Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.11.13

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

EMISSIONS 

US-China emissions deal faces broader challenges (via Politico)

China’s rich provinces outsource emissions to less developed ones (via The Guardian)

America’s 20 worst corporate air polluters (via Forbes)

ENERGY POLICY 

EIA says US oil and gas reserves up 35% thanks to shale boom (via The Hill)

Electricity generation scoreboard: gas down 8%; coal up 8%; nuclear down 2.5%; wind up 10% & solar up 228% (via Facts of the Day)

RENEWABLES 

US installs record 723MW of solar PV in Q1 2013 (via Greentech Media)

SEPA report ranks US utilities by amount of deployed solar (via Greentech Media)

The coming solar electricity transformation (via CleanTechnica)

As first offshore wind turbine launches in Maine, is Texas next? (via StateImpact Texas)

Biofuels to play integral role in California’s energy future, says new study (via Phys.org)

COAL 

2014 European coal plunges to record as Credit Suisse cuts forecast (via Bloomberg)

CLIMATE 

Scientists say climate change could mean once a century floods every 10 years (via RTCC)

Catastrophic European floods raise climate concerns (via ClimateWire)

New climate data depicts New York City’s growing risk (via New York Times)

Dominion shareholder vote a loud signal to Virginia utility on climate (via InsideClimate News)

GRID 

Smart grid activity is heating up in South America (via Renew Grid)

Europe’s grid could carry 10% more electricity via next-generation technologies (via Recharge)

OIL 

Venezuelans find oil bonanza in Colombia (via Bloomberg)

TRANSPORTATION 

Toyota Europe wants clean grid before pushing electric cars (via Plugin Cars)

Frequent flyers pressure United Airlines to tackle climate change (via BusinessGreen)

FAA wants to wean private airlines off leaded fuel (via The Hill)

2013 Chevy Volt gets $4,000 incentive, more if leasing a competitor’s vehicle (via Autoblog Green)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Green product growth outpaced others during recession (via Environmental Leader)

Under-fire Sustainable Forestry Initiative revising standards (via Environmental Leader)

Chemical companies seek to limit federal LEED green building (via Bloomberg)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Canadian ambassador: Alberta’s oil sands crude “will get to market” (via Houston Chronicle)

Can the new social cost of carbon estimate help stop Keystone XL? (via TriplePundit)

POLITICS 

Two Senate panels compete for control over ethanol mandate (via National Journal)

Steven Chu Q&A on Solyndra, Keystone, and US grid (via San Francisco Chronicle)

DOE official violated nepotism policy, says inspector general (via The Hill)

OPINION 

What to make of a climate change plateau (via New York Times)

Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) will bring more clean energy investment (via Climate Progress)

Who’ll get stuck with San Onofre’s $3 billion tab? (via Greenwire)

Silver linings in IEA report on 2012 fossil fuel carbon emissions (via The Guardian)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.5.13

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

EMISSIONS 

China sticks to carbon-intensity target, dismisses CO2 cap (via Bloomberg)

UK decarbonization target narrowly defeated in legislature (via The Guardian)

Congress hates carbon pricing – the rest of the world doesn’t (via Washington Post)

KEYSTONE XL 

Climate change and Keystone XL: the numbers behind the debate (via Energy Collective)

Scientists tell State Department key parts of Keystone review are “without merit” (via InsideClimate News)

API says State Department considering Keystone hearing in Washington, DC (via The Hill)

TransCanada digging up defective segments of new pipeline, angering landowners in Texas (via InsideClimate News)

RENEWABLES 

Renewable energy investments in Middle East and North Africa grew 40% in 2012 (via Recharge)

EU solar tariffs may spur short-term imports as deal is sought (via Bloomberg)

EU imposes provisional 11.8% tariffs on Chinese solar imports (via Greentech Media)

Mining-dependent Mongolia pushes renewables as climate change hits (via Reuters)

UK government considers plans to compensate homes near wind farms (via BusinessGreen)

Wine industry dragged into EU-China solar trade war (via BusinessGreen)

New hybrid wind-solar technology could change the future of renewables (via Phys.org)

Offshore wind projects to advance as US sets auction (via Bloomberg)

EPA tool determines viability of solar projects on contaminated sites (via The Good Human)

San Francisco, San Jose dominate ranking of clean tech cities (via San Jose Mercury News)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Germany drops fracking law until after September’s election (via Reuters)

CLIMATE 

US Forest Service tells Congress climate change causing longer wildfire season (via The Guardian)

GRID 

The billion-dollar smart grid storm and summer spending surge (via Greentech Media)

As energy picture changes, Midwest grid operator considers a longer outlook (via Midwest Energy News)

California takes the lead in using batteries for grid storage (via Green Car Reports)

5MW energy storage system headlines Oregon smart grid project (via Renew Grid)

Siemens installing America’s first regenerative energy storage unit (via CleanTechnica)

OIL 

Large oil firms hit record US spending in 2012 as profits drop (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

United Airlines planes to fly on advanced biofuel (via Houston Chronicle)

Tesla loses fight to set up its own dealers in Texas (via Autoblog)

ENVIRONMENT 

EPA says US water infrastructure needs $384 billion upgrade (via Los Angeles Times)

When will the Texas drought end? (via StateImpact Texas)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Walgreens building net zero energy store outside Chicago (via New York Times)

POLITICS 

GOP attacks landmark offshore wind power plan (via Houston Chronicle)

House panel erupts over Endangered Species Act debate (via The Hill)

Dim GOP enthusiasm for cap-and-trade bill in 2009 even dimmer now (via E&E Daily)

OPINION 

Imagining power utilities for the 21st century (via Grist)

Nuclear energy and my Greenpeace conundrum (via Energy Collective)

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)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 4.16.13

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

EMISSIONS 

European Parliament rejects carbon market reforms (via RTCC)

Carbon price falls most ever after EU rejects surplus fix (via Bloomberg)

EPA reports decline in US greenhouse gas emissions (via The Hill)

COAL 

A tale of two nations: China adds 50GW of coal, US retires 9GW (via Facts of the Day)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

An LED revolution underway in Indian cities (via Energy Next)

US Senators to revive energy efficiency bill (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES 

Saudi Arabia plans solar power export to Europe (via Arab News)

IRS sets wind tax credit regulations for 2013 projects (via Bloomberg)

Soros-backed group: “messy” US green energy efforts yielding results (via The Hill)

Good news from the IRS on the PTC for wind and geothermal (via Greentech Media)

The future of wind finance in the US (via Greentech Media)

Walmart increases its renewable energy target six-fold (via Sustainable Business)

Colorado may raise renewable energy standard to 25% for rural electric co-ops (via Climate Progress)

Community solar expands in Colorado Springs (via Sustainable Business)

ENERGY POLICY 

Germany subsidizes cheap electricity for its neighbors (via Reuters)

State tax writers warm to giving renewables parity with fossil fuels (via Midwest Energy News)

OIL 

Saudi Arabia starts production at mammoth offshore oil field (via Houston Chronicle)

Alaska grants tax break to oil companies to reinvigorate production (via New York Times)

Crews remove part of pipeline after Arkansas spill (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

The brutal logic of climate change, international shipping edition (via Grist)

White House extends aviation biofuels program (via BusinessGreen)

United Airlines pledges 85 million gallon in fuel savings (via BusinessGreen)

NATURAL GAS 

Growth in natural gas vehicles will have “minimal impact” on prices (via Environmental Leader)

ENVIRONMENT 

NOAA employees may be furloughed during 2013 hurricane season (via Weather Underground)

OPINION 

Can evolution beat climate change? (via Scientific American)

Why does the EU carbon market vote matter? (via RTCC)

US energy independence will depend on economy’s overall health (via Houston Chronicle)

Batteries: cheapest form of grid power? (via MIT Technology Review)

How solar-friendly permitting processes can work in the US (via Renewable Energy World)