining rules (via The Hill)
Duke Energy: Cleaning up coal ash “is going to take time” (via The State)
GRID
Where will the next $400 billion in grid investment come from? (via Greentech Media)
Energy storage hits the rails in California and Nevada (via ClimateWire)
OPINION
Why climate change will make mudslides more common (via Salon)
Grid parity: Why electric utilities should struggle to sleep at night (via Washington Post)
PACE financing for California’s clean energy future: Expanding the residential market (via Breaking Energy)
Hot air about American natural gas won’t scare Putin (via Council on Foreign Relations)