Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.27.15

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

COAL 

China coal production falls for first time this century (via The Guardian)

EMISSIONS

Bill resurfaces to pull New Hampshire from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (via Nashua Telegraph)

RENEWABLES 

Seven interesting global renewable energy trends from NREL (via CleanTechnica)

Analysts predict global renewable energy capacity will double by 2025 (via BusinessGreen)

China takes over lead from Europe in 2013 solar PV installations (via Phys.org)

Renewable energy transmission backbone takes shape across U.S., Europe (via Sustainable Business)

Utilities at heart of Japan grid connection dispute will resume considering PV projects (via PV Tech)

Algeria doubles renewable energy target to 25GW by 2030 (via PV Tech)

GCL plans 2GW of PV power plant projects in China in 2015 (via PV Tech)

Siemens wind profits rise 21% in first quarter, but orders dip (via Recharge)

Two graphs highlight growth surge in U.S. solar market (via CleanTechnica)

Florida utility to build 225MW of solar power capacity (via PV Tech)

Barriers to renewable energy in Michigan could affect state’s economic future (via Lansing News)

Indiana and West Virginia look to slash support for renewable energy (via Greentech Media)

Hawaii’s electric system is changing with rooftop solar growth and new utility ownership (via U.S. EIA)

Dirty ground starts to sprout clean energy projects (via Greenwire)

CLIMATE 

Obama ends visit with challenge to India on climate change (via New York Times)

Climate change responsible for super-charging winter storms, say scientists (via The Guardian)

Climate change will hit Australia harder than rest of world, shows study (via The Guardian)

Climate change will cause more extreme La Ninas, says research (via Bloomberg)

Atlantic, Pacific fish face mixing as Arctic warms (via Discovery)

Copenhagen reveals world’s first neighborhood adapted for climate change (via TriplePundit)

OIL 

Obama Administration opens door to Atlantic drilling (via Houston Chronicle)

U.S. Senate blocks swift passage of Keystone XL pipeline bill (via Reuters)

Supreme Court rejects BP executive’s appeal in oil spill case (via The Hill)

Northwest oil spills: Raw data and growing risk (via Sightline)

Wyoming, Halliburton agree to greater fracking disclosure (via Star-Tribune)

BP to freeze pay for most of its employees (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Electric vehicle battery market set to top $21 billion by 2019 (via BusinessGreen)

China expected to launch subsidy for EV lithium batteries (via Renewable Energy World)

EV sales in Germany hit new high in December 2014 (via Inside EVs)

Nissan already planning for EV sales once incentives run out (via Autoblog Green)

POLITICS 

Here’s what every governor thinks about climate and clean energy (via Climate Progress)

Obama’s Arctic power grab (via Politico)

NY Governor Cuomo blames northeast snowstorm on “changing climate” (via National Journal)

OPINION 

Prince Charles: Global climate change pact could be Magna Carta for Earth (via The Guardian)

What a warming world means for major snowstorms (via Climate Central)

With cheap oil flowing, U.S. looks to next energy revolution (via Navigant Research)

Liebreich: 10 predictions for clean energy in 2015 (via Bloomberg)

Why cheap energy is the biggest threat to climate action (via GreenBiz)

Factors that will drive U.S. oil production in 2015 (via Reuters)

Divestment will not keep carbon in the ground (via Energy Collective)

Snowmageddon 2015 proves you were right about climate change (via Washington Post)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.10.13

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

GRID 

North America boasts 95% of demand response projects (via Energy Manager Today)

Microgrids for military bases to surpass $377 million in annual market value by 2018 (via Navigant Research)

PacifiCorp continues high-voltage transmission grid expansion (via Renew Grid)

Nest aims to shake up residential demand response (via Navigant Research)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Global green trade to reach $2.2 trillion by 2020 (via Environmental Leader)

How are China’s overseas investments affecting the environment? (via WRI Insights)

Patagonia’s new VC fund to invest in trailblazing green firms (via GreenBiz)

An effort to thwart sale of Tribune Company papers to the Kochs (via New York Times)

RENEWABLES 

EU to hit 100+ China solar panel makers with anti-dumping tariffs (via Greentech Media)

Wind PTC secured for now, industry focuses on long-term growth (via Greenwire)

Unique floating wind turbine base could provide glimpse into future (via Bangor Daily News)

Doubling wind power could save Mid-Atlantic consumers $6.9 billion a year (via Climate Progress)

New Hampshire governor opposes Connecticut’s plans to change renewable energy standard (via New Haven Register)

Rate design matters: utility tariffs and solar project economics (via Greentech Media)

Big gust of new wind power coming Iowa’s way (via EarthTechling)

Illinois Senate backs Lake Michigan offshore wind study (via News-Gazette)

NATURAL GAS 

DOE using broad criteria to judge LNG exports (via Houston Chronicle)

CLIMATE 

Studies of the past show an ice-free Arctic could be in our future (via Time)

Countries finding new ways to address climate change (via Sustainable Business)

Prince Charles: climate change skeptics are turning Earth into dying patient (via The Guardian)

Is it time to abandon the 2-degree warming target? (via RTCC)

Obama Administration rolls out climate and health data tool (via The Hill)

GREEN BUILDING 

Green building now mandatory in Dubai (via Sustainable Business)

“Monumental shift” in US buildings sector may surprise you (via Greentech Media)

TRANSPORTATION 

2013 Nissan Leaf named “Top Safety Pick” in IIHS crash tests (via Autoblog Green)

Nissan Leaf moves beyond early adopters to cost conscious (via Forbes)

Australian researchers more than double EV battery capacity (via Autoblog Green)

OIL 

New blowout preventer mandates coming – but companies won’t have to comply overnight (via Houston Chronicle)

Oil industry: BLM preventing job creation by postponing oil, gas lease auctions (via Washington Post/AP)

BIOMASS 

Europe’s new biomass satellite will map Earth’s forests to calculate carbon stores (via Inhabitat)

Does burning wood instead of fossil fuels increase GHG emissions? (via Midwest Energy News) 

POLITICS 

Republicans boycott vote on Obama’s EPA pick (via Mother Jones)

EPA nomination faces some hard math (via The Hill)

McCarthy’s nomination in doubt, angering Democrats (via Politico)

Major Obama donors compare Keystone decision to outlawing of slavery (via Washington Post)

OPINION 

Conventional wisdom about clean energy is still way out of date (via Greentech Media)

Once more, with feeling: EPA is required to regulate carbon from existing power plants (via Grist)

Why you can’t talk about fixing the electric grid without talking about climate change (via Climate Progress)

Time to reconsider “baseload” power (via Midwest Energy News)

California’s new energy crisis centers on nuclear power (via Forbes)