Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.10.14

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

ENERGY POLICY 

Mexican opposition party clears first hurdle in bid for energy referendum (via Wall Street Journal)

Net U.S. energy imports as share of consumption lowest in 29 years (via U.S. EIA)

CEOs tout reserves of oil and gas but revealed to be less in federal reports (via Bloomberg)

COAL 

China coal tariff sends message to cut supply (via Reuters)

China coal tariffs add to pressure on Australian producers (via Bloomberg)

Cheap natural gas and emission rules darker future of U.S. coal (via Financial Times)

EMISSIONS 

Forest fragmentation’s carbon bomb: 736 million tonnes CO2 annually (via Mongabay)

Huge methane emissions “hot spot” found in U.S. (via Climate Central)

RENEWABLES 

Scotland approves four offshore wind farms with 2.2GW capacity (via BusinessGreen)

Germany’s KfW issues largest-ever U.S. green bond - $1.5 billion (via Renew Economy)

Australians copy solar garden idea (via Energy Manager Today)

Yieldcos “big” for U.S. offshore wind (via Recharge)

Amid PV boom, solar thermal systems often overlooked (via Midwest Energy News)

Battle lines drawn over Colorado net metering dispute (via PV Tech)

SunEdison yieldco makes third-party acquisition (via PV Tech)

CLIMATE

Few U.S. states preparing for climate change, says study (via Los Angeles Times)

White House pushes climate protections for natural resources (via The Hill)

DOE Secretary says climate change will affect Gulf energy facilities (via Houston Chronicle)

OIL 

Venezuela, in a quiet shift, gives foreign partners more control in oil ventures (via New York Times)

Crude oil prices fall to lowest levels in years as market pressures converge (via Houston Chronicle)

Oil companies quietly prepare for a future of carbon pricing (via GreenBiz)

Green groups sue over expansion of California crude by rail (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

Unmoved by oil export proponents, Americans still fear gasoline spike (via Reuters)

Tesla unveils all-wheel drive Model D (via San Francisco Chronicle)

310- to 373-mile EV range by 2020, says Volkswagen executive (via CleanTechnica)

GM confirms 200-mile range EV (via CleanTechnica)

NATURAL GAS 

Fracking setback in Poland dims hope for less Russian gas (via Bloomberg)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Efficiency gains over the last decade saved more energy than China consumed in 2011 (via Climate Progress)

GRID 

PJM Interconnection offers bid to salvage demand response (via EnergyWire)

Texas power grid has first rotating outages since 2011 (via Houston Chronicle)

ENVIRONMENT 

China pollution levels hit 20 times safe limit (via The Guardian)

U.S. weather forecaster says El Nino expected to begin in 1-2 months (via Reuters)

Atlantic hurricane season making late threat (via Bloomberg)

POLITICS 

Brazil’s Silva not yet read to endorse Neves in runoff (via Reuters)

GOP flails about looking for climate denial alternatives (via Grist)

California’s top power regulator to exit amid criticism (via ABC News/AP)

Oil and gas industry “soul searching” over Landrieu (via Politico)

OPINION 

Our planet is going to blow past the “2 degrees” climate limit (via The New Republic)

The $9.7 trillion problem: Cyclones and climate change (via Climate Central)

Latin America needs good data to plan for water stress and climate change (via WRI Insights)

Why climate litigation could soon go global (via Globe and Mail)

The Keystone killer environmentalists didn’t see coming (via Bloomberg)

Google is gone, but ALEC is still winning (via National Journal)

The bell tolls for KiOR (via Energy Trends Insider)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 4.18.14

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

ENVIRONMENT 

One-fifth of China’s farmland is polluted (via New York Times)

California suffers astonishingly fast snowpack melt as drought intensifies (via Mashable)

COAL 

Barclays and Citigroup funded worst of US coal industry (via Bloomberg)

Old-school coal is making a comeback (via Miami Herald/McClatchy)

Cold January boosted capacity factor of retiring coal plants above 50% (via SNL Energy)

Duke Energy tells shareholders coal ash spill won’t affect bottom line (via Charlotte News Observer)

RENEWABLES 

Ukraine seeks renewable energy boost to counter Russia (via Bloomberg)

South Africa moves to add more renewable energy (via CleanTechnica)

The 20 best cities for solar power as US prepares for an energy “revolution” (via Huffington Post)

Eleven states generated electricity from non-hydro renewables at double US average (via US EIA)

A few of America’s greenest colleges are really big on renewables (via US News and World Report)

Green Power Partnership driving on-site energy (via Energy Manager Today)

New simulation tool could help add more solar to America’s grid (via Energy.gov)

EPA data shows 57,860 gallons of cellulosic biofuel produced in Q1 2014 (via Green Car Congress)

Wisconsin solar garden sells out in two weeks (via Energy Manager Today)

CLIMATE 

5.3 million years of sea level change on one cliff face (via Wired Science)

More, bigger wildfires burning western US, shows study (via AGU)

After dry winter in California, preparations begin for harsh wildfire season (via Climate Progress)

Virginia Supreme Court rules for U-Va, in global warming case (via Washington Post)

New Jersey residents want to reduce coastal risks, but they don’t want to pay (via Huffington Post)

ENERGY POLICY 

Mexican energy industry working to restructure for the future (via Breaking Energy)

State AGs take up fossil fuels boom as IPCC and feds lean green (via Denver Post)

Kasich questions electricity deregulation at PUCO chief’s swearing in (via Columbus Dispatch)

EMISSIONS 

Brazil looks to swap World Cup publicity for carbon credits (via Reuters)

Pennsylvania asks EPA for more flexible emissions, trading rules to boost power plant energy efficiency (via ClimateWire)

POLITICS 

Steyer vows to aid anti-Keystone lawmakers (via Politico)

Ohio voters favor renewables, energy efficiency and candidates who do the same, says poll (via Plain Dealer)

OPINION 

On climate, business as usual (via Washington Post)

Let’s use fossil fuels to make stuff, but let’s not cook the planet (via CleanTechnica)

Thanks in part to climate change, the American West will see more fiery summers (via Washington Post)

The Deepwater Horizon threat (via New York Times)

The fracking industry faces its climate demon (via National Journal)

Energy efficiency doesn’t sell, but it can (via Energy Manager Today)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.22.13

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

EMISSIONS 

UN climate chief says Australian Direct Action plan “more expensive” than pricing carbon (via BusinessGreen)

Natural gas, energy efficiency fuel US carbon emissions decline (via Climate Central)

Carbon intensity of US economy dropped a record 6.5% in 2012 (via Facts of the Day)

US energy-related emissions drop to 1994 levels (via BusinessGreen)

US Chamber, Kochs join “social cost of carbon” lobbying battle (via The Hill)

NUCLEAR 

After storm, toxic water overflows at Fukushima (via New York Times)

EDF agrees to build UK’s first nuclear plant since 1995 (via Bloomberg)

Toxic water stymies Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant cleanup (via Washington Post)

Sandy a warning that rising seas threaten nuclear plants (via Climate Central)

RENEWABLES 

Energy storage for solar and wind will pass $10 billion in annual market value by 2023 (via Navigant Research)

Wind could see 18% of world’s 2050 energy share, says IEA (via Recharge)

Hunting fertile fields, advanced biofuels providers look abroad (via Navigant Research)

The rise of rooftop solar among the middle class (via Center for American Progress)

USDA announces $181 million to support advanced biofuels (via Green Car Congress)

Solar gardens let communities share renewable power (via National Geographic)

OIL 

China, Russia agree to oil supply deal (via ABC News/AP)

TRANSPORTATION 

How to site EV charging stations? It’s the parking, stupid (via Green Car Reports)

EV charging networks start to unify (via Navigant Research)

What financing could mean for public EV charging (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

Australian wildfires threaten new prime minister’s anti-climate agenda (via Climate Progress)

Global warming linked to wildfires, says UN climate chief (via Phys.org)

Debunking the UN climate-change conspiracy (via National Journal)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Weatherizing homes to uniform standard can net $33 billion in annual energy savings (via Phys.org)

How much are we really spending on energy efficiency? (via Greentech Media)

10 things you didn’t know about combined heat and power (via Energy.gov)

OPINION 

Congress turns a blind eye to global warming (via Washington Post)

In Germany, net metering brings unintended consequences (via Navigant Research)

US shale gas boom won’t do much for climate change, but it will make us richer (via Washington Post)