Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.21.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
South Korea may launch world’s most ambitious cap and trade market (via CleanTechnica)
Carbon capture faces scale dilemma (via Reuters)
UK unwraps energy-intensive industry carbon price compensation package (via BusinessGreen)
CLIMATE
World’s largest cities say time to adapt to climate change (via RTCC)
Glacier melt causes a third of all sea-level rise (via ABC Science)
Climate change pushes farmers in India to tipping point (via The Guardian)
Scientists agree on climate change, so why doesn’t everyone else? (via Washington Post)
Weatherproofing cities to face future Sandys (via Council on Foreign Relation)
RENEWABLES
Solar has barely scratched the surface of a $2 trillion market (via Renew Economy)
2012 a record-breaking year for global wind power (via DW)
Solar industry groups urge US, EU, China to avert trade war (via Washington Post)
US and EU set to negotiate settlements in Chinese solar panel cases (via New York Times)
EU tariffs on Chinese solar imports “a grave mistake” says German minister (via BusinessGreen)
US military on track to reach 3GW of solar by 2025 (via Greentech Media)
95% of US energy executives predict more renewables investment (via Solar Industry Magazine)
Ethanol production stagnates as biofuel mandates grow (via Houston Chronicle)
The advantages of developing solar on brownfields (via Greentech Media)
US ethanol production capacity little changed in past year (via US EIA)
Can state harvesting guidelines keep biomass sustainable? (via Midwest Energy News)
Minnesota is a governor’s signature away from 450MW of solar (via Greentech Media)
North Carolina creates legal framework to develop wind farms (via Recharge)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy efficiency could cut wireless data power demand 90% by 2020 (via CleanTechnica)
LEED remains top choice for government buildings (via Sustainable Business)
Senate energy efficiency bill could be “poison pill” for LEED standards (via Greentech Media)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
EU to investigate environmental impact of shale gas fracking (via Reuters)
What exporting US natural gas means for the climate (via WRI Insights)
Natural gas climbs to three-week high on LNG approval, hot weather (via Bloomberg)
The fight for North Dakota’s fracking water market (via Reuters)
California’s proposed fracking moratoriums might not apply to other drilling in Monterey Shale (via EnergyWire)
161 water wells impacted by Pennsylvania gas drilling from 2008-2012 (via Facts of the Day)
GRID
More US consumers now support smart grid (via Renew Grid)
ARRA update: almost two-thirds of US smart grid funds spent (via Renew Grid)
Underwater batteries make an energy storage splash (via GigaOm)
The military microgrid as smart grid asset (via Greentech Media)
Energy storage, meet energy markets (via Greentech Media)
Texas power grid poised to be put to test again (via Texas Tribune)
Revenue at Bloom Energy falls in Q1 (via Greentech Media)
New grid switches cut 80,000 outages for ComEd (via Greentech Media)
As Texas towns say no, signs of rising resistance to smart meters (via Texas Tribune)
OIL
Oman to use solar power to get oil from old wells (via New York Times)
With US awash in oil, national interest argument for Keystone weakens (via InsideClimate News)
A black mound of Canadian oil waste is rising over Detroit (via New York Times)
Alaska’s governor launches bid to measure oil in Arctic refuge (via Los Angeles Times)
Exxon: no plans yet to reopen ruptured Arkansas pipeline, and no answers why (via InsideClimate News)
TRANSPORTATION
Plugged in: US electric car sales hit 100,000 (via EarthTechling)
Tesla to pay off US DOE loan Wednesday (via Bloomberg)
United Airlines restarts 787 Dreamliner flights (via USA Today)
Tesla’s fight with American car dealers (via CNN Money)
COAL
In the US West, Big Coal makes its stand (via Navigant Research)
ENVIRONMENT
Ocean warming means new paradigm for world’s fisheries (via Climate Progress)
A plague of deforestation sweeps across Southeast Asia (via Yale e360)
Asia-Pacific leaders warn of water conflict threat (via Phys.org)
Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon pacing 88% higher than 2012 (via Mongabay)
USGS: drop in US aquifer levels has accelerated (via Reuters)
Wells dry, fertile US plains turn to dust (via New York Times)
ENERGY POLICY
Moniz era begins at Energy Department (via The Hill)
Fossil fuel divestment campaign escalates at Swarthmore (via Huffington Post)
Illinois renewable energy law fix faces opposition from utilities (via Midwest Energy News)
OPINION
What’s at stake with natural-gas exports? (via National Journal)
Wind and the myth of negative pricing (via Greentech Media)
“If people aren’t pissed off, it ain’t working”: a chat with Tom Steyer (via Grist)
Climate warnings, growing louder (via New York Times)
Fixing the economy may be the best way to pass a climate bill (via Washington Post)
Arizona clean energy = more jobs (via CleanTechnica)
Utilities for dummies: how they work and why that needs to change (via Grist)