Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.16.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
New study details alarming acceleration in sea level rise (via Climate Progress)
ENERGY POLICY
Smart cities are driving change across the energy sector (via Navigant Research)
Evidence connects quakes to oil, natural gas boom (via Climate Central)
Lockheed claims breakthrough on fusion energy project (via Reuters)
RENEWABLES
German clean-energy costs drop for first time (via Bloomberg)
U.S. residential solar demand could approach 1GW annually (via Renewable Energy World)
Refiners press Obama to lower renewable fuel mandate (via The Hill)
Retailers, seeking out bargains, continue to lead on solar (via Midwest Energy News)
Georgia the latest state to produce dirt-cheap power (via Greentech Media)
Hawaiian utility targets 92% renewable energy by 2030 (via CleanTechnica)
Wisconsin: America’s latest solar energy battleground (via The Energy Collective)
SolarCity offers bonds, wants everybody to invest in solar (via Forbes)
OIL
Plummeting oil prices sting Russia, other “Petro States” (via U.S. News & World Report)
Report: Oil exports could drive manufacturing renaissance (via Houston Chronicle)
Oil price slump could lead to production cuts, shakeouts at shale companies (via EnergyWire)
North Dakota oil formations produce 1 billion cumulative barrels (via The Hill)
TRANSPORTATION
Volkswagen: Plug-in hybrids a “bridge” to pure electric cars in future (via Green Car Reports)
Gasoline prices fall to lowest average since 2011 (via The Hill)
Automakers, utilities studying how to manage electric vehicles (via Houston Chronicle)
California high court clears way for more bullet train work (via Los Angeles Times)
Tesla face possible sales prohibition in Michigan (via Bloomberg)
Battery storage breakthrough allows recharge in two minutes (via Renew Economy)
NATURAL GAS
Long after fracking stops, the noise lives on (via NPR)
EMISSIONS
Exxon, Shell carbon emissions rise even as output drops (via Wall Street Journal)
GRID
In South Korea, an energy storage bonanza (via Navigant Research)
Giant energy storage project aims at renewable energy’s holy grail (via Renewable Energy World)
The opportunity of time-of-use pricing (via RMI Outlet)
OPINION
Why natural gas won’t help save the planet (via National Journal)
Coal industry still in denial over prices, regulation (via Reuters)
Are Wal-Mart’s owners really a threat to distributed energy? (via Greentech Media)
Can a low-carbon fuels standard work in Washington? (via Washington State Wire)