Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.31.13

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

GRID 

Transmission and distribution equipment market to more than double by 2020 (via Renew Grid)

Utilities spent $14 billion worldwide on smart grid tech in 2012 (via Renew Grid)

Honeywell and Opower team up on smart energy (via GreenBiz)

PG&E gears up for final push on smart meters (via Bakersfield Californian)

EMISSIONS 

Oil and gas majors at risk from “unburnable” reserves if emissions targets enforced (via GreenBiz)

Fossil fuel divestment “virtually risk free” (via Environmental Leader)

Divesting from fossil-fuel companies unlikely to harm endowments (via Chronicle of Higher Education)

Three things to know about British Columbia’s carbon tax – in pictures (via Sightline Daily)

RENEWABLES 

Global offshore wind market “set for 55GW by 2020” (via Recharge)

Smoggy China to seek more solar power (via EarthTechling)

Spain’s monthly wind power tops 6 terawatt hours for first time (via Bloomberg)

Saudi Arabia completes biggest solar power plant (via Bloomberg)

Facing expiring tax credit, US wind industry posts record 13GW year (via The Hill)

Renewable energy industries push for new financing opinions (via New York Times)

Wind, solar groups quit ALEC as group targets clean energy programs (via Greenwire)

Wind power to shave $1 million off Ohio State University electricity bill (via Triple Pundit)

OIL 

Satellite analysis shows Gulf oil spills typically underestimated (via Yale e360)

CLIMATE 

Humans have already set in motion 69 feet of sea level rise (via Mother Jones)

Growing palm oil for biofuels could speed up climate change (via Reuters)

Butterflies booking it north as climate warms (via Mother Jones)

Three states pushing ALEC bill to require teaching climate change denial in schools (via DeSmog Blog)

NUCLEAR 

Report: Georgia nuclear power plant could be Solyndra redux (via Christian Science Monitor)

TRANSPORTATION 

EPA plan to cut sulfur in gasoline on track for March launch (via Houston Chronicle)

Hagel endorses ban on high-carbon fuel use for Department of Defense (via The Hill)

Boeing Dreamliner batteries said to fail 10 times before incident (via Bloomberg)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Pressure builds for Obama to link tar sands pipelines to climate change (via InsideClimate News)

ENVIRONMENT 

Five sobering realities about global water security (via WRI Insights)

Thousands evacuated as flooding hits Eastern Australia (via Bloomberg)

POLITICS 

McCarthy not discussing EPA plans (via Politico)

OPINION 

Obama talks climate change, California acts on it (via Time)

The cost of not using renewable energy (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.30.13

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

CLIMATE 

Report finds climate change a threat to wildlife (via USA Today)

Spring may come 17 days earlier for North American forests (via Phys.org)

Redrawn New York City FEMA flood zone map contains twice as many structures (via New York Times)

Why San Francisco can lead the way on resiliency planning (via GreenBiz)

COAL 

China consumes nearly as much coal as the rest of the world combined (via US EIA)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

EU maintains plan to label Canadian tar sands oil as highly polluting (via Reuters)

US State Department’s Keystone XL review will face EPA scrutiny a third time (via InsideClimate News)

Keystone XL decision may loom large for red state Democrats in 2014 midterms (via The Hill)

House GOP, citing North African turmoil, boosts Keystone pipeline pressure (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES 

Germany adds 2.4GW of wind in 2012 (via Recharge)

Denmark announces 1.5GW offshore wind tender (via Recharge)

German wind market may defy global slump to grow 43% this year (via Bloomberg)

9 in 10 French favor renewables but perceive high costs (via Renewable Energy World)

The rapid rise of UK offshore wind (via Greentech Media)

Chinese company sues to void blocked US wind farm purchase (via Bloomberg)

Top solar states vs top solar countries (via CleanTechnica)

Scaling solar and wind: a hard look at innovation priorities (via Energy Collective)

Oil-and-gas lobby might take ethanol fight to Supreme Court (via The Hill)

EPA reveals 100% green power users list (via Environmental Leader)

Can wind developers halt “the march of the buffer zones’? (via BusinessGreen)

Solar industry gets burned in Arizona (via Energy Manager Today)

Solar with energy storage coming to California, at a cost (via EarthTechling)

EMISSIONS 

Russia exploring plans for domestic carbon market (via RTCC)

Scotland pledges to decarbonize power sector by 2030 (via BusinessGreen)

Australian businesses counting carbon tax (via Sydney Morning Herald)

Missoula city council passes plan to be carbon neutral by 2025 (via Missoulian)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Pipeline explosion rattles natural gas industry (via Forbes)

Can natural gas undo nuclear power? (via Wall Street Journal)

Chesapeake chief McClendon quits, cites “philosophical differences” (via Houston Chronicle)

McClendon out at Chesapeake – is a takeover next? (via Forbes)

Departure of Chesapeake CEO McClendon signals new era in natural gas (via Christian Science Monitor)

Congressmen supporting LNG exports received $11.5 million from Big Oil, electric utilities (via DeSmog Blog)

GRID 

German grid operators coping with power supply swings (via Reuters)

Survey to utilities: stress smart grid benefits to win over consumers (via Energy Manager Today)

Silver Spring Networks could finally go public within a month (via GigaOm)

TRANSPORTATION 

Hybrids outsell many market segments in 2012 but still struggling (via Autoblog)

Wanxiang wins US approval to buy battery maker A123 (via Bloomberg)

Boeing Dreamliner battery was a concern before failure (via New York Times)

Nissan “almost” sold out of 2012 Leafs (via Autoblog Green)

OIL 

Judge accepts BP’s $4 billion criminal settlement over Gulf oil spill (via New York Times)

Texas oil output hits highest level in two decades (via Houston Chronicle)

ENVIRONMENT 

Recapping a year of weather extremes (via C2ES)

Colorado wildfire air pollution rivaled worst days in Mexico City, Los Angeles (via Phys.org)

Stretches of upper Mississippi River near record-low levels (via US EIA)

POLITICS 

Yale poll finds climate change action is a political winner (via Climate Progress)

John Kerry’s Secretary of State confirmation delights climate campaigners (via The Guardian)

Kerry likely to face great green expectations at State Department (via E&E Daily)

Al Gore faces “The Future” with optimism (via The Hill)

LaHood to step down as head of US Transportation Department (via The Hill)

Top Ohio utility regulator tied to group pushing repeal of state renewable energy targets (via Columbus Republic)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.28.13

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

GRID 

Google spending millions to influence smart grid regulations (via AOL Energy)

Cisco unveils “connected grid” approach for power companies (via AOL Energy)

NYISO reports record-low prices, more wind integration in 2012 (via Renew Grid)

Vermont study concludes smart meters are safe (via Renew Grid)

COAL 

Vancouver port approves first of two controversial coal-export projects (via Vancouver Sun)

EMISSIONS 

Russian row over Kyoto extension rumbles on (via BusinessGreen)

Obama rejects carbon tax, prefers focus on jobs (via Environmental Leader)

Experts outline how REDD+ credits could fit into California’s cap-and-trade program (via Mongabay)

RENEWABLES 

Solar PV market set to rebound next year (via Recharge)

New Chinese wind installations fall again in 2012 (via Recharge)

Europe installed over one offshore wind turbine a day in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Canada’s first offshore wind farm set for British Columbia (via CleanTechnica)

Solar costs to fall as REITs emerge as funding source (via Bloomberg)

Total capacity of US Defense Department renewable energy installations will quadruple by 2025 (via Pike Research)

Federal court overturns EPA’s biofuels mandate (via New York Times)

Falling costs power wind boom: down another 21% since 2010 (via Facts of the Day)

Net metering hits the wall in California (via Pike Research)

A sneak attack on commercial solar in Arizona (via Greentech Media)

Wyoming wind could be good fit for California (via EarthTechling)

Oregon sets wave energy development course (via EarthTechling)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Japanese energy, business groups urge US natgas export approvals (via The Hill)

Fracking’s other danger: radiation (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Survey: consumers want centralized energy efficiency, demand response management (via Renew Grid)

Can smart buildings be catalysts for a second term White House agenda? (via GreenBiz)

Los Angeles saves millions with LED street light deployment (via Forbes)

DC finalizes regulations for benchmarking energy use in large buildings (via Energy Manager Today)

San Francisco 49ers dig for gold with NFL’s first LEED stadium (via CleanTechnica)

TAR SANDS 

Fight intensifies over tar sands pipelines (via Sustainable Business)

Enbridge resisting final clean up of its Michigan oil spill (via InsideClimate News)

Protesters in Maine rally against tar sands oil (via Bloomberg BusinessWeek/AP)

CLIMATE 

Davos strives to make climate talk more than hot air (via Reuters)

Could China and the BRICs nations lead on climate change? (via The Guardian)

NASA’s alarming map of the worst Australian heat wave on record (via The Atlantic)

OIL 

Saudi Arabia: “rampaging domestic demand” threatens future as oil exporter (via AOL Energy)

Environmental groups say insurance cannot cover oil spills in Canada (via Business Insurance)

North Dakota oil boom takes a toll on health care (via New York Times)

Barge accident causes Mississippi River oil spill (via USA Today)

TRANSPORTATION 

US to increase number of public EV charge stations 40% in 2013 (via Autoblog Green)

Toyota Prius was California’s best-selling car in 2012 (via Autoblog Green)

California still hasn’t bought land for bullet train route (via Los Angeles Times)

ENVIRONMENT 

Brazil plans Amazon tree census to assess deforestation (via The Guardian)

Waste heat from cities may be altering weather patterns (via Climate Central)

Measuring the consequence of forest fires on public health (via Phys.org)

Low snowfall raises concerns about drought recovery (via Climate Central)

Texas, New Mexico tangle over water (via Los Angeles Times)

POLITICS 

Washington and business brace for an Obama wave of regulations (via The Hill)

Western candidates top list of prospects to head Interior Department (via Houston Chronicle)

Red state, green Republican: Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (via Midwest Energy News)

OPINION 

Can emerging wind markets compensate for stagnant European growth? (via Renewable Energy World)

6 technologies that could shape the future of energy (via GigaOm)

How should Washington address climate change? (via National Journal)

Is divestment an effective means of protest? (via New York Times)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.23.13

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

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Nebraska governor approves new Keystone XL route (via New York Times)

Nebraska approval puts Keystone pipeline decision squarely on Obama (via Globe and Mail)

US State Department: no Keystone decision before end of Q1 2013 (via Reuters)

Obama’s own words turn up heat on Keystone decision (via Politico)

Sierra Club to engage in civil disobedience for first time in opposition to Keystone XL (via San Francisco Chronicle)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Four of five British have not heard of government’s energy efficiency Green Deal (via BusinessGreen)

Senate bill targets energy efficiency for climate strategy (via Politico)

DC, Virginia, Colorado top US in 2012 LEED certifications (via Energy Manager Today)

Berkeley Lab predicts more energy efficiency incentives in South, Midwest (via Energy Manager Today)

California to invest $2.5 billion retrofitting energy-wasting schools (via Forbes)

RENEWABLES 

China’s solar market boomed in Q4, accounting for third of global demand (via Forbes)

Japan’s solar tariff may drop 12% as costs sink, BNEF estimates (via Bloomberg)

Global insurers see opportunity in renewable energy (via Recharge)

EU proposes duties on US bioethanol imports (via Reuters)

Chinese solar panel imports drop amid new US tariffs (via Houston Chronicle)

Total solar scenario for Earth: plenty, with room to spare (via EarthTechling)

Ikea to double spending on renewable energy to $4 billion (via Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg) 

Taller wind turbines boost state energy self-reliance (via CleanTechnica)

New bill proposed for Maryland offshore wind (via Recharge)

Wind farm towers: taller and slower with more power (via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Wind energy company could be required to track, protect condors (via Bakersfield Californian)

EMISSIONS 

Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to EPA pollution rule (via The Hill)

Court ruling casts doubt on future of EPA monitoring program (via Greenwire)

California greenhouse gas emissions drop for 3rd year (via Sustainable Business)

TRANSPORTATION 

A123 expects Wanxiang sale to be finished by Feb 1 (via Autoblog Green)

Lux Research: Boeing “should have used a safer battery” (via Environmental Leader)

More electric car charging stations open in Atlanta (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

COAL 

Sen. Rockefeller reshaping his federal mine safety legislation (via Register-Herald)

Coal trains: what is the impact? (via Skagit Valley Herald)

The people and process behind Bellingham’s coal port decision (via Crosscut)

Iowa utility agrees to stop using coal at five generators (via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Betting on Indiana coal: Duke wants ratepayers to fund retrofits, enviros cry foul (via Midwest Energy News)

GRID 

Australian utilities reluctant to invest in smart grid (via Renew Grid)

How much electric supply capacity is needed to keep US electricity grids reliable? (via US EIA)

In fuel cells, the US plays catch-up (via Pike Research)

CLIMATE 

Poll shows country split on climate change (via The Hill)

In inaugural address, Obama makes a moral case for action on climate change (via Washington Post)

Obama signals new executive authority focus on climate change (via Los Angeles Times)

Obama could bypass Congress to fulfill climate pledge (via Bloomberg)

Death from above: Chicago’s bird casualties offer clues on climate change (via Grist)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Shareholders challenge Exxon, Chevron over climate risks (via GreenBiz)

NATURAL GAS 

Natural gas vehicles remain less prevalent in US than elsewhere (via Houston Chronicle)

Huntsman Corp. joins campaign against US natural gas exports (via Houston Chronicle)

NUCLEAR 

An early nuclear warning: was it for naught? (via New York Times)

Fish caught near Fukushima shows radiation level 2,500 above safety standards (via Daily Mail)

OPINION 

A quick, awesome must-read on climate change (via Mother Jones)

Will Germany banish fossil fuels before the US? (via Grist)

Enough with our cult of the presidency – the climate’s fate rests with Congress (via Grist)

The climate change endgame (via New York Times)

The 14 fossil-fuel projects poised to f*ck up the climate (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.22.13

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

CLIMATE 

Interview: UN Chief wants action on climate change (via Time/AP)

World Economic Forum: efforts to curb climate change could cost $700 billion a year (via Huffington Post/Reuters)

Survey: 70 percent of firms fear climate threat to revenues (via BusinessGreen)

Seeking clues about sea level rise from fossil beaches (via New York Times)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon price dips below €5 mark for first time (via BusinessGreen)

China and Australia top list of “carbon bomb” projects (via The Guardian)

EU carbon market in need of an auction monitor (via Reuters)

GRID 

EU energy chief appeals to Germany to drop energy isolation (via Reuters)

Smart city technology market to hit $20.2 billion annually in 2020 (via Green Car Congress)

Germany plans support for energy storage on small PV installations (via Recharge)

In energy storage, the numbers don’t add up – yet (via Pike Research)

RENEWABLES 

France considers third offshore wind power tender for 6GW (via Reuters)

South Korea to change renewable subsidies to boost program efficiency (via Bloomberg)

Unlikely companies bring clout and cash to clean energy lobbying effort (via InsideClimate News)

New thin-film solar cell efficiency record set at 20.4% (via CleanTechnica)

Vermont study demonstrates net metering benefit for ratepayers (via Renewable Energy World)

Willow trees grown for biofuel produce more if grown diagonally (via R&D)

COAL 

Record China imports unlikely to excite Asian coal markets (via Reuters)

Carbon capture & sequestration emissions savings may be lower than predicted (via BusinessGreen)

Visit the tiny town where Big Coal will meet its fate (via Mother Jones)

TRANSPORTATION 

Report: airlines could make €1.3 billion from EU carbon regulations (via BusinessGreen)

What does the Boeing Dreamliner battery fire mean for EVs? (via Plugin Cars)

Toyota leads green tech patent growth for third consecutive quarter (via CleanTechnica)

Major price drops coming for electric vehicles (via CleanTechnica)

Bumpy road ahead for EV charging market? (via Renew Grid)

Avis’ Zipcar buy likely to be approved by antitrust legislators (via Autoblog Green)

Virginia governor’s road-funding plan: penalize hybrids, EVs (via Green Car Reports)

OBAMA INAUGURATION 

Obama’s speech gives climate goals center stage (via New York Times)

Climate change moves to forefront in Obama’s inaugural address (via The Guardian)

Can Obama make defeating climate change his legacy? (via The Guardian)

After Obama’s speech, a hunt for details (via The Hill)

Obama’s climate change pledge tested by Keystone XL pipeline (via Huffington Post/AP)

Can Obama tackle climate change in his second term? (via Washington Post)

OIL 

Arctic drilling can be done safely, federal adviser says (via Houston Chronicle)

Friendly business environment fuels US oil boom (via Houston Chronicle)

800 scientists gather for Gulf of Mexico oil spill conference (via Times-Picayune)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

LEDs emerge as popular efficient lighting (via New York Times)

In Chicago, seeking the next bright idea in energy efficiency (via Midwest Energy News)

NUCLEAR 

End to Yucca Mountain “within reach,” Nevada commissions says (via Las Vegas Sun)

Endgame close in legal tussles over Vermont Yankee (via Greenwire)

ENVIRONMENT 

Crop production boosted 145% in drought conditions with water-saving membranes (via TreeHugger)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.18.13

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

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Keystone’s tar sands waste said to warm climate more than coal (via Bloomberg)

As State Department nears completion of Keystone XL review, both sides dig in (via Washington Post)

Two report on oil sands paint a dire picture (via New York Times)

Federal study reignites pollution concern in expanding tar sand region (via DeSmog Blog)

GOP governors, Canadian leader press Obama to approve Keystone pipeline (via The Hill)

TransCanada on the climate impacts of its Keystone XL pipeline (via Huffington Post)

CLIMATE 

Temperature hits all-time high in Sydney (via Phys.org)

Survey finds businesses trusted more than government on climate change (via Environmental Leader)

US frost-free season grows to 21 days (via Facts of the Day)

RENEWABLES 

High-tech energy attracts $1.12 trillion in global revenue (via Houston Chronicle)

Germany may widen FIT reforms (via Recharge)

Report: solar could meet global electricity needs in 2050 using under 1% of world’s land (via Climate Progress)

Rising solar energy output drives German and French power prices to record lows (via CleanTechnica)

Developers will invest $1.9 trillion in clean energy over next five years (via Renewable Energy World)

2013 could be make or break year for algae fuel (via GigaOm)

US wind power accounted for 6% of generation capacity in 2012 (via Bloomberg)

FERC proposes rule to speed up solar energy grid interconnections (via Renewable Energy World)

US Army’s New Mexico solar array world’s largest of its kind (via EarthTechling)

Study: US must increase clean energy efforts (via United Press International)

Utilities, environmentalists behind study of Montana’s renewable power mandate (via Billings Gazette)

MIT builds material that generates electricity from water vapor (via Treehugger)

GRID 

Report predicts 3.5 million lost jobs, $3.1 million lost economic output without US transmission upgrades (via Renew Grid)

What US smart grid investments have done so far (via Renew Grid)

FERC proposes streamlining small generator interconnections (via Renew Grid)

PJM, NYISO begin market-to-market coordination (via Renew Grid)

First four months of municipal aggregation save Champaign, IL $700,000 (via News-Gazette)

OIL 

Global refining boom could challenge US exports (via Houston Chronicle)

OPEC forecasts record US oil supply growth in 2013 (via Christian Science Monitor)

As Shell’s Arctic drilling hopes hit snags, its rivals watch (via New York Times)

BP says North American shale oil boom will pressure OPEC (via Wall Street Journal)

TRANSPORTATION 

Mexico relaxes auto fuel-efficiency rule to quell legal threat (via Reuters)

How important is charging infrastructure to EV adoption? (via GreenBiz)

US grounds fuel-efficient Boeing Dreamliner (via Environmental Leader)

DOE partnership aims to realize EV-to-grid dream (via Triple Pundit)

As electric future unfolds, gasoline remains king (via Midwest Energy News)

GM says next generation Chevy Volt will be “thousands of dollars” cheaper (via Autoblog Green)

Fisker Karma production stoppage reaches 6 months, company claims “sufficient supply” (via Autoblog Green)

COAL 

Coal’s “lifeline to Asia” emerges as new front in global warming fight (via ClimateWire)

Scrutiny rises for royalties paid on US coal exports to Asia (via The Oregonian)

Coal mine safety rule prompted by explosion faces industry blowback (via The Hill)

EMISSIONS 

RWE starts carbon capture at UK coal plant (via Reuters)

Fraud-free cap and trade: what California learned from Europe (via GreenBiz)

New York Governor Cuomo proposes tougher RGGI carbon cap (via AOL Energy)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Top economies face fuel price spike as LNG supply drops (via Reuters)

Report recommends changes to tax exemption for fracking (via Texas Tribune)

ENVIRONMENT 

Canada’s environmental health last in developed world (via Huffington Post)

As US drought persists, many scramble to save every drop of water (via Reuters)

About a dozen environment reporters left at top five US papers (via InsideClimate News)

POLITICS 

Obama’s climate challenge (via Rolling Stone)

DOE Secretary Chu said to plan departure from cabinet (via Bloomberg)

US environmentalists challenged to get climate change laws through Congress (via The Guardian)

If you want to pass climate legislation, fix US politics (via Grist)

DOE names new BPA administrator (via Renew Grid)

New Washington governor sets his sights on climate change solutions (via Los Angeles Times)

OPINION 

Why the climate bill failed: it’s not that simple (via Grist)

How are we doing on energy efficiency? (via Grist)

Obama to confront oil pipeline, climate change in second term (via US News/AP)

What corporations can learn from green revolving funds (via GreenBiz)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.17.13

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

OIL AND GAS 

EPA halted fracking water contamination investigation in Texas after industry protest (via Huffington Post/AP)

OPEC sees weaker demand for its crude in 2013 (via Yahoo! News/Reuters)

BP, Justice Department say Gulf plea deal fair and appropriate (via Houston Chronicle)

Oil and gas lobby sees ‘early breakthrough’ for offshore royalty bill (via The Hill)

POWER GENERATION 

America’s 2012 power plant construction boom: new generation capacity jumps 21% (via Facts of the Day)

New coal generation capacity in 2012 up 135% over 2011 (via Facts of the Day)

RENEWABLES 

Japan to build world’s largest offshore wind farm (via New Scientist)

UK green bank chief plans to allocate $4.8 billion to clean energy by 2015 (via Renewable Energy World)

Green energy makes up half of new US capacity in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Indian states aim to boost solar power (via Panchabuta)

Mitsubishi invests $770 million in German offshore wind (via Houston Chronicle)

An emerging source of clean power in India: city waste (via GigaOm)

New study shows net metering is financial benefit, not burden, to ratepayers (via Renewable Energy World)

Reverse auctions seen as model for clean energy renaissance (via Sustainable Business)

EMISSIONS

Beijing’s toxic smog was years in the making, had many sources (via Reuters)

Airborne toxins down, but overall pollutant levels rising, EPA says (via Phys.org)

The simple technology helping Coca Cola, AT&T, Wal-Mart cut costs and emissions (via Forbes) 

GRID 

In smart grid energy savings, utilities must meet consumer expectations (via Pike Research)

FERC documents continued growth of demand response in the US (via Pike Research)

CLIMATE 

Study: global warming means more wildfires (via Coloradoan)

Fighting fires: you’re doing it wrong (via Live Science)

In Thoreau’s flower journal, clues for climatologists (via New York Times)

5 tips for handling climate skeptics in 2013 (via Huffington Post)

Sweltering summers to become the norm for US capital (via Climate Progress)

Climate change report forecasts major impacts for the Southwest (via Phys.org)

Europe’s climate change fail (via Energy Collective)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

2013 will bring phase-out of 75-watt incandescent light bulbs (via The Good Human)

TRANSPORTATION 

A vehicle engine that uses one-third the fuel (via MIT Technology Review)

2012 Coda sedan EV price slashed to $25,000 (via Green Car Reports)

ACEEE announces greenest cars of the year (via Green Car Reports)

Can subsidies get electric vehicles rolling in India? (via Forbes)

ENVIRONMENT 

Infographic study shows world’s oldest trees are dying off rapidly (via Inhabitat)

OPINION 

Will Australia become uninhabitable? (via Australia News24)

The road forward from cap-and-trade (via Grist)

America needs a vibrant clean energy manufacturing sector (via Innovation Files)

Why has climate legislation failed? (via Washington Post)

Why the renewable energy industry needs green banks (via Renewable Energy World)

Breaking down the federal clean energy innovation budget (via Innovation Files)

The really, really big picture: there isn’t going to be enough net energy for the economic growth we want (via Resiliency)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.15.13

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

GRID 

Installed base of smart meters in China to reach nearly 380 million by 2020 (via Pike Research)

China consumed 5.5% more electricity in 2012 (via Platts)

First leg of Atlantic offshore wind power line moves ahead (via New York Times)

Homeland Security says 40 percent of 2012 cyberattacks targeted energy sector (via The Hill)

National oversight agency questions reliability of Texas’ electric grid (via Houston Chronicle)

ERCOT expects $8.9 billion worth of transmission projects to be completed in Texas by 2017 (via Renew Grid)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Market shifting for Canadian oil sands crude (via Houston Chronicle)

Scientists say backing Keystone XL would undermine Obama’s climate legacy (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES 

IRENA sets goal to double global renewable energy capacity by 2030 (via Renewable Energy World)

Green energy investments fell across globe, US in 2012 (via The Hill)

11GW of solar PV modules shipped globally in Q4 2012 (via Recharge)

IRENA launches world’s first global renewable energy atlas (via Inhabitat)

Europeans overwhelmingly favor renewables over shale gas (via BusinessGreen)

Tidal energy can meet 20% of UK electricity needs (via Yale e360)

Interactive map illustrates US solar grid parity (via Renewable Energy World)

EMISSIONS 

Beyond baby steps: analyzing the cap-and-trade flop (via Grist)

Ontario will be first North American jurisdiction to eliminate coal power (via CleanTechnica)

Some Illinois coal plants looking to clean up (via Chicago Tribune)

CLIMATE 

Survey says climate laws advancing in many countries (via Phys.org)

Solar forcing effect on climate change “extremely small” (via Phys.org)

Rising seas may put $300 billion of property at risk in Australia (via ABC News)

Report says climate change inaction the fault of environmental groups (via The Guardian)

Businesses in danger of missing climate cuts “window” (via BusinessGreen)

Environmental groups to Obama: act now on climate (via Politico)

Seattle calculates how climate change will redraw its shores (via Seattle Times)

ENVIRONMENT 

US cities less susceptible to water scarcity than previously thought (via Phys.org)

Louisiana barges idled by drought upstream on Mississippi River (via Bloomberg)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

New US homes are 20% more fuel efficient than in 1970’s (via Facts of the Day)

US scuttles rule requiring high-efficiency furnaces (via Philadelphia Inquirer)

OIL 

UK opposes Arctic drilling ban, to update policy this year (via Reuters)

Oil companies read the tea leaves (and lots of data) (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

India sets national target of 7 million electric vehicles sold by 2020 (via Sustainable Business)

Clean fuel options lacking as airlines seek alternatives to petroleum (via Greenwire)

Federal green car purchases “down a third” in 2012 (via Environmental Leader)

Nissan cuts entry-level MSRP for 2013 Leaf by 18% to $28,800 (via Green Car Congress)

Maine considers banning E15 gasoline sales (via Autoblog Green)

OPINION 

Why New York State’s Sandy Commission recommendations matter (via Mother Jones)

Changing behaviors: you’re doing it wrong (via Grist)

Why companies and investors see the risks in climate (via GreenBiz)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.14.13

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

EMISSIONS 

China, Mexico leading fight on climate change with new CO2 laws (via Bloomberg)

Emissions limits could cut climate change damage by two-thirds (via Reuters)

Beijing’s hazardous air pollution sparks Chinese media anger (via BBC News)

CLIMATE 

Monthly heat records have increased fivefold globally (via Phys.org)

Australia’s top climate commissioner: climate inferno “encroaching on entirely new territory” (via Mother Jones)

Inaugural GLOBE international climate summit convenes in London (via BusinessGreen)

US report warns climate change already happening, could raise temperatures by 10 degrees (via The Hill)

Climate change set to make America hotter, drier, more disaster-prone (via The Guardian)

Delaware turns to climate scientist to develop climate change projections (via News-Journal)

RENEWABLES 

UK clean tech innovators being left high and dry on venture capital (via BusinessGreen)

China to join International Renewable Energy Agency (via Green Car Congress)

Why crowd funding could disrupt how solar power is created (via GigaOm)

Renewable standards add less than 5% to US electricity bills (via Greentech Media)

Technology helps wind industry overcome “start-stop” hurdles (via ClimateWire)

Tax credit moves wind industry to ramp up construction plans (via Houston Chronicle)

Los Angeles utility set to launch 100MW solar feed-in-tariff program (via CleanTechnica)

Solar energy turns brownfields into brightfields (via Energy Collective)

OIL 

US oil glut is depressing, confusing prices (via EnergyWire)

Fracking sparks second look at US oil shale boom (via The Hill)

Shell gets massive involuntary aid package from Alaska, US Coast Guard, and you (via Grist)

EPA says Shell violated air permits for Arctic ships (via New York Times)

TRANSPORTATION 

Electric vehicle battery market to hit $22 billion by 2020, China to be global production leader by 2015 (via Green Car Congress)

Commercial flight first to use fuel produced from natural gas (via Houston Chronicle)

US military bets $20 million on 500 electric vehicles for EV-to-Grid initiative (via CleanTechnica)

Tesla delivering Model S, but cash crunch judgment waits for financials (via Green Car Reports)

NATURAL GAS 

US delays finalizing report linking fracking to water pollution (via Reuters)

Would exporting the US natural gas surplus help or hurt the economy? (via New York Times)

Poll shows more Americans want tough fracking regulations (via Energy Collective)

ENVIRONMENT 

Global food crisis will worsen as heat waves damage crops, research finds (via The Guardian)

USDA declares winter wheat belt drought disaster area (via Climate Central)

TAR SANDS 

Report fails to settle concerns over oil spill risk to Ogallala Aquifer (via InsideClimate News)

GRID 

National Grid gathers partners for smart grid pilot (via Energy Manager Today)

Texas electricity use dropped 2.7% in 2012, says ERCOT (via Forth-Worth Star Telegram)

Maryland legislative panel ponders smart-meter alternative (via Baltimore Sun)

NUCLEAR 

Japan seeks to reverse nuclear power phase-out commitment (via The Guardian)

DOE says new nuclear waste repository possible for Washington State in 2048 (via Tri-City Herald)

COAL 

Coal prices and production in most basins down in 2012 (via US EIA)

Opponents seek to derail Montana coal line (via Seattle Times/AP)

OPINION 

A sweltering planet’s agenda (via Washington Post)

Should America exploit energy exports? (via National Journal)

A new grand strategy for the US, build around sustainability (via Grist)

Green jobs 2.0: re-framing clean energy politics around a climate-informed economy (via Climate Progress)

Fiddling while Rome burns – the $5 trillion cost of climate delay (via The Independent)

OTHER NEWS 

An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.11.13

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

CLIMATE 

Heat, flood, or icy cold, extreme weather rages worldwide (via New York Times)

Australia braces for more blistering heat after record busting spell (via Washington Post)

COAL 

Ontario to be coal-free by 2013 (via Ontario Ministry of Energy)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Fossil fuel divestment campaign spreads to America’s churches (via InsideClimate News)

Investment community calls for predictable climate policy (via GreenBiz)

RENEWABLES 

Deutsche Bank predicts global solar market will rise 22 percent in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Global clean energy investment falls for first time (via BusinessGreen)

Chile approves 3.1GW of solar PV projects (via Renewable Energy World)

US wind industry awaits tax guidance on PTC rule (via Politico)

New York Governor announces $1 billion green bank and $1.5 billion solar program (via Climate Progress)

California solar program hits 1GW-installed milestone (via EarthTechling)

NREL and Stanford team up on peel-and-stick solar cells (via Renewable Energy World)

EMISSIONS 

IRENA: shale gas boom can complement renewables to cut coal (via Bloomberg)

EPA cites Shell Arctic drilling rigs for air emissions violations (via Los Angeles Times)

Do you live near one of the nation’s dirtiest power plants? (via Huffington Post)

TRANSPORTATION 

Global auto exec survey expects internal-combustion engine dominance but with downsizing and PHEV investment (via Green Car Congress)

In lawsuit against Energy Department, firms claim cronyism in “green car” loan program (via Washington Post)

Nearly 1 million natural gas trucks and buses will be sold worldwide from 2012-2019 (via Pike Research)

New EV charging station connects to smart meters (via Renew Grid)

Fuel cell vehicles could be a $1.8 billion market in 2030 (via Environmental Leader)

How to read a plug-in hybrid’s mileage sticker (via Mapawatt)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

US manufacturers lobby against “unfettered” natural gas exports (via Houston Chronicle)

California announces preliminary hydraulic fracturing regulations (via AOL Energy)

USGS finds no contamination from fracking in two Arkansas counties (via Reuters)

RARE EARTHS 

DOE plunks $120 million into rare earths research hub (via AOL Energy)

Molycorp lowers 2013 outlook, shares plunge (via Reuters)

OIL 

Support grows for more offshore drilling oversight by US (via Houston Chronicle)

BP oil spill settlement payments exceed $1 billion mark (via Houston Chronicle)

Rep. Markey: Shell may have moved Kulluk Arctic drilling rig to avoid taxes (via Reuters)

ENVIRONMENT 

Drought-damaged US states face poor outlook as dry weather persists (via The Guardian)

Native Canadians could block natural resource development (via Reuters)

Beetlemania: insects are gobbling up 1,000-year-old trees (via Mother Jones)

GRID 

ERCOT says Texas electric transmission capacity will fall short of demand (via Houston Chronicle)

OPINION 

If you aren’t alarmed about climate, you aren’t paying attention (via Grist)

Why is General Electric backing down from its plug-in pledge? (via Plugin Cars)

New York State’s clean tech challenge to California (via Forbes)

OTHER NEWS 

An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress