Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.20.14

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

EMISSIONS 

China completes pilot carbon market rollout, but take up uncertain (via Reuters)

EPA starts taking comments on clean power plan (via Climate Central)

TVA plans significant cut in carbon emissions (via Environmental Leader)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Russia “secretly working with environmentalists to oppose fracking” (via The Guardian)

Sempra wins final U.S. FERC approval for LNG export plant (via Bloomberg)

RENEWABLES 

Germany may install least solar power capacity since 2008 (via Bloomberg)

Report: U.S. trade dispute will inflict pains on China solar manufacturers (via Forbes)

A simple solution to the complex problem of offshore wind costs? (via CleanTechnica)

Buying into solar power, no roof access needed (via New York Times)

The rise of solar co-ops (via Renewable Energy World)

COAL 

$10 billion Australian coal port expansion put on ice due to weak demand (via Reuters)

Duke Energy warned about pipe’s likelihood to leak in 1986 (via News-Record)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

EU energy chief rules out 40% energy savings goal (via Reuters)

Survey: Americans financially motivated to participate in demand response programs (via Renew Grid)

Green homes: 150,000 now LEED certified (via Environmental Leader)

Combined heat and power is a boon for Midwest steel mills (via Midwest Energy News)

LEDs to provide big savings for San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (via Energy Manager Today)

OIL 

Report: Most Iraq oil production unaffected by turmoil (via Houston Chronicle)

Deloitte: OPEC’s influence waning as U.S. shale surges (via Houston Chronicle)

Abandoned Pennsylvania oil wells may be major methane emitters (via Climate Central)

TRANSPORTATION 

Gasoline at U.S. pumps set to hit six-year seasonal high (via Bloomberg)

Harley-Davidson roars into future with first electric motorcycle (via Climate Progress)

GRID 

Energy storage: A different view from Germany (via Renewable Energy World)

California’s power grid operator, PacifiCorp win approval for western market (via Los Angeles Times)

Regulators approve novel plan for “real time” power sharing in the West (via Greenwire)

Building a wind-balancing grid, one island at a time (via Greentech Media)

ENVIRONMENT 

Brazil achieves 70% reduction in Amazon deforestation (via RTCC)

California’s drought getting even worse, experts say (via Los Angeles Times)

POLITICS 

Must-pass budget bill stalls in Senate over global-warming fight (via National Journal)

Why Jim Rubens stands out from all Republicans running for Senate (via Greentech Media)

OPINION 

Rough water ahead for Europe’s energy efficiency efforts (via Navigant Research)

U.S. policymakers falling behind corporate America on clean energy (via Huffington Post)

Obama’s carbon rules show bad arithmetic (via Time)

Words matter when talking global warming: The “good Anthropocene” debate (via Climate Progress)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.20.14

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

EMISSIONS 

China completes pilot carbon market rollout, but take up uncertain (via Reuters)

EPA starts taking comments on clean power plan (via Climate Central)

TVA plans significant cut in carbon emissions (via Environmental Leader)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Russia “secretly working with environmentalists to oppose fracking” (via The Guardian)

Sempra wins final U.S. FERC approval for LNG export plant (via Bloomberg)

RENEWABLES 

Germany may install least solar power capacity since 2008 (via Bloomberg)

Report: U.S. trade dispute will inflict pains on China solar manufacturers (via Forbes)

A simple solution to the complex problem of offshore wind costs? (via CleanTechnica)

Buying into solar power, no roof access needed (via New York Times)

The rise of solar co-ops (via Renewable Energy World)

COAL 

$10 billion Australian coal port expansion put on ice due to weak demand (via Reuters)

Duke Energy warned about pipe’s likelihood to leak in 1986 (via News-Record)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

EU energy chief rules out 40% energy savings goal (via Reuters)

Survey: Americans financially motivated to participate in demand response programs (via Renew Grid)

Green homes: 150,000 now LEED certified (via Environmental Leader)

Combined heat and power is a boon for Midwest steel mills (via Midwest Energy News)

LEDs to provide big savings for San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (via Energy Manager Today)

OIL 

Report: Most Iraq oil production unaffected by turmoil (via Houston Chronicle)

Deloitte: OPEC’s influence waning as U.S. shale surges (via Houston Chronicle)

Abandoned Pennsylvania oil wells may be major methane emitters (via Climate Central)

TRANSPORTATION 

Gasoline at U.S. pumps set to hit six-year seasonal high (via Bloomberg)

Harley-Davidson roars into future with first electric motorcycle (via Climate Progress)

GRID 

Energy storage: A different view from Germany (via Renewable Energy World)

California’s power grid operator, PacifiCorp win approval for western market (via Los Angeles Times)

Regulators approve novel plan for “real time” power sharing in the West (via Greenwire)

Building a wind-balancing grid, one island at a time (via Greentech Media)

ENVIRONMENT 

Brazil achieves 70% reduction in Amazon deforestation (via RTCC)

California’s drought getting even worse, experts say (via Los Angeles Times)

POLITICS 

Must-pass budget bill stalls in Senate over global-warming fight (via National Journal)

Why Jim Rubens stands out from all Republicans running for Senate (via Greentech Media)

OPINION 

Rough water ahead for Europe’s energy efficiency efforts (via Navigant Research)

U.S. policymakers falling behind corporate America on clean energy (via Huffington Post)

Obama’s carbon rules show bad arithmetic (via Time)

Words matter when talking global warming: The “good Anthropocene” debate (via Climate Progress)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.8.14

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

CLIMATE 

Climate change making food crops less nutritious, finds research (via The Guardian)

Lloyd’s calls on insurers to take into account climate change risk (via The Guardian)

Americans start to feel effects of climate change (via Politico) 

The Southeast US has more billion-dollar disasters than the rest of US combined (via Climate Progress)

NATURAL GAS 

Industrial combined heat and power capacity will grow 30% annually through 2023 (via Navigant Research)

Is a boom in floating LNG facilities on the horizon? (via Houston Chronicle)

RENEWABLES 

Solar making big strides to power the developing world (via Renewable Energy World)

PwC: Biofuels funding future looks bright (via Environmental Leader)

France awards $5.6 billion offshore wind tender to GDF-led consortium (via Reuters)

JV plans 3GW solar PV project in Nigeria (via Recharge)

EIA says US solar surge continues (via Energy Manager Today)

Your tax dollars at work: $141 million to spark US offshore wind (via CleanTechnica)

First Solar Q1: Beats Street, raises guidance on strong utility growth (via Greentech Media)

Solar City eyes 1GW new capacity in 2015 (via Recharge)

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Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.3.14

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

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Keystone XL unites environmentalists and landowners in pipeline battle (via The Guardian)

Keystone pipeline inches toward green light with crucial climate finding (via National Journal)

Keystone report reignites battle over pipeline’s impact (via Houston Chronicle)

EPA review could be lynchpin to Keystone review process (via Reuters)

Pressure is on Kerry as Keystone pipeline decision nears (via Washington Post)

State Department Inspector General won’t release Keystone XL contractor report (via Washington Post)

Keystone foe Steyer urges review of “defective” analysis (via Bloomberg)

RENEWABLES 

EU wind market shrank 8% in 2013 (via Recharge)

Repowering boosts new German onshore wind capacity in 2013 (via Recharge)

Rooftop solar will soon be cheaper than coal in the EU (via Greentech Media)

Dong Energy to sell half of London Array offshore wind stake for £644 million (via BusinessGreen)

Canadian hydro gambles big on US export market – but at what cost? (via EnergyWire)

Goldman Sachs says renewables one of most compelling investment sectors (via CleanTechnica)

2014 wind boom: Record 12,000MW of wind now under construction (via Facts of the Day)

Solar continues to attract financing, M&A, and VC (via Greentech Media)

Price of solar much lower than solar savings (via CleanTechnica)

What does $2 million buy? How about 1,800GW of wind power (via CleanTechnica)

Is ethanol eating your car’s engine? (via Forbes)

Colorado PUC keeps net metering in place for now (via Renew Grid)

Solar thermal power poses challenges for drought-stricken California (via MIT Technology Review)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

CHP capacity will grow 16.3GW annually through 2023 (via Energy Manager Today)

Panama Canal expansion could increase LNG exports to Asia (via Houston Chronicle)

North Carolina fracking panel sets safe drilling distances from homes, streams (via Charlotte Observer)

EMISSIONS 

In China’s war on bad air, government decision to release data gives fresh hope (via Washington Post)

Canadian prime minister defers emissions rules in Obama Keystone standoff (via Bloomberg)

UK carbon capture industry potential estimated at up to £35 billion by 2030 (via The Guardian)

Lower emissions cap for RGGI takes effect in 2014 (via US EIA)

California carbon prices “will remain low” (via Environmental Leader)

California cities compete to see which can be “coolest” and cut emissions (via United Press International)

COAL 

Australia permits coal port dredge dumping near Barrier Reef (via Bloomberg)

GRID 

Indian microgrids seek to bring millions out of darkness (via GreenBiz)

Global smart meter installations to top 800 million by 2020 (via BusinessGreen)

Construction of wind-energy transmission line to create Missouri jobs (via St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

OIL 

BP digs in as last leg of Gulf oil spill trial approaches (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Tesla aims for electric car coast-to-coast record (via USA Today)

BMW exec says public chargers not important for EV success (via Autoblog Green)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Philadelphia rates its buildings for energy consumption (via Philadelphia Inquirer)

ENVIRONMENT 

UK’s January flooding surpasses all 247 years of data on the books (via Climate Progress)

Severe drought has U.S. west fearing worst (via New York Times)

Congress tried to cut subsidies for homes in flood zones – it was harder than they thought (via Washington Post)

Leading scientists explain how climate change is worsening California’s epic drought (via Climate Progress)

California drought prompts unprecedented water conservation efforts (via Huffington Post/AP)

How a brewery might save one town during the California drought (via Huffington Post)

OPINION 

EU ETS isn’t out of trouble just yet (via Energy Collective)

No matter how you count them, fossil fuel subsidies are high as ever (via DeSmogBlog)

Long path still ahead for Keystone XL pipeline (via Houston Chronicle)

Five takeaways from State Department’s Keystone XL pipeline review (via Washington Post)

Keystone XL, a sorry symbol of continued fossil fuel reliance (via Los Angeles Times)

Approving Keystone XL could be the biggest mistake of Obama’s presidency (via The Guardian)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.22.13

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

EMISSIONS 

UN climate chief says Australian Direct Action plan “more expensive” than pricing carbon (via BusinessGreen)

Natural gas, energy efficiency fuel US carbon emissions decline (via Climate Central)

Carbon intensity of US economy dropped a record 6.5% in 2012 (via Facts of the Day)

US energy-related emissions drop to 1994 levels (via BusinessGreen)

US Chamber, Kochs join “social cost of carbon” lobbying battle (via The Hill)

NUCLEAR 

After storm, toxic water overflows at Fukushima (via New York Times)

EDF agrees to build UK’s first nuclear plant since 1995 (via Bloomberg)

Toxic water stymies Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant cleanup (via Washington Post)

Sandy a warning that rising seas threaten nuclear plants (via Climate Central)

RENEWABLES 

Energy storage for solar and wind will pass $10 billion in annual market value by 2023 (via Navigant Research)

Wind could see 18% of world’s 2050 energy share, says IEA (via Recharge)

Hunting fertile fields, advanced biofuels providers look abroad (via Navigant Research)

The rise of rooftop solar among the middle class (via Center for American Progress)

USDA announces $181 million to support advanced biofuels (via Green Car Congress)

Solar gardens let communities share renewable power (via National Geographic)

OIL 

China, Russia agree to oil supply deal (via ABC News/AP)

TRANSPORTATION 

How to site EV charging stations? It’s the parking, stupid (via Green Car Reports)

EV charging networks start to unify (via Navigant Research)

What financing could mean for public EV charging (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

Australian wildfires threaten new prime minister’s anti-climate agenda (via Climate Progress)

Global warming linked to wildfires, says UN climate chief (via Phys.org)

Debunking the UN climate-change conspiracy (via National Journal)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Weatherizing homes to uniform standard can net $33 billion in annual energy savings (via Phys.org)

How much are we really spending on energy efficiency? (via Greentech Media)

10 things you didn’t know about combined heat and power (via Energy.gov)

OPINION 

Congress turns a blind eye to global warming (via Washington Post)

In Germany, net metering brings unintended consequences (via Navigant Research)

US shale gas boom won’t do much for climate change, but it will make us richer (via Washington Post)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 7.24.13

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

COAL 

EU finance arm curbs loans to coal-fired power plants (via Reuters)

Chinese coal companies releasing toxic wastewater in Inner Mongolia (via The Guardian)

Why is Germany’s greenest city building a coal-fired power plant? (via InsideClimate News)

Lessons from the beginning of the end of America’s coal industry (via Energy Trends Insider)

ENERGY POLICY 

Utilities missing opportunity on combined heat and power (via Midwest Energy News)

Senate offshore energy revenue-sharing bill has $6 billion price tag (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES 

Chinese tariffs may hurt U.S. makers of solar cells’ raw material (via Washington Post)

New radar technology could double number of UK wind farms (via RTCC)

Highlighting trends in global renewable energy generation (via Houston Chronicle)

The real solar feed-in tariff story in Spain (via CleanTechnica)

House lawmakers say U.S. renewable fuel mandate will change (via Bloomberg)

How twelve states are succeeding in solar energy installation (via Climate Progress)

Offshore wind gains in Virginia, stumbles in New Jersey (via EarthTechling)

First Wind Energy proposes New England’s largest wind farm (via CleanTechnica)

Maryland governor to propose 25% by 2020 renewable energy target (via Washington Post)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Report: Keystone XL would boost oil sands output and emissions (via Houston Chronicle)

The Alberta oil sands have been leaking for nine weeks (via Mother Jones)

Study finds little environmental enforcement in tar sands infractions (via Calgary Herald)

EMISSIONS 

Social cost of carbon battle hits House floor (via The Hill)

A carbon tax by any other name (via New York Times)

11 reasons to divest from the fossil fuel industry (via Resilience)

What if we could harvest electricity from carbon dioxide? (via Energy Manager Today)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Wyoming fracking study to be funded by industry after EPA pulls out (via InsideClimate News)

CLIMATE 

Ancient global warming raised sea levels nearly 70 feet (via National Geographic)

Global temperature plateau likely due to deep ocean warming (via Climate Central)

Arctic thawing could cost the world $60 trillion, say scientists (via BusinessGreen)

Biden, in India, calls climate change a risk to development (via The Hill)

Arctic shipping quadrupled in past year as global warming melts sea ice (via Slate)

Climate change threatens Bangladesh’s millennium development goal achievements (via Thompson-Reuters)

Heat and storms: research helps suburban homes adapt to climate change (via Phys.org)

OIL 

US EIA says OPEC oil sales will decline through 2014 (via Houston Chronicle)

Hess, PetroChina sign China’s first shale oil deal (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

EU in last lap of talks on global aviation emissions deal (via Euractive)

Renault-Nissan sells its 100,000th electric car (via Green Car Congress)

ENVIRONMENT 

Severe drought plagues northeast Brazil (via Al-Jazeera)

China weighs environmental costs of economic growth (via Wall Street Journal)

Louisiana state agency to sue energy companies for wetland damage (via New York Times)

GRID 

Smart meters must better integrate into utility operations (via Greentech Media)

Construction on 700-mile Clean Line transmission project could begin in 2015 (via The Oklahoman)

Microgrids and micro-municipalization (via RMI Outlet)

Demand response helps NYISO defend against record heat wave (via Renew Grid)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Green job placements lag (via Environmental Leader)

“LEED for sustainable purchasing” to help corporate buyers (via GreenBiz)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Houses of the rising sun: developers build homes that make more energy than they take (via Washington Post/AP)

Milwaukee launches $100 million PACE program (via Journal Sentinel)

POLITICS 

House bill limiting EPA power draws veto threat (via The Hill)

House Energy Committee chairman: biofuel-blending system “cannot stand” (via The Hill)

OPINION 

Reuters climate change coverage declined significantly after “skeptic” editor joined (via Media Matters for America)

Last week’s hearing on social cost of carbon put right-wing objections to bed (via Climate Progress)

Washington heading for another round of devastating energy innovation cuts (via Energy Collective)

U.S. natural gas use must peak by 2030 to fight climate change (via Center for American Progress)

New Jersey offshore wind: Dead or alive? (via Huffington Post)

Is Georgia the next frontier for US solar development? (via GreenBiz)