Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.16.14

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

EMISSIONS

Carbon markets link in $500 million clean energy investment (via CleanTechnica)

Tropical rainforests not absorbing as much carbon as expected (via The Guardian)

Emissions growth slows as economies clean up (via RTCC)

United Kingdom renewables displaced 38 million tonnes of CO2 in 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

COAL

China slashes coal export tariff as mining in crisis (via Reuters)

Coal-heavy rural electric cooperatives take hard line on EPA Clean Power Plan (via EnergyWire)

RENEWABLES

Year-end rush in China leads Asia-Pacific solar PV market to record Q4 level (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Five key stats reveal Latin American’s breakthrough year in solar (via Greentech Media)

New wind power record in Germany (via Renewables International)

Honduras in line for 81.7MW of SunEdison solar (via PV Tech)

IKEA to start selling solar panels in Switzerland (via Renewable Energy World)

Kyocera to build world’s largest floating PV project near Tokyo (via Recharge News)

Local market conditions and policies strongly influence solar PV pricing (via Phys.org)

Minnesota regulators authorize state’s largest solar power project (via Star-Tribune)

Austin, Texas plans to get hover half its power from renewables by 2025 (via ClimateProgress)

SEIA board facing call to resign over stance on US-China trade spat (via PV Tech)

SunPower backs Tendril, plans to use its energy software (via GigaOm)

CLIMATE

White House to healthcare providers: Prepare for climate impacts (via The Hill)

U.S. and India to announce joint climate change action during Obama visit (via The Guardian)

Scientists are worried Greenland might melt even faster than expected (via Washington Post)

OIL

Plunging oil prices could boost geopolitical risks, says Bank of England (via Reuters)

Big Oil could chop $930 billion in projects as prices fall (via Houston Chronicle)

U.S. oil falls to new low of $55.91 per barrel (via The Hill)

In Canada’s oil sands, a boomtown starts feeling the chill (via Reuters)

Oil plunge seen as boon for U.S. banks as traders benefit (via Bloomberg)

TRANSPORTATION

Only five countries will sell over 10,000 EVs in 2014 (via Autoblog Green)

France could soon have EV charging stations every 25 miles (via Green Car Reports)

2015 U.S. household gasoline expenditures on track to be lowest in 11 years (via U.S. EIA)

Electric cars could be cheaper than gas guzzlers within a decade (via Quartz)

Sunswift solar electric car reaches crowdfunding goal to hit the streets (via CNET)

GRID

Europe’s “biggest battery” sparks into life (via BusinessGreen)

United Kingdom set for £2.5 billion capacity auction to keep lights on (via Bloomberg)

ABB, Hitachi set up power grid joint venture in Japan (via Reuters)

NATURAL GAS

U.S. shale junk debt tumbles amid oil crunch (via Houston Chronicle)

ENERGY POLICY

Evaluating 15 years of IEA energy forecasts (via Energy Collective)

The energy system in 2014 – did the ice really crack? (via Bloomberg)

A $48 billion opportunity for U.S. electric customers (via Renewable Energy World)

The race is on for solar companies to woo utilities (via Forbes)

While seeking “bailout,” Ohio utilities keep cost data secret (via Midwest Energy News)

POLITICS

Elizabeth Warren, GOP rookies set up energy panel for pyrotechnics (via National Journal)

OPINION

9 things scientists did this year to ensure a better climate future (via Climate Progress)

Why climate change is forcing some environmentalists to back nuclear power (via Washington Post)

Winners and losers at the UN climate talks (via RTCC0

Cleantech IPOs: Predictions revisited, 2014 winners, 2015 picks (via Greentech Media)

Will the 2,250-foot solar-wind tunnel ever be more than a pipe dream? (via Greentech Media)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.29.13

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

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Settlement with TransCanada curtails protesters’ acts of civil disobedience (via Greenwire)

GRID 

China tests a small smart electric grid (via MIT Technology Review)

Inspector General: DOE mismanaged ARRA smart grid funds (via Renew Grid)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon price drop deemed “wake-up call” (via United Press International)

“Off the scale” smog envelops Beijing again (via Phys.org)

Scotland sets 2030 power sector decarbonization goal (via Recharge)

RENEWABLES 

PwC: renewables M&A activity falls in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Solar growth moves to China, Middle East, and India as Europe cuts subsidies (via ClimateWire)

UK solar boom predicted to double installations in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Taiwan starts offshore wind push (via Recharge)

Suzlon chief predicts “flat” wind turbine market in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Can fossil-fuel tax benefits boost the renewable energy industry? (via Midwest Energy News)

Solar net metering equals net benefits in California and Vermont (via CleanTechnica)

ERCOT report shows Texas wind and solar power hold their own against natural gas (via EarthTechling)

ENVIRONMENT 

Over $8 billion invested in watersheds globally in 2011 (via Mongabay) 

Projected US water use likely to increase as climate warms (via Phys.org)

Message from Mexico: US is polluting water it may someday need to drink (via ProPublica)

Species on the move present a conservation challenge (via Climate Change)

Drought worsening in Midwest and Plains states, despite Winter weather (via Huffington Post/Reuters)

OIL 

OPEC sees oil markets well supplied, no price collapse in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

US review delays closing of big Chinese oil deal (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

Has “peak car” already happened, making automakers mobility companies? (via Autoblog Green)

Three automakers combine forces on fuel-cell cars (via New York Times)

Electric cars and the power grid: how are they coming together? (via Forbes)

Lower EV prices will not blow up the market (via Pike Research)

EV drivers now have quick-charge coverage from Washington to California (via CleanTechnica)

Colorado county mandates plug-in vehicle wiring for new homes (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

USGS-NOAA: climate change impacts to US coasts threaten public health, safety, economy (via Phys.org)

Cities lead over feds on climate change adaptation (via Sustainable Business)

Scientist publishes first climate change textbook for college students (via Phys.org)

Is it Spring or is it Winter? Wild rollercoaster of US temperatures (via Weather Underground)

An unusual weather turn even for the Midwest: 8 degrees quickly becomes 74 (via New York Times)

NASA retirees appeal to own lack of climate authority (via Skeptical Science)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Shell, Kinder Morgan to jointly export LNG from the US (via Reuters)

Gas royalty checks total $1.2 billion in Pennsylvania (via Facts of the Day)

RARE EARTHS 

Rare earths mining boom poses toxic risks (via Treehugger)

COAL 

Canadian carbon project aims to prove clean coal works (via Reuters)

US coal industry sees progress ahead in Congress, Courts (via Politico)

GREEN BUILDING 

America’s most conservative green community (via The Atlantic)

Washington DC requires privately owned buildings measure energy, water use (via Sustainable Business)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Unlocking sustainability’s hidden value (via GreenBiz)

POLITICS 

What it looks like when Obama’s passion spurs him to defy political odds (via Grist)

Climate change action now helps win elections: poll (via Discovery News)

Moderate Dem Senator Heitkamp bucks party orthodoxy, aims to exemplify “all of the above” (via E&E Daily)

A chat with Sierra Club’s Michael Brune about civil disobedience (via Grist)