Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.22.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
GRID
Utility spending on smart grid as a service will total $57.6 billion from 2014 through 2023 (via Navigant Research)
Will utilities heed the grid defection alarm? (via Energy Collective)
When will smart meters’ day come? (via EnergyWire)
Solar paired with energy storage scores a regulatory win in California (via Greentech Media)
EMISSIONS
EPA is readying climate rule for existing power plants as deadline approaches (via Washington Post)
Obama divides power industry with emissions rule utilities accept (via Bloomberg)
States pressing EPA for energy efficiency credits in power plant regulations, says Moniz (via Greenwire)
IDIOCY
Pat Sajak: Climate change tweet “parody” (via Politico)
RENEWABLES
China solar makers seek talks to resolve trade dispute with U.S. (via Bloomberg BusinessWeek)
European utility says wind now cheapest form of generation (via Renew Economy)
Biofuels for road transportation will reach $338 billion in annual revenue by 2022 (via Navigant Research)
Connecticut agency closes on $30 million PACE financing deal (via New Haven Register)
Innovative farm methane energy projects clash with Wisconsin policy (via Midwest Energy News)
COAL
China curbs capital’s coal consumption to combat smog (via Reuters)
CLIMATE
UN climate fund agrees to rules, paving way to raise capital (via Bloomberg)
Climate change is single most divisive issue, says poll (via Huffington Post)
North Carolina wants to nominate climate deniers to study sea level rise (via Climate Progress)
How South Florida is ignoring the state’s leading politicians to take on climate change (via Climate Progress)
Pope Francis on climate change: “If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us” (via Climate Progress)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
$400 billion gas deal shows Russia looking to China to replace western money (via Forbes)
Venezuela plans first shale gas exploration project (via Reuters)
Kerry says Russia-China gas deal not linked to Ukraine (via Reuters)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Will ads run on your Nest thermostat one day? (via GigaOm)
OIL
Write-down on two-thirds of US shale oil explodes fracking myth (via The Guardian)
Oil climbs to $104 as U.S. supplies drop sharply (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
BP lodges Supreme Court appeal to limit Gulf of Mexico oil spill settlement (via The Guardian)
TRANSPORTATION
EU aims to put brake on truck emissions with new regulations (via BusinessGreen)
Nissan’s electric vehicle free-charging program hits speed bump (via San Francisco Chronicle)
GM has installed 401 EV charge stations at US facilities, 5,900 at dealerships (via Green Car Congress)
KEYSTONE XL
Nebraska Supreme Court to weigh Keystone XL by October (via Politico)
ENVIRONMENT
California drought threatens US food supply; collapsing aquifer sinking the land (via Weather Channel)
373,000 Colorado homes at high wildfire risk (via Coloradoan)
NUCLEAR
Fukushima Daiichi begins pumping groundwater into Pacific (via The Guardian)
POLITICS
The House Science Committee has held more hearings on aliens than climate change (via National Journal)
Steyer’s PAC targets seven races for November (via Politico)
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate opposes anti-green energy bill (via Toledo Blade)
OPINION
Crimea oil and gas will not come easy for Russia (via Christian Science Monitor)
Climate change and the American economy (via The Hill)
How green spaces could stop cities from overheating (via The Guardian)
Monterey Shale: Fracking’s great moment of derp (via CleanTechnica)
Meet me in New York, says Bill McKibben – it’s time to get arrested (via Grist)