Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.16.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
Survey finds 97% of climate science papers agree global warming is man-made (via The Guardian)
North Pole wanders, thanks to climate change (via Grist)
GAO: Feds should improve help to local governments on climate change (via The Hill)
Climate-related disasters cost American taxpayers $96 billion last year (via Grist)
ConocoPhillips CEO: humans accelerating climate change (via Houston Chronicle)
SEC upholds shareholder vote on efficiency measure over climate concerns (via InsideClimate News)
TRANSPORTATION
Tesla could raise $830M through new stock offering (via GigaOm)
DOE to award $62.5M over 5 years to accelerate development of next-generation EV batteries (via Green Car Congress)
Ford taps AeroVironment for home-charging systems (via Autoblog Green)
RENEWABLES
China says EU solar duties to “seriously harm” trade ties (via Reuters)
Brazil auction rules may boost price of cheap wind power (via Bloomberg)
UK offshore wind body starts work (via Recharge)
US holds tests to solve wind farm effects on radar (via Airport World)
Which states use the most green energy? (via Mother Jones)
Study: doubling wind will cut rates for PJM customers (via Greentech Media)
Solar carve-out wins another vote in Minnesota (via Solar Industry Magazine)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Mexico debates opening its doors for shale development (via Houston Chronicle)
Quebec proposes law to ban fracking (via Houston Chronicle)
Floating terminals are wave of the future for LNG (via Houston Chronicle)
Survey finds fracking brings economic boost, concerns over environmental risks (via Phys.org)
Compromise reached on Illinois fracking legislation (via Chicago Tribune)
OIL
Inquiry on potential oil price manipulation intensifies (via New York Times)
Transocean to see a dust-up at annual shareholder meeting (via Houston Chronicle)
ENVIRONMENT
Arctic Council sets 2015 goal for climate pact (via Politico)
Canada pushes development as it takes over Arctic Council (via Phys.org)
GRID
PJM has 11.2GW of demand response for this summer (via Renew Grid)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Major business group backs Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency plan (via The Hill)
EMISSIONS
Good news, bad news from new EIA emissions analysis (via Climate Central)
California governor proposes to borrow $500M from cap-and-trade revenue (via ClimateWire)
POLITICS
Harper seeks to build Keystone XL support on US visit (via Bloomberg)
After upset British Columbia election, tar sands route to Pacific still open (via InsideClimate News)
First green party candidate elected to British Columbia legislature (via Yahoo! News)
OPINION
3 reasons PG&E is reaching its California solar initiative targets (via Greentech Media)
Utilities vs. rooftop solar: what the fight is about (via Grist)
Three recommendations for the new US-China climate change working group (via Huffington Post)
How New York Times, NPR, and Wall Street Journal print fossil fuel talking points without full disclosure (via Climate Progress)
Climate hawks should aggressively support America COMPETES act (via Innovation Files)
The economic case for divesting from fossil fuels (via Renewable Energy World)