Energy and Environment News Roundup – 11.15.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

COP 19 

US, EU reject Brazil’s call for climate equity metric (via Bloomberg)

US envoys told to block climate compensation plans at UN (via RTCC)

COAL 

China’s smog threatens health of global coal projects (via Reuters)

Tennessee Valley Authority to close eight large coal-fired power plants (via Washington Post)

Coal-free power from Constellation will save Chicago $1.2 million over two years (via Energy Manager Today)

RENEWABLES 

Global PV module pricing to stay flat in 2014, polysilicon pricing to increase 25% (via Greentech Media)

Bonds backed by solar power payments get nod (via New York Times)

US EPA to unveil biofuel rules as soon as Friday (via Reuters)

32 US senators urge administration to support US biodiesel (via National Journal)

Clean Energy Pipeline reports US clean tech project investment falloff (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Google to invest in six more large solar panel farms in the Southwest US (via GigaOm)

Arizona preserves net metering by charging a small fee to solar owners (via Greentech Media)

Clean energy adds jobs, growth to Michigan and New York (via EarthTechling)

Top 10 things you didn’t know about concentrating solar power (via Breaking Energy)

Are solar panels facing the wrong direction? (via Greentech media)

OIL 

Bakken oil production forecast to top 1 million barrels per day in December (via US EIA)

Exxon overlooked, masked safety threats in years before Pegasus pipeline burst (via InsideClimate News)

TRANSPORTATION 

Study: US drivers have fewer cars, drive them less, use less gas (via Green Car Reports)

Can California charge ahead to one million EVs within ten years? (via CleanTechnica)

EPA chief: Fuel mandate safe for cars (via The Hill)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Gas exports could put nation in “danger zone,” trade group tells Moniz (via Houston Chronicle)

Colorado’s new fracking bans may be on shaky legal ground (via Denver Business Journal)

EMISSIONS 

Japan slashes climate reduction target amid nuclear shutdown (via BBC News)

California approves offsets to ease compliance with carbon rules (via Sacramento Bee)

California court upholds state’s right to sell carbon permits (via Reuters)

California marks first anniversary of cap-and-trade (via Energy Collective)

NUCLEAR 

Last shipment of nuclear fuel from Russian bombs heads to US (via New York Times)

In Illinois, nuclear industry sees no urgency on waste storage (via Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE 

Panel warns of “catastrophic” gap in weather satellite data (via Climate Central)

Want to piss off the White House? Talk about climate change (via Mother Jones)

Delaware governor links typhoon and climate change (via Politico)

GRID 

CEOs of 16 largest power grid operators call for greater investment in reliability and resilience (via Renew Grid)

Tennessee Valley Authority move demonstrates market for Clean Line project (via The Oklahoman)

ENVIRONMENT 

These maps show where the Earth’s forests are vanishing (via Washington Post)

Amazon deforestation increases by nearly a third in one year (via The Guardian)

POLITICS 

Obama filling out energy team (via The Hill)

Chief of Natural Resources Defense Council to retire in 2014 (via The Hill)

The four most frustrating moments from Thursday’s EPA hearing (via Climate Progress)

OPINION 

Is nuclear power the answer? (via New York Times)

Five ways buildings have reached a “GREEN” tipping point (via GreenBiz)

Variety is critical to growing EV charging market (via Navigant Research)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 7.3.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

EMISSIONS 

European parliament votes for backloading plan to push up carbon price (via BusinessGreen)

EU ministers and blue chips unite in call to save carbon market (via BusinessGreen)

33 cities test new framework for community-scale greenhouse gas inventories (via WRI Insights)

Lesser-known CO2 storage idea merits attention (via Reuters)

United Church of Christ passes fossil fuel divestment strategy (via Huffington Post)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Ratings and rankings: how competition promotes corporate sustainability (via GreenBiz)

Report says less carbon pollution and more manufacturing can go together (via Climate Progress)

Why American businesses should fight for renewable portfolio standards (via GreenBiz)

RENEWABLES 

Saudi Arabia starts survey of renewable energy potential (via Bloomberg)

Desertec in trouble as founders quit €400 billion solar project (via RTCC)

UK feed-in tariff generates 380,000 small-scale renewable projects in three years (via BusinessGreen)

Uganda launches renewable energy feed-in tariff program (via Renewable Energy World)

Solar water heaters bloom on China’s rooftops, but not in the US (via ClimateWire)

Vestas wins 93MW South African wind turbine order (via Bloomberg)

Algae species shows promise in reducing power plant pollution to make biofuel (via Green Car Congress)

Interior approves 500MW Arizona wind farm (via Renew Grid)

Connecticut’s green bank: a model for public-private renewables partnerships? (via Breaking Energy)

COAL 

Obama revamps $8 billion coal loan program amid objections (via Bloomberg)

CLIMATE 

UN charts “unprecedented” global warming since 2000 (via Bloomberg)

Japan’s climate finance plan welcomed by vulnerable nations (via RTCC)

Rich countries’ proposal to bypass poorer governments on climate aid rejected in UN (via The Guardian)

Death estimates from Indian floods range to 10,000 (via Wall Street Journal)

Arizona wildfire continues to burn out of control (via Arizona Republic)

Death Valley hit hottest US June temperature ever recorded Sunday – 129 (via Washington Post)

OIL 

Federal court rejects SEC rule on oil company payments (via Houston Chronicle)

Obama administration boosts oil industry with $8 billion in loan guarantees (via Houston Chronicle)

Steelmakers file US trade case seeking duties on oil pipes (via Houston Chronicle)

Sickened by Exxon oil spill, Arkansas victims face confusion of officials and doctors (via InsideClimate News)

TRANSPORTATION 

GM and Honda to collaborate on fuel-cell development (via New York Times)

Strong June sales push Chevy Volt ahead of Nissan Leaf for first time since February (via Autoblog Green)

Fisker bankruptcy likely, says Delaware governor (via Autoblog Green)

NUCLEAR 

Fukushima plant operator seeks to restart two nuclear reactors (via New York Times)

Lower power prices and high repair costs drive nuclear retirements (via US EIA)

GRID 

PJM seeks additional resources to restart electric system if power lost across grid (via Wall Street Journal)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Tar sands coal petcoke exports hit second-highest level ever in April (via DeSmog Blog)

Keystone XL foes turn focus to local governments (via ABC News/AP)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Cambridge plans $1.5 billion in energy efficiency retrofits (via Energy Manager Today)

How Obama’s climate plan will boost US energy efficiency (via Greentech Media)

Empire State Building efficiency retrofit model rolls out across US (via CleanTechnica)

NPR’s LEED Gold headquarters a radio nerd’s dream (via EarthTechling)

POLITICS 

What would happen if candidates and elected officials were asked to sign a climate action pledge? (via Climate Progress)

Has the GOP stopped denying climate science, and will they begin participating in solutions? (via The Guardian)

OPINION 

Solar offers hope in fight against climate change (via Huffington Post)

Kosovo a chance for World Bank, Obama to show climate change leadership (via National Geographic)

Heroes and villains of the renewable energy fight (via CleanTechnica)

A closer look at Obama’s $7 billion plan to bring electricity to Africa (via Washington Post)

What’s causing the West’s heat wave and why hot nights are so dangerous (via Washington Post/AP)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.14.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

EMISSIONS 

China, Mexico leading fight on climate change with new CO2 laws (via Bloomberg)

Emissions limits could cut climate change damage by two-thirds (via Reuters)

Beijing’s hazardous air pollution sparks Chinese media anger (via BBC News)

CLIMATE 

Monthly heat records have increased fivefold globally (via Phys.org)

Australia’s top climate commissioner: climate inferno “encroaching on entirely new territory” (via Mother Jones)

Inaugural GLOBE international climate summit convenes in London (via BusinessGreen)

US report warns climate change already happening, could raise temperatures by 10 degrees (via The Hill)

Climate change set to make America hotter, drier, more disaster-prone (via The Guardian)

Delaware turns to climate scientist to develop climate change projections (via News-Journal)

RENEWABLES 

UK clean tech innovators being left high and dry on venture capital (via BusinessGreen)

China to join International Renewable Energy Agency (via Green Car Congress)

Why crowd funding could disrupt how solar power is created (via GigaOm)

Renewable standards add less than 5% to US electricity bills (via Greentech Media)

Technology helps wind industry overcome “start-stop” hurdles (via ClimateWire)

Tax credit moves wind industry to ramp up construction plans (via Houston Chronicle)

Los Angeles utility set to launch 100MW solar feed-in-tariff program (via CleanTechnica)

Solar energy turns brownfields into brightfields (via Energy Collective)

OIL 

US oil glut is depressing, confusing prices (via EnergyWire)

Fracking sparks second look at US oil shale boom (via The Hill)

Shell gets massive involuntary aid package from Alaska, US Coast Guard, and you (via Grist)

EPA says Shell violated air permits for Arctic ships (via New York Times)

TRANSPORTATION 

Electric vehicle battery market to hit $22 billion by 2020, China to be global production leader by 2015 (via Green Car Congress)

Commercial flight first to use fuel produced from natural gas (via Houston Chronicle)

US military bets $20 million on 500 electric vehicles for EV-to-Grid initiative (via CleanTechnica)

Tesla delivering Model S, but cash crunch judgment waits for financials (via Green Car Reports)

NATURAL GAS 

US delays finalizing report linking fracking to water pollution (via Reuters)

Would exporting the US natural gas surplus help or hurt the economy? (via New York Times)

Poll shows more Americans want tough fracking regulations (via Energy Collective)

ENVIRONMENT 

Global food crisis will worsen as heat waves damage crops, research finds (via The Guardian)

USDA declares winter wheat belt drought disaster area (via Climate Central)

TAR SANDS 

Report fails to settle concerns over oil spill risk to Ogallala Aquifer (via InsideClimate News)

GRID 

National Grid gathers partners for smart grid pilot (via Energy Manager Today)

Texas electricity use dropped 2.7% in 2012, says ERCOT (via Forth-Worth Star Telegram)

Maryland legislative panel ponders smart-meter alternative (via Baltimore Sun)

NUCLEAR 

Japan seeks to reverse nuclear power phase-out commitment (via The Guardian)

DOE says new nuclear waste repository possible for Washington State in 2048 (via Tri-City Herald)

COAL 

Coal prices and production in most basins down in 2012 (via US EIA)

Opponents seek to derail Montana coal line (via Seattle Times/AP)

OPINION 

A sweltering planet’s agenda (via Washington Post)

Should America exploit energy exports? (via National Journal)

A new grand strategy for the US, build around sustainability (via Grist)

Green jobs 2.0: re-framing clean energy politics around a climate-informed economy (via Climate Progress)

Fiddling while Rome burns – the $5 trillion cost of climate delay (via The Independent)

OTHER NEWS 

An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress