Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.23.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
NATURAL GAS
Biggest Arctic gas project seeks route around U.S. sanctions (via Bloomberg)
Natural gas falls to two-year low with no cold in sight (via Reuters)
Groups urge administration to steer clear of gas exports bill (via The Hill)
New York and Maryland had the same information about fracking, and they made very different decisions (via Washington Post)
ENERGY POLICY
Germany’s electricity mix: Solar capacity reigns, but coal generation sustains (via Greentech Media)
RENEWABLES
Canadian pension funds divert investment to solar (via PV Tech)
UK and US yieldcos on Christmas acquisition spree (via PV Tech)
Wind and solar = 77% of new U.S. electricity generating capacity in November (via CleanTechnica)
Clean energy policy wins and losses of 2014 (via Greentech Media)
2014 renewable energy recap: Stepping backward, crawling forward (via IEEE Spectrum)
Apple, IKEA, Walmart: 12 leaders in on-site renewables (via GreenBiz)
Cloudy future for wind farms in Ohio (via Columbus Dispatch)
As the weather turns frightful, keep placed in service deadlines delightful (via Renewable Energy World)
Did OPIC just finish a watershed beyond-the-grid solar deal? (via Energy Collective)
Austin’s balancing act: Solar policy and affordability (via Clean Energy Finance Forum)
CLIMATE
Pacific coral shows global warming’s tie to wind (via Bloomberg)
Wheat yields to fall more than expected in warmer world (via Reuters)
Atmospheric rivers to soak California as climate warms (via LiveScience)
New York’s fracking ban divides experts on climate impacts (via Climate Central)
Miami’s climate catch-22: Building waterfront condos to pay for protection against rising seas (via Washington Post)
Wyoming Republican fights ban on controversial climate-science standards (via National Journal)
EMISSIONS
World’s top 500 firms’ emissions rise, despite call for cuts (via Reuters)
OIL
Saudi Arabia vows not to cut output to prop up oil markets (via Reuters)
Shell collaborating with regulators over Arctic drilling (via Houston Chronicle)
Oil crash wipes $11.7 billion from buyout firms’ holdings (via Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg)
TRANSPORTATION
AAA: Falling gas prices break record (via The Hill)
Congress lets $8,000 hydrogen vehicle tax credit expire (via Autoblog)
To challenge Tesla, Volkswagen will buy solid-state battery startup (via Inside EVs)
Living the EV-PV dream: How I paired my solar system with an electric car (via Greentech Media)
GRID
Germany power demand plummets, renewables rise, fossil power at a 35-year low (via Renewables International)
Solar energy and storage helps Caribbean expats live the food life (via Renewable Energy World)
Can distributed generation replace $1 billion in substation upgrades? New York will soon find out (via Greentech Media)
OPINION
What was the biggest energy success story of 2014? (via National Journal)
Could flooding finally wake Americans up to the climate crisis? (via Grist)
The year ahead: 2015 trends in clean tech (via Energy Collective)