Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.30.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
Marcacci Communications publishes a daily roundup of energy and climate news and opinion. Inclusion of articles does not mean endorsement.
COAL
Doctors petition state regulators to curtail emissions at three Texas coal plants (via Dallas Star-Telegram)
EMISSIONS
EU seeks more feedback on carbon permit proposal from central bank (via Reuters Point Carbon)
Billions wiped from blue-chips as carbon tax hits Australia’s top companies (via The Telegraph)
California water district dumps fossil fuel investments (via Environmental Leader)
New technology said to neutralize carbon fuel pollution emissions (via TreeHugger)
KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS
Report: Keystone XL will drive oil sands growth, boost emissions (via The Hill)
Bipartisan senators to Obama: Don’t let Keystone decision drag into 2014 (via The Hill)
Enbridge gets approval for some Michigan dredging activity (via Houston Chronicle)
RENEWABLES
UK’s clean power output rises 30% in 1Q 2013 compared to last year (via BusinessGreen)
Quebec outlines 450MW wind power tender (via Recharge)
Kenya scaling up its wind power program (via Renewable Energy World)
Germany sets another record: 5.1TWh of solar in July (via Greentech Media)
Renewable energy mandatory for all India utilities (via The Times of India)
NREL study says solar & wind to be cost-competitive without subsides by 2025 (via CleanTechnica)
US DOE taps into 1,400TWh of clean ocean power (via CleanTechnica)
NREL patents catalyst that boosts economics of biofuels (via Green Car Congress)
Carnegie Wave Energy plans world’s first wave-powered desalination plant (via Inhabitat)
A startup that would be the eBay of solar (via Greentech Media)
ENERGY POLICY
Will Mexico’s energy reform hamper its climate change legislation? (via Breaking Energy)
New ideas in energy finance: Crowd-funding (via Energy Trends Insider)
GREEN BUSINESS
US creates 38,600 new clean tech jobs in Q2 (via Environmental Leader)
Excessive water consumption puts American businesses at risk (via EarthTechling)
Sports sustainability gurus share their all-star plays (via GreenBiz)
OIL
Saudi Arabia lifts oil output to record 10.5 million bpd (via Reuters)
Feds launch “Bakken Blitz” of oil-by-rail inspections (via The Hill)
TRANSPORTATION
Americans are driving less in nearly every state (via Climate Progress)
Nissan joins Tesla selling California green car credits (via Bloomberg)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Department of Energy unveils new efficiency regulations (via The Hill)
Why are some states trying to ban LEED green building standards? (via Atlantic Cities)
Big US utilities add negawatts to their gigawatts (via Renew Economy)
Hidden barriers to energy efficiency (via Energy Manager Today)
GRID
Grid congestion for renewables may expand to South Japan (via Bloomberg)
Norway approves Arctic transmission line to boost new wind power (via Recharge)
New York State builds smart city technology hub (via GreenBiz)
WILDFIRES
Future wildfire seasons to be longer, smokier, cover more area (via Yale e360)
Let it burn? Yosemite park officials won’t say that, but it’s policy (via Los Angeles Times)
Gripping time-lapse video of Yosemite wildfire (via Climate Central)
POLITICS
Scientists leaving GOP due to attitudes toward science (via Salt Lake Tribune)
Virginia gubernatorial candidates spar over energy issues (via Politico)
OPINION
It’s God’s creation – let’s protect it (via Washington Post)
Why Terry McAuliffe is in a box on climate change (via National Journal)
See what 1,000 tiny, fracking-caused earthquakes can do to a home (via Atlantic Cities)