Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.13.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

ENERGY POLICY

Brussels looks to reignite 2030 EU carbon target debate (via BusinessGreen)

Merkel may create new energy ministry in nuclear to renewables switch (via Bloomberg)

COAL

Report: coal killed 100,000 in India in 2012 (via Huffington Post)

Coal to gas moves are generating economic waves (via Forbes)

CLIMATE

China plans first commercial trip through Arctic shortcut in 2013 (via Reuters)

Obama: climate change threatens US shipping routes (via The Hill)

As CO2 emissions rise, so will pollen counts and asthma attacks (via Climate Progress)

Bloomberg announces mayor’s summit to fight climate change (via CBS News)

RENEWABLES

China to outpace Germany as leading solar PV consumer in 2013 (via San Jose Mercury News)

Chinese solar panel maker Suntech on financial brink (via New York Times)

Cellulosic ethanol “to be cost-competitive by 2016” (via Environmental Leader)

California’s Mount Diablo school district leads the world on solar (via Sustainable Business)

Cape Wind going overseas, snubs Massachusetts steel company (via Boston Globe)

OIL

Brazil says subsalt oil finds could triple total reserves (via Reuters)

The Gulf of Mexico oil leak we’re not supposed to know about (via Triple Pundit)

Halliburton official “surprised” by unauthorized tests before Gulf oil spill (via Bloomberg)

TRANSPORTATION

Tesla Motors to expand European operations (via Plugin Cars)

New EPA gasoline rule could raise prices, fuel political fires (via National Journal)

US public charging stations increase by 180 a month, on track for 7,400 by end of year (via Autoblog Green)

Chevy Volt outsold Nissan Leaf for first time in 2012, says BNEF (via Bloomberg)

ChargePoint installs first of 80 new EV charging stations in NY State (via Renew Grid)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Japan hopes methane hydrates are the next big energy source (via Washington Post)

Fracking fluid suppliers defend trade secrets on West Coast (via EnergyWire)

Fracking groundwater rules in Texas reflect legal ambiguities (via Texas Tribune)

How much water does it take to frack a well? (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

New York health commissioner says fracking recommendation may come soon (via Huffington Post/AP)

Ohio’s resurgent natural gas industry spends millions to set up shop (via New York Times)

ENVIRONMENT

Rains or not, India is falling short of drinkable water (via New York Times)

Bat-killing fungus reaches South Carolina; now found in 21 states and 5 provinces (via Scientific American)

Senate bill would boost funding for weather satellites (via Climate Central)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS

Canadian opposition leader: government playing US “for fools” on Keystone (via The Hill)

Keystone XL pipeline jobs vs. 100,000 green jobs (via CleanTechnica)

Michigan officials say water supplies along Kalamazoo River unharmed from tar sands oil spill (via Michigan Live/Kalamazoo Gazette)

29 Vermont communities say no to tar sands shipments, New England opposition grows (via DeSmogBlog)

GRID

Power grids in US, EU, third world face huge and varied challenges (via Greentech Media)

Nearly 56GW of long-duration energy storage to be installed from 2012 to 2022 (via Pike Research)

Hackers may breach US grid within two years (via Bloomberg)

Silver Spring raises $81 million in IPO (via Greentech Media)

NUCLEAR

Developing nations put nuclear on fast-forward (via MIT Technology Review)

Lawsuits filed against Tepco in Fukushima nuclear disaster (via United Press International)

NRC upholds ruling on Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant (via Baltimore Sun)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Computers and appliances: today’s home-based energy hogs (via National Geographic)

NREL unveils world’s most efficient data center, could cut operation costs by $1 million (via Inhabitat)

POLITICS

Draft bill released by Waxman and Whitehouse would price carbon and reduce emissions (via Climate Progress)

Ryan, Murray unveil dueling energy deficit plans (via Politico)

Dems launch series of climate change speeches to fight GOP “climate deniers” (via The Hill)

OPINION

What is the underlying value of EU carbon? (via Reuters)

Could Waxman’s new bill offer new hope for a carbon tax? (via Mother Jones)

Where innovation advocates go wrong (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.12.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

ENERGY POLICY

EU Commission wants carbon cuts, more renewables in 2030 goals (via Reuters)

Australia toughens environmental hurdles on coal, seam gas mining (via Reuters)

CLIMATE

Algae growth resulting from glacial melt could help curb climate change (via Inhabitat)

Study finds climate change making Arctic seasons more like southern regions (via Ottawa Citizen)

Canada losing its seasons to global warming (via IPS News)

Russia will soon switch to grow grapes and soybeans (via BSR Russia)

Climate change is biggest threat, says top Navy commander in Pacific (via Mother Jones)

Rising sea levels threaten historic Jamestown, marine geologist says island’s future is grim (via Washington Post/AP)

RENEWABLES

Global clean energy market values set to nearly double by 2012 (via CleanTechnica)

EU-China solar trade war promises order bonanza for Taiwan (via Reuters)

Iceland could end up at heart of Europe’s clean energy strategy (via BusinessGreen)

EWEA blasts EU states over wind policies (via Recharge)

Australia may have up to 10GW of solar PV by 2017 (via Renew Economy)

Japan’s 10% cut for solar power FIT retains boom incentives (via Bloomberg)

Wind power emerges as long-term natural gas hedge (via Greentech Media)

What will the solar PV market look like in 2016? (via Greentech Media)

Second generation biofuels on verge of cost breakthrough (via BusinessGreen)

Clean power collateral damage: of bird, tortoises and the transition from fossil fuels (via Huffington Post)

Solar PV demand to reach 31 gigawatts in 2013 (via Renewable Energy World)

Barriers prevent institutional investment in renewable energy (via Energy Manager Today)

NATURAL GAS

Japan achieves first gas extraction from offshore methane hydrate (via Reuters)

Qatar announces 2.8 tcf natural gas discovery (via AP)

GRID

Smart meter shipments are booming worldwide (via Renew Grid)

Residential demand response participation will hit 16% worldwide by 2018 (via Pike Research)

Merkel government seeks to speed up German power line expansion (via Bloomberg)

Top ten North American networked grid utilities (via Greentech Media)

Biggest power users provide gigawatts of smart grid flexibility (via Greentech Media)

Community-owned transmission? (via CleanTechnica)

NUCLEAR

In US, nuclear energy loses momentum amid economic headwinds, safety issues (via Washington Post)

Fukushima legacy could be costly US plant closures (via Greenwire)

DOE to award $266 million to small modular nuclear reactor project (via Green Car Congress)

Safer nuclear power, at half the price (via MIT Technology Review)

ENVIRONMENT

Forests growing in thawed-out Arctic (via Grist)

China wrestles with cost of cleaner environment (via Phys.org)

State efforts to “reclaim” public lands traced to Koch-fueled ALEC (via Climate Progress)

Ground-level ozone falling faster than predicted, finds study (via Phys.org)

US winter was warmer and wetter than average (via USA Today)

TRANSPORTATION

CTO says GM “committed to electrification as a long-term journey” (via Autoblog Green)

105 billion public transportation trips taken in 2012 (via Mother Nature Network)

Spike in gas prices coming earlier every year (via Politico)

Tesla delays production of Model X electric car to end of 2014 (via GigaOm)

COAL

Coal plants out of style in Germany (via CleanTechnica)

What coal-train dust means for human health (via Oregon Public Broadcasting)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Green building movement gains traction worldwide (via Triple Pundit)

Energy efficiency push losing power in Congress (via The Hill)

OPINION

Inevitable 2014 headline: “Global CO2 level reaches 400 ppm for first time in human existence” (via Climate Progress)

Ending the stupid technology innovation vs. deployment fight once and for all (via Grist)

In search of energy miracles (via New York Times)

When to say no (to Keystone XL) (via New York Times)

Will California’s cap and trade stifle low-carbon innovation? (via GreenBiz)

Will China ever get its pollution problem under control? (via Washington Post)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.21.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

TRANSPORTATION 

High-capacity chargers target Europe’s luxury market (via Pike Research)

Estonia installs “world’s first” nationwide fast-charging network (via BusinessGreen)

Lithium-ion battery gives IBM hope of power without fires (via Bloomberg)

EPA sets renewable fuel standard, tackles fraud (via The Hill)

Tesla expects to turn its first profit in the first quarter of 2013 (via GigaOm)

2013 Nissan Leaf: 75-mile range “anticipated in new EPA test (via Green Car Reports)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Report: oil sands dependence could hurt Canada’s economy (via Canadian Press)

Canadian crude rolling into Gulf Coast refineries (via Houston Chronicle)

Supporters of Keystone XL outspend opponents 35 to 1 (via Climate Progress)

ALEC pushes Keystone pipeline approval through six states (via Sustainable Business)

RENEWABLES 

EU to register Chinese solar panels in move toward duties (via Reuters)

Ontario might get a 400MW pumped storage station five times the height of Niagara Falls (via TreeHugger)

Mexico just scratching the surface of solar demand (via Renewable Energy World)

Iceland looks to export geothermal power (via New York Times)

Nine amazing teenagers innovating in cleantech (via Treehugger)

Renewables increase US electricity market share 44% from 2007 to 2012 (via Facts of the Day)

Michigan sees surge in wind power, thanks to renewable portfolio standard (via Renew Grid)

Oversupply and uncertainty for Massachusetts SREC market in 2013 (via Greentech Media)

Offshore wind production bill gets preliminary approval in Maryland House (via Washington Post/AP)

Minnesota bill introduced seeking 10% solar energy standard (via St. Paul Pioneer Press)

PACE funding in Florida gets $500 million boost (via CleanTechnica)

Work begins on new 400MW Texas solar PV plant (via Recharge)

How a city can get more clean, local energy (via CleanTechnica)

OIL/GASOLINE 

US oil production will soar in 2013 – can it last? (via Christian Science Monitor)

AAA reports largest increase in gasoline prices in three years (via The Hill)

BP civil settlement remains elusive as trial nears (via Shreveport Times/AP)

ENERGY INDUSTRY 

Germany, UK offer contrasting visions for electricity (via Reuters)

Energy to help Texas economy outpace nation’s (via Houston Chronicle)

Enron-era ruling signals $1.6 billion California consumer refunds (via Bloomberg)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Merkel leaves door open to fracking as shale gains appeal (via Bloomberg)

Marcellus production rises again in Pennsylvania (via Pittsburgh Business Times)

Chesapeake probe finds no “intentional” CEO misconduct (via Reuters)

CLIMATE 

Filipino super-typhoon an ominous warning of climate change impact (via The Guardian)

If you don’t believe in climate change, talk to a clam digger (via Grist)

Activist investors put climate change issue up for vote at PNC Bank (via Los Angeles Times)

Bill would require Kansas teachers to question climate science (via InsideClimate News)

ENVIRONMENT 

After China’s multibillion-dollar cleanup, water still unfit to drink (via Reuters)

Explained in 90 seconds: permafrost (via Mother Jones)

Biofuel rush wiping out America’s grasslands at fastest pace since 1930’s (via Washington Post)

EMISSIONS 

Another study names oil and gas drilling as ozone culprit (via Climate Progress)

RGGI changes help both the environment and business (via C2ES)

GRID 

PSE&G proposes $4 billion for grid resiliency in New Jersey (via Greentech Media)

EnerNOC adapting demand response for “big data” applications (via Greentech Media)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Efficiency is a more important economic driver than energy supply (via Greentech Media)

University at Albany SUNY saves $704,000 per year with energy efficiency upgrades (via Environmental Leader)

COAL 

Oregon governor questions wisdom of headlong coal-export push (via Grist)

West Virginia, US Mine Safety and Health Administration seek greater focus on coal mining safety (via Charleston Gazette)

NUCLEAR 

Deal advances development of a smaller nuclear reactor (via New York Times)

POLITICS 

Obama settles on EPA, DOE nominees (via Reuters)

Climate change and the Obama Administration (via Council on Foreign Relations)

Kerry comes out swinging on climate change (via The Hill)

Moniz: shale gas boom a low-carbon solution – for now (via InsideClimate News)

Senate Democrat touts support for Keystone XL (via Houston Chronicle)

OPINION 

EU and China stumble toward solar trade war (via Reuters)

How the looming food and energy crises are intertwined (via Good)

Tesla’s explosive revenue suggests a bright future (via MIT Technology Review)

Low emissions are no justification for Kansas scaling back renewables (via The Guardian)

Cheap ways you can get green power (via EarthTechling)