Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.16.15
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
EU plans diplomatic offensive ahead of Paris climate summit (via RTCC)
New Pew survey shows Americans may finally be serious about global warming (via Washington Post)
COAL
Michigan governor wants to wean state off coal as an energy source (via Lansing News)
RENEWABLES
Solar, wind power to become cheapest energy source in Asia (via Business Standard)
Brazil wind financing deals surged 83% last year to $2.5 billion (via Bloomberg)
Wind farms could save UK £7.4 billion in gas import costs, says report (via BusinessGreen)
2015 will see first solar equipment produced in Brazil, says BNDES (via Recharge)
Merkel says Germany needs “a respite from solar” (via PV Magazine)
Dubai doubles capacity of “lowest cost” PV plant to 200MW (via PV Tech)
Yingli Green kick-starts China PV project pipeline in 2015 (via PV Tech)
Queensland businesses turn to solar to offset soaring bills (via Renew Economy)
Australian households installed a rooftop solar system every 2.8 minutes in 2014 (via Renew Economy)
U.S. solar industry adds 31,000 jobs in 2014 (via The Hill)
California regulators consider west-facing incentives for solar (via Solar Industry)
Missouri net metering bills could aid battered solar industry (via Midwest Energy News)
In Wisconsin, solar “new math” could equal big impacts (via Midwest Energy News)
Minnesota group wants state energy assistance to fund solar for low-income families (via Sustainable Business)
Solar cell efficiency jumps 50% with hand-build Perovskite layer (via CleanTechnica)
Small-scale hybrid energy device harvests both sun and wind (via Treehugger)
Solar Decathlon 2015 kicks off with Irvine workshop (via CleanTechnica)
OIL
Mexico considers delaying some oil exploration bidding (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
Canada postpones North American summit amid Keystone XL tension (via Reuters)
Lifting U.S. crude export ban could boost production, cut gas prices, says study (via Reuters)
Judge puts BP’s top fine at $13.7 billion for Gulf oil spill; U.S. sought $18 billion (via Bloomberg)
U.S. oil train safety proposal due in May (via Reuters)
Gravy train derails for oil patch workers laid off in downturn (via Bloomberg)
TRANSPORTATION
Korea’s target: 200,000 EVs by 2020 (via Inside EVs)
Nissan to have longer-range EVs “relatively quickly,” says executive (via Green Car Reports)
Elon Musk: Hyperloop test track may be built in Texas (via San Francisco Chronicle)
GRID
India’s power sector moves into the 21st century (via Navigant Research)
PJM files “stop-gap” proposal with FERC to allow demand response in capacity auctions (via SNL Energy)
Opower says 95 utility partners have saved 6TWh energy (via Energy Manager Today)
California takes lead in developing energy storage (via GreenBiz)
Solar and utilities can co-exist through EVs, says Elon Musk (via Renew Economy)
POLITICS
Poll: GOP clashes with voters on oil industry priorities (via Houston Chronicle)
Solar alliance in Sunshine State may be bad news for Jeb Bush (via Forbes)
OPINION
How beyond-the-grid solar firms and lenders can make better use of capital (via Greentech Media)
A reminder to investors dumping solar stocks: PV and oil rarely mix (via Greentech Media)
Center for Public Integrity reveals how PR firms manufacture consent for oil firms (via DeSmogBlog)
Wind must cut costs in face of cheap crude (via Renewable Energy World)