Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.13.14

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

GREEN BUSINESS 

Report: U.S. green employment surge takes clean job opportunities past 2.6 million (via BusinessGreen)

America’s Top 10 “coolest schools” in sustainability (via EcoWatch)

COAL 

U.S. anti-coal dominoes hit BRICS wall, other skeptics (via Reuters)

Coal generation down as Germany breaks yet another renewables record (via BusinessGreen)

Coal makes a comeback, for now (via National Journal)

RENEWABLES 

Europe’s green energy rules cost UK $156 billion (via Bloomberg)

China and India’s GW-scale solar plans (via Renew Economy)

Chinese offshore wind market stagnating, disappointing investors (via Renewable Energy World)

Central America poised for clean tech investment boom (via BusinessGreen)

Citigroup: Global solar outlook is getting brighter (via Renew Economy)

Poor installation, grid constraints, defective panels plague China’s huge solar program (via Greenwire)

Over 26GW wind, solar power capacity offered for Brazil’s upcoming auction (via CleanTechnica)

IRS clarifies beginning of construction rules for renewable energy projects (via Renewable Energy World)

Despite uptick in activity, wind industry faces uncertainty in Congress (via Greenwire)

U.S. solar carport market poised for record year, continued growth (via Greentech Media)

U.S. wind farm construction is surging in 2014 (via Transmission & Distribution World)

OSU campus derives more than 70% of energy from wind (via Energy Manager Today)

New energy-rich sorghum offers ethanol without the corn (via The Guardian)

ENERGY POLICY 

Saudi Arabia, China sign nuclear and renewable energy agreement (via Al-Awsat)

CLIMATE 

Rising economies “ahead on climate” (via BBC)

Call for finance to top agenda at 2015 UN climate summit (via RTCC)

Climate change and health – joining the dots (via Deutche Welle)

That sinking feeling: The Coastal cities doomed to disappear beneath the waves (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

What climate change in the Rockies means for its water (via Climate Central)

California has hottest start to year while Midwest chills (via Climate Central)

“Unprecedented” Detroit flooding event fits global warming pattern (via Mashable)

OIL 

World awash in oil shields markets from 2008 price shock (via Bloomberg)

Oil companies fracking into drinking water sources, shows new research (via Los Angeles Times)

TRANSPORTATION 

Green signal for “Britain’s first” battery-powered train (via BusinessGreen)

U.S. public in favor of higher truck fuel efficiency standards (via Autoblog Green)

Gas prices to drop through end of 2014 (via The Hill)

California could give lower-income EV buyers a financial boost (via Autoblog Green)

Next-gen power electronics could cut $6,000 from Tesla Model S (via GigaOm)

Tesla Gigafactory: California could waive environmental rules to get it (via Green Car Reports)

Toyota: East Coast hydrogen cars on the horizon (via Autoblog Green)

GRID 

Germany added a lot of wind and solar power, and its grid became more reliable (via Climate Progress)

Key Brazil wind grid link set for completion by November (via Recharge)

U.S. DOE clears Quebec-to-NYC transmission line (via Albany Times Union)

Vermont breaks ground on “perfect” solar + storage microgrid that can provide resilient power (via Renewable Energy World)

Suntech invests $25 million in U.S. energy storage developer (via Solar Industry)

NATURAL GAS 

China’s shale gas bust (via MIT Technology Review)

ENVIRONMENT 

Declining Lake Mead water levels raise concerns for future of parched region (via Huffington Post/AP)

Lightning sparks new wildfires in Oregon, Washington (via The Columbian)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

An energy cure for hospitals (via Navigant Research)

POLITICS 

Senators want more comment time on EPA climate rule (via The Hill)

Democrats increasingly backing oil and gas industry (via Wall Street Journal)

How to eliminate almost every federal agency (via National Journal)

OPINION 

Ebola and climate change: Are humans responsible for severity of current outbreak? (via Newsweek)

The African case for U.S. climate leadership (via WRI Insights)

How far away is grid parity for residential battery storage? (via Renew Economy)

The frustrating climate change memes that just won’t die (via New Republic)

Toyota executive: We’re on the cusp of the automotive hydrogen age (via Green Car Congress)

Journalists to EPA: Stop muzzling scientists (via The Hill)

How I went off-grid with solar in Hawaii (via Greentech Media)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.19.14

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

EMISSIONS 

Obama greenhouse gas cuts split power, coal industries (via Bloomberg)

Obama’s big carbon crackdown readies for launch (via Politico)

California air board urges doubling of emission cut targets after 2020 (via San Francisco Chronicle)

Governor Brown says University of California coal divestment is a possibility (via Los Angeles Times)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Russia-China natural gas deal preparations in “final phase” says Putin (via Reuters)

Support for fracking in United Kingdom falls below 50% (via The Guardian)

A fracking boom where there is no fracking (via National Journal)

North Carolina bill would make fracking chemical disclosure a felony (via EnergyWire)

RENEWABLES 

India’s new government plans to use solar to bring power to every home by 2019 (via Bloomberg)

Saudi Arabia in policy shift seeking solar through Aramco (via Bloomberg)

Solar versus the grid: Map shows where PV makes the most sense (via Greentech Media)

Renewable energy wins in Colorado and Iowa, loses in Ohio (via Sustainable Business)

Texas renewable energy production increases 12% in 2013 (via Houston Chronicle)

Georgia Power plan would install 90MW in solar arrays on three Army bases (via EnergyWire)

Maryland Governor O’Malley vetoes wind turbine moratorium (via EnviroPolitics)

COAL 

Pipeline collapse in China coal mine kills 11 (via ABC News/AP)

The coal plant to end all coal plants? (via Washington Post)

Michigan seeks to expand coal ash use, but at what cost? (via Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE 

Greenland glaciers more susceptible to melt than thought (via Climate Central)

Rift widening between energy, insurance industries over climate change (via Forbes)

California governor links wildfire increase to climate change (via The Guardian)

TRANSPORTATION 

China’s push for better fuel economy has a bigger purpose (via Autoblog Green)

Tesla edges out Toyota as California’s top auto employer (via Bloomberg)

ENVIRONMENT 

Coral reefs protect shorelines by reducing wave energy 97% (via Climate Progress)

Rate of US honeybee deaths “to high for long-term survival” (via The Guardian)

Drought worse than Dust Bowl in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas (via Forbes)

US wildfire season starts 75 days early (via New York Times)

California drought conditions to persist through summer (via Bloomberg)

Louisiana lawsuits seek oil and gas industry money to restore coastline (via Los Angeles Times)

Project bringing 15,000 trees to vacant lots in Detroit (via AP)

KEYSTONE XL 

Jane Kleeb versus the Keystone Pipeline (via New York Times)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

In California, a real-world proving ground for energy efficient buildings (via SmartPlanet)

Latest generation video game consoles waste energy even when you’re not playing (via NRDC Switchboard)

NUCLEAR 

U.S. ends nuclear waste fee collections with $31 billion on hand and no disposal option in sight (via Greenwire)

GRID 

Germany’s residential battery storage subsidy sees 4,000 new systems in 1st year (via CleanTechnica)

POLITICS 

Efforts to make climate deniers pay a political price may finally be getting somewhere (via National Journal)

Senate blocks $85 billion tax cut bill because it would have helped wind energy (via Climate Progress)

Miami will likely be underwater before Congress acts on climate change (via National Journal)

OPINION 

What’s exceptional about the current drought, and what isn’t (via Washington Post)

Is climate change too risky for business? (via The Hill)

Obama’s FERC problem isn’t going away (via The Hill)

Clean tech investments are sexy again, here’s why (via SmartPlanet)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.20.14

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

EMISSIONS 

Australia’s Senate rejects carbon tax repeal bill (via Reuters)

EU lawmakers reject deal to exempt foreign flights from emission charges (via Reuters)

COAL 

Planned coal-fired power plant retirements continue to increase (via US EIA)

Duke Energy eyes closing more coal plants in response to Dan River spill (via Charlotte Business Journal)

RENEWABLES 

Japan added 7GW of clean energy capacity since July 2012 (via Bloomberg)

Concentrated solar to top 1GW capacity by 2020 (via BusinessGreen)

Scotland approves two major offshore wind farm projects (via Reuters)

Solar usage shattering records in California as new capacity comes online (via Greentech Media)

New Jersey rejects offshore wind project’s subsidy plan (via Recharge)

Net metering in the air: Solar energy progress in Massachusetts and other states (via Energy Collective)

Native American tribe could soon build a billion-dollar wind farm with Interior Department funding (via Climate Progress)

Clearing up cloudy understanding on solar output (via Phys.org)

CLIMATE 

Climate change fuelled storms, rising seas cost China $2.6 billion in 2013 (via Reuters)

EU leaders to set October deadline to agree on 2030 climate goals (via Reuters)

A cold US winter, but 8th warmest globally (via Climate Central)

White House brings together big data and climate change (via Climate Central)

NATURAL GAS 

Shell pulled out of shale gas talks in Ukraine in January (via Reuters)

Crimea crisis won’t cut Russia gas flow to Europe, says IHS (via Houston Chronicle)

Simple fixes could plug methane leaks from energy industry, finds study (via National Geographic)

White House to unveil new methane strategy this month (via Washington Post)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Up to 40% energy savings “achievable” from home energy management (via Energy Manager Today)

Detroit airport’s switch to LED lights will save $1.2 million yearly (via Detroit Free Press)

OIL 

BP set to expand Gulf of Mexico drilling (via National Journal)

Oil pipeline leaks thousands of gallons in Ohio nature preserve (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

Chairman says BMW will make 100,000 EVs a year by 2020 (via Autoblog Green)

Electric cars have a dirty little secret (via InsideClimate News)

California may cut gasoline demand 9% by 2020 (via Bloomberg)

ENVIRONMENT 

Energy industry overestimated cost of pollution controls, says study (via Huffington Post)

California officials prepare for worst as historic drought deepens wildfire risk (via The Guardian)

ENERGY STORAGE 

Spurred by Japan, steady growth predicted for energy storage market (via Renewable Energy World)

Incentives for energy storage spread worldwide (via EnergyWire)

POLITICS 

John Podesta knocks greens on natural gas (via Politico)

Obama’s Keystone XL choice pits donors against at-risk Senate (via Bloomberg)

OPINION 

Why a melting Arctic could sink the global economy (via Center for American Progress)

The end of spring in a warming world (via Time)

A remarkably accurate global warming prediction, made in 1972 (via The Guardian)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.7.13

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

GRID 

Utilities outline smarter, more resilient grid to cope with future storms (via ClimateWire)

During major storms, utilities turn to technology (via Navigant Research)

What municipal utilities want from the smart grid (via Greentech Media)

COAL

Global coal consumption booms nearly 60% as China consumes 47% of total (via Facts of the Day)

RENEWABLES 

US mulling solar trade agreement with EU, China (via Reuters)

Major global markets continue to determine wind’s path (via Renewable Energy World)

Feed-in tariff spurs Japan solar power boom (via Washington Post)

North America and Asia-Pacific lead geothermal market (via Navigant Research)

Tidal energy could be next big wave (via Forbes)

Report shows US solar annual capacity passed 2GW in 2012 (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Ethanol leading to a corn-based bubble (via Houston Chronicle)

DOE launches geothermal regulatory roadmap for project developers (via CleanTechnica)

NREL announces 2012 utility green power program leaders (via Renew Grid)

Nebraska governor signs wind incentive bill into law (via Recharge)

Connecticut governor signs bill amending RPS to include hydropower (via Renew Grid)

Solar Foundation releases solar guide for homeowner associations (via Solar Industry Magazine)

OIL 

Interior Secretary says no new oil drilling in Atlantic as GOP forges ahead (via The Hill)

Gulf oil wells have been leaking since 2004 hurricane (via Grist)

Oil boom masks technological limits that could stifle long-term Bakken potential (via EnergyWire)

Few objections to fracking rule from oil industry, says Interior Secretary (via The Hill)

Oil industry drove economic booms in North Dakota, Texas (via Houston Chronicle)

CLIMATE 

Arctic summers could be nearly ice-free in seven years (via Grist)

UN beats $30 billion goal to fund climate aid in poorer nations (via Bloomberg)

Slicing open stalagmites to reveal climate secrets (via Mother Jones)

More pieces of global warming puzzle assembled by recent research (via The Guardian)

NUCLEAR 

NRC orders owners of 31 US nuclear reactors to toughen vents (via Bloomberg)

EMISSIONS 

European demand for voluntary offsets surges in private sector (via GreenBiz)

Germany in new push against EU car emissions plan (via Reuters)

Measuring carbon in soil takes a leap forward (via Phys.org)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Detroit’s huge petcoke pile makes its way back to Canada (via New York Times)

Harry Reid says Keystone XL vote coming in US Senate (via The Hill)

Obama dogged by Keystone XL protesters during Bay Area visit (via San Francisco Chronicle)

ENVIRONMENT 

US irrigation subsidies leading to more water use (via New York Times)

Time for US to rely less on shovels, hoses, retardant in fighting wildfires? (via Christian Science Monitor)

Dell pledges waste-free packaging by 2020 (via Environmental Leader)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Federal government give industry, environmentalists more time to study drilling rule (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will drive Model S from LA to New York (via Green Car Reports)

Want to boost fuel economy? Stop thinking about miles per gallon. (via Washington Post)

POLITICS 

Obama officials face tough questions on oil drilling, land access (via Houston Chronicle)

A bipartisan energy committee stuck in a partisan Senate (via National Journal)

OPINION 

How “tower power” is breaking open the rural clean energy market (via Greentech Media)

Distributed solar has arrived (via Navigant Research)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.21.13

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

EMISSIONS 

South Korea may launch world’s most ambitious cap and trade market (via CleanTechnica)

Carbon capture faces scale dilemma (via Reuters)

UK unwraps energy-intensive industry carbon price compensation package (via BusinessGreen)

CLIMATE 

World’s largest cities say time to adapt to climate change (via RTCC)

Glacier melt causes a third of all sea-level rise (via ABC Science)

Climate change pushes farmers in India to tipping point (via The Guardian)

Scientists agree on climate change, so why doesn’t everyone else? (via Washington Post)

Weatherproofing cities to face future Sandys (via Council on Foreign Relation)

RENEWABLES 

Solar has barely scratched the surface of a $2 trillion market (via Renew Economy)

2012 a record-breaking year for global wind power (via DW)

Solar industry groups urge US, EU, China to avert trade war (via Washington Post)

US and EU set to negotiate settlements in Chinese solar panel cases (via New York Times)

EU tariffs on Chinese solar imports “a grave mistake” says German minister (via BusinessGreen)

US military on track to reach 3GW of solar by 2025 (via Greentech Media)

95% of US energy executives predict more renewables investment (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Ethanol production stagnates as biofuel mandates grow (via Houston Chronicle)

The advantages of developing solar on brownfields (via Greentech Media)

US ethanol production capacity little changed in past year (via US EIA)

Can state harvesting guidelines keep biomass sustainable? (via Midwest Energy News)

Minnesota is a governor’s signature away from 450MW of solar (via Greentech Media)

North Carolina creates legal framework to develop wind farms (via Recharge)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Energy efficiency could cut wireless data power demand 90% by 2020 (via CleanTechnica)

LEED remains top choice for government buildings (via Sustainable Business)

Senate energy efficiency bill could be “poison pill” for LEED standards (via Greentech Media)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

EU to investigate environmental impact of shale gas fracking (via Reuters)

What exporting US natural gas means for the climate (via WRI Insights)

Natural gas climbs to three-week high on LNG approval, hot weather (via Bloomberg)

The fight for North Dakota’s fracking water market (via Reuters)

California’s proposed fracking moratoriums might not apply to other drilling in Monterey Shale (via EnergyWire)

161 water wells impacted by Pennsylvania gas drilling from 2008-2012 (via Facts of the Day)

GRID 

More US consumers now support smart grid (via Renew Grid)

ARRA update: almost two-thirds of US smart grid funds spent (via Renew Grid)

Underwater batteries make an energy storage splash (via GigaOm)

The military microgrid as smart grid asset (via Greentech Media)

Energy storage, meet energy markets (via Greentech Media)

Texas power grid poised to be put to test again (via Texas Tribune)

Revenue at Bloom Energy falls in Q1 (via Greentech Media)

New grid switches cut 80,000 outages for ComEd (via Greentech Media)

As Texas towns say no, signs of rising resistance to smart meters (via Texas Tribune)

OIL 

Oman to use solar power to get oil from old wells (via New York Times)

With US awash in oil, national interest argument for Keystone weakens (via InsideClimate News)

A black mound of Canadian oil waste is rising over Detroit (via New York Times)

Alaska’s governor launches bid to measure oil in Arctic refuge (via Los Angeles Times)

Exxon: no plans yet to reopen ruptured Arkansas pipeline, and no answers why (via InsideClimate News)

TRANSPORTATION 

Plugged in: US electric car sales hit 100,000 (via EarthTechling)

Tesla to pay off US DOE loan Wednesday (via Bloomberg)

United Airlines restarts 787 Dreamliner flights (via USA Today)

Tesla’s fight with American car dealers (via CNN Money)

COAL 

In the US West, Big Coal makes its stand (via Navigant Research)

ENVIRONMENT 

Ocean warming means new paradigm for world’s fisheries (via Climate Progress)

A plague of deforestation sweeps across Southeast Asia (via Yale e360)

Asia-Pacific leaders warn of water conflict threat (via Phys.org)

Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon pacing 88% higher than 2012 (via Mongabay)

USGS: drop in US aquifer levels has accelerated (via Reuters)

Wells dry, fertile US plains turn to dust (via New York Times)

ENERGY POLICY 

Moniz era begins at Energy Department (via The Hill)

Fossil fuel divestment campaign escalates at Swarthmore (via Huffington Post)

Illinois renewable energy law fix faces opposition from utilities (via Midwest Energy News)

OPINION 

What’s at stake with natural-gas exports? (via National Journal)

Wind and the myth of negative pricing (via Greentech Media)

“If people aren’t pissed off, it ain’t working”: a chat with Tom Steyer (via Grist)

Climate warnings, growing louder (via New York Times)

Fixing the economy may be the best way to pass a climate bill (via Washington Post)

Arizona clean energy = more jobs (via CleanTechnica)

Utilities for dummies: how they work and why that needs to change (via Grist)