Energy and Environment News Roundup – 11.20.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
COP 19
Poor countries walk out of UN climate talks as compensation row rumbles on (via The Guardian)
COP 19: Warsaw summit faces loss and damage deadlock (via BusinessGreen)
Four issues to watch as COP 19 wraps up (via World Resources Institute)
ENERGY POLICY
Interior Department announces $14.2 billion in energy revenue (via The Hill)
Colorado state regulator at the center of America’s fracking boom (via National Journal)
RENEWABLES
Solar PV dominates first year of Japan’s feed-in tariff (via Recharge)
Wind sets new generation records across US in 2013 (via Facts of the Day)
Biofuels industry, allies push back against EPA decision (via The Hill)
Pecan Street study: West-facing solar panels better for summer’s peak power demand (via Austin Statesman)
Report: Stable policy key to Great Lakes offshore wind jobs (via Midwest Energy News)
$13 billion Ohio clean-energy bond submitted for ballot (via Columbus Dispatch)
Iowa utility plans state’s largest solar farm (via Daily Iowan)
Midwest transmission line developer seeks customers among wind-farm operators (via Wichita Eagle)
OIL
Saudi Arabia says welcomes us shale oil, sees no need to cut output (via Reuters)
BP builds its largest-ever drilling fleet in the Gulf of Mexico (via Houston Chronicle)
CLIMATE
Global damage from extreme weather disasters set to break $200 billion a year (via Climate Progress)
Cost of climate change adaptation could destabilize African countries, warns UN (via The Guardian)
Warming seen worse as nations fail to meet carbon goals (via Reuters)
Three countries that are bailing on climate action (via Mother Jones)
US ranks 43rd on climate policy – and Canada is even worse (via Mother Jones)
Some states ignore climate change in disaster plans, but coastal states are on alert (via ClimateWire)
Sunday’s tornado outbreak could be costliest November weather event in US history (via Washington Post)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Colorado proposes historic air pollution regulations (via Climate Progress)
In Oklahoma, water, fracking, and a swarm of quakes (via Reuters)
On Colorado’s Front Range, fracking questions loom large (via National Journal)
EMISSIONS
Scientists, UN official warn of “unabated” coal use (via Climate Central)
Tsunami-blocking mangroves lure carbon investors to Southeast Asia (via Bloomberg)
KEYSTONE XL
TransCanada boosts Keystone XL cost estimate by $100 million (via Reuters)
Upgrading existing pipelines would create more jobs than building Keystone XL, says report (via Climate Progress)
TransCanada pushes Keystone XL pipeline start to 2016 (via Bloomberg)
TRANSPORTATION
Consumers have favorable views of EVs, but awareness remains low (via Navigant Research)
Nissan to boost production of battery-powered LEAF (via Plugin Cars)
More evidence American may have reached “peak car” (via Greentech Media)
Many consumers still unaware of EV incentives (via Green Car Reports)
US charges 6 people, 3 firms with $100 million biofuels fraud