Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.18.13

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

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Green groups rally on climate, urge Obama to reject Keystone XL (via The Hill)

Canada defends climate record amid Keystone XL protests in US (via Canadian Press)

Canadian ambassador slams press coverage of Keystone XL pipeline battle (via The Hill)

Oil sands tailings leaking into groundwater, Canadian Natural Resources Minister told in memo (via Canada.com)

Nebraska utility says transmission project for Keystone XL will be delayed (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Shale LPG poised to make US net exporter for first time (via Bloomberg)

Fracking is only way to achieve Obama climate goals, says senior scientist (via The Guardian)

Apache natural gas well has leak beneath floor of Gulf of Mexico (via Reuters)

Shale gas boom slows in Marcellus formation (via Christian Science Monitor/AP)

Illinois fracking rules could be strictest in America (via Midwest Energy News)

RENEWABLES 

China on track to exceed targets, install 140GW of wind capacity by 2015 (via Greentech Media)

Why German solar is so much cheaper than US solar – updated study (via CleanTechnica)

Solar PV below $2/watt in Australia (via CleanTechnica)

US bioethanol makers face 5-year EU anti-dumping tariff (via Bloomberg)

New trends in financing wind power (via Greentech Media)

Wind energy records fall in Washington, Texas, Colorado (via EarthTechling)

Bill proposed in Congress would streamline US solar and wind permits (via Recharge)

Wyden floats plan to boost geothermal energy (via The Hill)

Could wind power cool New England’s price fever? (via New York Times)

Federal approval near for sprawling California wind project (via Greenwire)

Offshore wind gets another try in Maryland (via EarthTechling)

TRANSPORTATION 

EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers (via Autoblog)

What does a sub-$20k EV mean for the industry? (via EarthTechling)

More electric car owners install home charging stations (via Green Car Reports)

ARPA-E funds $20 million to develop energy storage systems for EVs (via Green Car Congress)

CLIMATE 

Global warming affects Arctic and Antarctic regions differently (via Phys.org)

Extreme rainfall rises with global temperatures (via Climate Progress)

Tens of thousands demand action on climate change (via USA Today)

Secret funding of climate skeptics is not restricted to the US (via The Guardian)

Two thirds of Americans want Obama to act on climate (via Climate Central)

OIL 

Direct threat to Canadian economy posed by US shale oil production (via Edmonton Journal)

Elegiac images from North Dakota’s boom (via New York Times)

EMISSIONS 

BASIC countries oppose EU carbon tax model (via Yahoo! News/Hindustan Times)

Obama’s carbon “cavalry” may help revive EU market (via Bloomberg)

Natural gas isn’t the only reason US carbon emissions are falling (via Washington Post) 

GRID 

Electricity costs up in gas-dependent New England (via New York Times)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Military facilities benefit from using LEED (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

The low-tech solution to big cities’ climate woes: triple-pane windows (via Grist)

Defense Department “should continue” LEED certifications (via Environmental Leader)

COAL 

Misunderstanding coal in Europe (via Christian Science Monitor)

Developers drop plans for Texas coal plant (via Houston Chronicle)

After White Stallion power plant canceled, coal faces dark future in Texas (via StateImpact Texas)

ENVIRONMENT 

NOAA head: weather forecasts at risk over budget cuts (via Climate Central)

Report points to risk of serious gap in weather satellite data (via New York Times)

The top 10 hardest-hit states for crop damage (via Climate Central)

TESLA-NEW YORK TIMES CONFLICT 

Tesla, the New York Times, and the leveling of the media playing field (via PaidContent)

Tesla Model S owners crowdsource trip to counter NYT report (via Green Car Reports)

Sparks fly between Tesla and NYT, but here’s what matters to the rest of us (via OnEarth)

POLITICS 

Obama faces risks in pipeline decision (via New York Times)

Keystone for climate: could Obama craft a horse trade? (via Houston Chronicle)

Obama acknowledges climate change difficulties (via Politico)

Billionaire Steyer has unique role in official Washington: climate change radical (via Washington Post)

OPINION 

Environmentalists and the military should play nice (via Slate)

Oil and gas feeding off each other while they fuel an economic recovery (via Forbes)

Will shale oil stop the Keystone XL pipeline? (via Christian Science Monitor)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.15.13

TESLA-NEW YORK TIMES CONFLICT 

A most peculiar test drive (via Tesla)

The Tesla data: what it says and what it doesn’t (via New York Times)

Five important lessons from the dustup over the NYT’s Tesla test drive (via GigaOm)

What’s at stake in the fight between Tesla and the New York Times (via Washington Post)

CLIMATE 

Climate change links to conflict draw UN’s attention (via Bloomberg)

Thinning ice turning Arctic into an algae hotspot (via Climate Central)

Drought joins US farmers in the field for spring planting (via Reuters)

GAO report adds climate change to “high risks” facing US government (via The Hill)

NOAA: February 2012 to January 2013 warmest on record (via Climate Central)

Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial think tanks (via The Guardian)

RENEWABLES 

Outlook for renewable energy projects and finance in Canada (via Renewable Energy World)

US geothermal energy grew 5% in 2012; California the leader (via Green Car Congress)

Clean energy faces hurdles in Texas legislature (via New York Times/Texas Tribune)

Texas electric grid sets new wind generation record (via Reuters)

Arizona: a state divided by solar (via Greentech Media)

COAL 

US coal producer says royalty practice being probed was permitted (via Reuters)

Coal-terminal foe casts doubts on builder’s finances (via Seattle Times)

EMISSIONS 

US senators propose long-shot carbon tax bill for big polluters (via Reuters)

EU urged to revive flagging emissions trading scheme (via The Guardian)

Firms pull heads from sand on climate but still unready for carbon laws (via GreenBiz)

California Air Resources Board cuts own power as part of deal with oil industry (via Greenwire)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Canada close to unveiling rules on oil sands emissions (via Reuters)

Senate Dems sequester-replacement plan ends tar sands exemption (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

Nissan Leaf passes 50,000 units in global cumulative sales (via Green Car Congress)

Governments look for new ways to pay for roads and bridges (via New York Times)

NYC Mayor Bloomberg plans massive increase in EV parking lots (via Autoblog Green)

Test drive: DC to Boston in a Tesla Model S (via CNN Money)

OIL 

Transocean convicted in Gulf of Mexico oil spill (via Houston Chronicle)

GREEN BUILDING 

Green building: stadium tech and pro sports (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Lessons from past natural gas imports suggest a cautious approach to natural gas exports (via The Oil Drum)

Fracking in New York State? Not for another year, if ever (via Reuters)

POLITICS 

US ambassador warns Canada to heed Obama on energy (via Globe and Mail)

Obama acting too slowly on climate change risks, government audit finds (via The Guardian)

OPINION 

Newly proposed carbon tax will fight global warming, protect poor Americans, reduce the deficit (via Climate Progress)

New climate bill’s Congressional forecast: gloomy (via Politico)

Venture capitalists don’t know how to invest in the smart grid (via Greentech Media)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.6.13

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

CLIMATE 

USDA: climate change could devastate US agriculture (via USA Today)

Preparing for the rising tide across New England (via CLF Scoop)

How climate change impacts America’s energy infrastructure (via WRI Insights)

Warm weather forces changes ahead of Iditarod race (via New York Times)

Boston mayor calls on city to prepare for climate change (via Reuters)

New York Governor seeking home buyouts in flood zones (via New York Times)

Alaska climate taskforce hasn’t met since 2011, documents show (via The Guardian)

EMISSIONS 

UK emissions fall seven percent in 2011 as gas use plunges (via BusinessGreen)

White House weighs emissions rules for power plants (via Wall Street Journal)

EPA: power plants accounted for two-thirds of US industrial emissions in 2011 (via The Hill)

CARB chair Mary Nichols discusses state carbon trading (via Greentech Media)

RENEWABLES 

Solar PV installations hit 32GW in 2012, 35GW projected for 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

Wind could power nine million homes in Eastern Europe (via BusinessGreen)

Europe’s first wind-powered province touts renewables as key to recovery (via BusinessGreen)

New German wind installations expected to top “up to 3.5GW this year” (via Recharge)

Norway expects onshore wind lift-off (via Recharge)

Wind energy fund plans $320 million IPO with UK government backing (via Reuters)

Novel designs are taking wind power to the next level (via MIT Technology Review)

US solar will eclipse wind in 2013, says Duke Energy (via Bloomberg)

Midwest gets into clean tech investing with energy foundry (via Greentech Media)

Beyond tax incentives: how to make solar attractive to universities (via Good)

ENERGY POLICY 

Time for change: China flags peak in coal usage (via Sydney Morning Herald)

Canada set to cut direct spending on fossil fuel sector (via Reuters)

Seattle and San Francisco consider divesting from fossil fuels (via Grist)

OIL 

Deep-sea drilling muddles political waters (via New York Times)

Canada not ready for major offshore spill, says environmental agency (via Reuters)

North Dakota’s Bakken Oil finally hits the East Coast (via Bloomberg Businessweek)

As profits sag, BP girds for “trial of the year” (via Forbes)

TRANSPORTATION 

China to roll out cleaner fuel standards, says government (via Reuters)

Better Place to shut down US, Australian operations (via Forbes)

Americans now spending most on gas since early 1980s (via Washington Post)

Toyota recycles hybrid batteries into energy management systems (via CleanTechnica)

Boeing 787 batteries: what’s causing their “thermal runaways?” (via Christian Science Monitor)

UPS deploys 100 commercial EVs in California (via Green Car Congress)

Volt owners are almost equally Republicans & Democrats (via CleanTechnica)

ENVIRONMENT 

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron hit all-time low water levels (via Weather Underground)

Some parts of Texas approaching worst-ever drought (via Star-Telegram/AP)

Wyoming explores oil-gas regulations for groundwater testing (via Casper Star-Tribune)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Alberta may offer more environmental initiatives to smooth way for Keystone XL (via Yahoo! News/Reuters)

Debunking Nature’s arguments in favor of Keystone XL (via Grist)

GREEN BUSINESS 

How to get your CFO to love your sustainability director (via GreenBiz)

Alaskan Brewing Company runs on energy generated by its own beer (via AP)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

MIT engineers develop process to treat produced water from natgas wells at low cost (via Green Car Congress)

Shale industry moves to ship fracking waste via barge down Ohio River (via DeSmog Blog)

Former PA Governor Rendell intervened on behalf of gas driller in Texas contamination case (via StateImpact Texas)

VEHICLE-TO-GRID 

Connecting EVs to the grid – NREL takes the lead (via CleanTechnica)

Pentagon places $20 million bet on vehicle-to-grid technology (via Greenwire)

POLITICS 

Waxman to push for Congressional climate hearings (via The Hill)

Can Congress ever agree on climate change? An interview with Henry Waxman (via Washington Post)

Obama to nominate CEO of REI for Interior Secretary (via Washington Post)

OPINION 

How can we prepare for climate change without screwing poor people? (via Grist)

Work less, save the planet? (via Mother Jones)

Analysts: energy policy not keeping pace with technology (via Houston Chronicle)

Will climate change be President Obama’s legacy? (via EarthTechling)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.4.13

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

TRANSPORTATION 

Germany could have a million plug-in vehicles by 2020 (via Autoblog Green)

Toyota recycling old hybrid batteries into energy-storage systems for dealers (via Autoblog Green)

Secretary Chu says 1 million EVs by 2015 is “ambitious” (via Plugin Cars)

DOE launches workplace charging challenge (via Energy Manager Today)

Chevy Volt sales drop to 1,140 in January, Nissan Leaf falls to 650 (via Autoblog Green)

OIL 

Land battles rise as US eyes 450,000 miles of new pipeline (via Bloomberg)

Vast California oil reserve may now be within reach, and battle heats up (via New York Times)

North Dakota weighs industrial water extraction tax for shale oil use (via Fargo-Mooread Forum)

RENEWABLES 

Red tape trips up France’s green energy hopes for wind power (via Reuters)

China adds one-third of world’s onshore wind in 2012 (via Recharge)

Solar power giving Haiti a hospital it can use (via EarthTechling)

Sabotage may have felled UK wind turbine (via United Press International)

First Solar may sell solar power cheaper than coal (via Bloomberg)

The top 10 wind energy states in 2012 (via AOL Energy)

Government’s plan to expand biofuel use runs into bumps on road (via Washington Post)

Wind now supplies 6% of US electricity (via Sustainable Business)

Texas grid operator says renewables competitive with natgas over next decade (via Facts of the Day)

Georgia Power planning 1.5GW of renewables by 2016, less coal-fired generation (via Renew Grid)

North Carolina governor boosts offshore wind (via Recharge)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Reshaping Panama Canal trade means boom in US gas to Asia (via Bloomberg)

US shale gas revolution throws down the gauntlet to Europe (via Reuters)

Legal loophole keeps fracking mixes murky (via Houston Chronicle)

US Senators propose making LNG exports automatic (via Houston Chronicle)

Fracking for state dollars (via Council on Foreign Relations)

Ohio farmers divided on fracking (via Columbus Dispatch)

GRID 

Pentagon promises massive response to increasing cyber attacks (via AOL Energy)

Energy companies and landowners are clashing over property rights (via Forbes)

SPP approves $751 million in transmission-expansion projects (via Renew Grid)

10-year low for electricity prices across ISO-New England in 2012 (via Renew Grid)

Texas mega-battery aims to green up the grid (via New Scientist)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

White House delay on efficiency standards costs consumers $300 million per month (via Greentech Media)

Employee “green teams” deliver $76 million boost for US Postal Service (via BusinessGreen)

Minneapolis considers energy benchmarking for commercial buildings (via Energy Manager Today)

CLIMATE 

Outgoing Energy Secretary Chu’s parting warning on warming (via Time)

Research shows the Antarctic ozone hole has changed ocean circulation (via Inhabitat)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Why Canada’s oil sands industry wants a CO2 tax (via Bloomberg)

Rethinking opposition to Keystone XL (via Energy Collective)

EMISSIONS 

For US and China, world’s biggest climate polluters, it’s still business as usual (via InsideClimate News)

Like everything else, carbon emissions are bigger in Texas (via Houston Chronicle)

COAL 

Colorado communities take on fight against energy land leases (via New York Times)

Seattle’s coal training (via Seattle Weekly)

POLITICS 

Obama’s climate team appears primed for action (via Politico)

Top EPA air quality official in line to replace outgoing administrator (via The Hill)

Murkowski launches push for expanded drilling, green energy policy revamp (via The Hill)

Gore presses Obama to “follow through” on climate change promises (via The Hill)

Kerry: climate bill failure among biggest Senate regrets (via The Hill)

OPINION 

UK Green Power Auction Market a “win-win-win” for renewables, consumers, suppliers (via BusinessGreen)

How will energy productivity jumpstart the US economy? (via National Journal)

Steven Chu steps down as energy secretary – so how did he do? (via Washington Post)

Is wind power reaching a tipping point? (via Midwest Energy News)

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 – 1.29.13

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

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Settlement with TransCanada curtails protesters’ acts of civil disobedience (via Greenwire)

GRID 

China tests a small smart electric grid (via MIT Technology Review)

Inspector General: DOE mismanaged ARRA smart grid funds (via Renew Grid)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon price drop deemed “wake-up call” (via United Press International)

“Off the scale” smog envelops Beijing again (via Phys.org)

Scotland sets 2030 power sector decarbonization goal (via Recharge)

RENEWABLES 

PwC: renewables M&A activity falls in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Solar growth moves to China, Middle East, and India as Europe cuts subsidies (via ClimateWire)

UK solar boom predicted to double installations in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Taiwan starts offshore wind push (via Recharge)

Suzlon chief predicts “flat” wind turbine market in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Can fossil-fuel tax benefits boost the renewable energy industry? (via Midwest Energy News)

Solar net metering equals net benefits in California and Vermont (via CleanTechnica)

ERCOT report shows Texas wind and solar power hold their own against natural gas (via EarthTechling)

ENVIRONMENT 

Over $8 billion invested in watersheds globally in 2011 (via Mongabay) 

Projected US water use likely to increase as climate warms (via Phys.org)

Message from Mexico: US is polluting water it may someday need to drink (via ProPublica)

Species on the move present a conservation challenge (via Climate Change)

Drought worsening in Midwest and Plains states, despite Winter weather (via Huffington Post/Reuters)

OIL 

OPEC sees oil markets well supplied, no price collapse in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

US review delays closing of big Chinese oil deal (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

Has “peak car” already happened, making automakers mobility companies? (via Autoblog Green)

Three automakers combine forces on fuel-cell cars (via New York Times)

Electric cars and the power grid: how are they coming together? (via Forbes)

Lower EV prices will not blow up the market (via Pike Research)

EV drivers now have quick-charge coverage from Washington to California (via CleanTechnica)

Colorado county mandates plug-in vehicle wiring for new homes (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

USGS-NOAA: climate change impacts to US coasts threaten public health, safety, economy (via Phys.org)

Cities lead over feds on climate change adaptation (via Sustainable Business)

Scientist publishes first climate change textbook for college students (via Phys.org)

Is it Spring or is it Winter? Wild rollercoaster of US temperatures (via Weather Underground)

An unusual weather turn even for the Midwest: 8 degrees quickly becomes 74 (via New York Times)

NASA retirees appeal to own lack of climate authority (via Skeptical Science)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Shell, Kinder Morgan to jointly export LNG from the US (via Reuters)

Gas royalty checks total $1.2 billion in Pennsylvania (via Facts of the Day)

RARE EARTHS 

Rare earths mining boom poses toxic risks (via Treehugger)

COAL 

Canadian carbon project aims to prove clean coal works (via Reuters)

US coal industry sees progress ahead in Congress, Courts (via Politico)

GREEN BUILDING 

America’s most conservative green community (via The Atlantic)

Washington DC requires privately owned buildings measure energy, water use (via Sustainable Business)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Unlocking sustainability’s hidden value (via GreenBiz)

POLITICS 

What it looks like when Obama’s passion spurs him to defy political odds (via Grist)

Climate change action now helps win elections: poll (via Discovery News)

Moderate Dem Senator Heitkamp bucks party orthodoxy, aims to exemplify “all of the above” (via E&E Daily)

A chat with Sierra Club’s Michael Brune about civil disobedience (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.25.13

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

CLIMATE 

Billionaires secretly fund attacks on climate science (via The Independent)

Kerry says global climate change is threat to US (via Washington Post)

Obama’s inaugural speech rallies campus climate divestment campaign (via Buzzfeed)

How climate change could wipe out the Western Forests (via The Atlantic)

Explained in 90 seconds: it’s cold – that doesn’t mean global warming is fake (via Mother Jones)

EMISSIONS 

Japan to announce lower greenhouse gas reduction targets by November (via Bloomberg)

Norwegian Sea can hold 100 years of Norway’s CO2 emissions (via Reuters)

EU carbon price crashes to record low (via The Guardian)

Tokyo’s cap-and-trade cuts CO2 23% in second year (via Environmental Leader)

Federal court won’t review decision that struck down EPA pollution rule (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES 

China “finalizing renewables quote” (via Recharge)

What the president’s focus on climate change means for cleantech (via GreenBiz)

Crowd-funded solar projects top $1 million in US (via Treehugger)

Wind tax credit has appeal for red states, too (via Politico)

Arizona regulators slash home solar incentive, kill commercial plan (via Arizona Daily Star)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

How much will tar sands oil add to global warming? (via Scientific American)

After Nebraska setback, greens regroup on Keystone XL (via Mother Jones)

From John Kerry, cautious words on Keystone XL (via The Hill)

John Kerry says he’ll control Keystone XL review as Secretary of State (via InsideClimate News)

Enbridge says Eastern US Gulf Coast next big market for Canadian oil (via InsideClimate News/Reuters)

GRID 

Global smart grid spending rose to $13.9 billion driven by China (via Bloomberg)

Nearly 70 percent of electric meters in Europe will be smart by 2020 (via Pike Research)

Oak Park, Illinois test drives a blackout-proof, solar-powered smart grid (via Grist)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Ukraine signs landmark $10 billion shale gas deal with Shell (via Reuters)

110 lawmakers urge exports of US natural gas (via Houston Chronicle)

Do we have enough water to frack our way to energy independence? (via Huffington Post)

California sued for allegedly failing to regulate fracking (via Bloomberg)

TRANSPORTATION 

Number of ChAdeMO EV charging stations in US jumped tenfold in 2012 (via Autoblog Green)

UK could roll out 122,000 EV chargers under EU plan (via BusinessGreen)

Are vehicle miles travelled (VMT) fees the key to federal transportation woes? (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

Will Texas be next to tax electric vehicles? (via Autoblog Green)

With new battery hub, Chicago seeks to lead nation on electric vehicles (via Midwest Energy News)

GREEN BUSINESS 

McDonald’s, Unilever, Pepsi, Adidas make sustainability news at Davos (via GreenBiz)

Should oil firms make a list of the world’s most sustainable companies? (via GreenBiz)

Unilever reveals half of its factories send ‘zero waste’ to landfills (via BusinessGreen)

Oregon tops US in new clean jobs index (via Sustainable Business Oregon)

COAL 

Governors at odds over Northwest export terminal proposals (via Greenwire)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Does increased energy efficiency just spark us to use more? (via Scientific American)

Washington DC once again leads America in LEED certifications (via CleanTechnica)

Energy efficiency in the Northeast US: Massachusetts leads, New Jersey lags (via Energy Manager Today)

ENERGY INDUSTRY 

Energy industry fueled by strong M&A activity (via Houston Chronicle)

Texas regulatory commission that oversees drilling is being overhauled, even in name (via New York Times/Texas Tribune)

OPINION 

How the “Kochtopus” stifled green debate (via The Independent)

Obama’s second chance on Keystone XL (via Washington Post)

From words to deeds: how to push Obama toward climate action (via Grist)

Memo to DC: think long-term on clean energy (via Earth Techling)

The Keystone XL objections wither away (via Wall Street Journal)

US Northeast faces stark choice on climate pollution (via New York Times)

An economic tale of two shale booms: Pennsylvania is not North Dakota (via Facts of the Day)

POLITICS 

Would a White House green team help on climate? (via Politico)

Democrats form Congressional task force to fight climate change (via Bloomberg)

White House official details Obama plans for climate change, clean energy (via SNL Energy)

White House official: corporate tax reform should boost green energy (via The Hill)

Obama climate push to tie environment, jobs (via Reuters)

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 – 1.16.13

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

GRID 

Offshore transmission line breaks new ground on grid rules (via New York Times)

Why military microgrids influence exceeds their market share (via Pike Research)

ENERGY POLICY 

Large mergers drive changes in ownership of electric generating capacity in 2012 (via US EIA)

Oil lobby touts Keystone XL pipeline, natural gas exports (via Politico)

Oil refiners ask Congress to scrap renewable fuels mandate (via Houston Chronicle)

EMISSIONS 

Hong Kong offers $1.3 billion to replace polluting vehicles (via Bloomberg)

EPA says final revisions to 2010 air quality rule will cut industry costs, health risks (via The Hill)

California cuts GHGs for third year (via Environmental Leader)

RENEWABLES 

“Advanced energy” is a trillion-dollar market, and actually grew in 2012 (via GigaOm)

China passes 60GW grid-connected wind capacity (via Recharge)

Inside MENA countries’ solar energy plans (via Renewable Energy World)

Saudi Arabia will set up power buyer for renewables electricity (via Bloomberg)

Royal family investing £20 million in UK wave and tidal power (via BusinessGreen)

Solar provides 5.6% of Italian electricity demand in 2012 (via CleanTechnica)

Morocco to launch new concentrated solar power tenders (via Recharge)

50% solar cell efficiency could be in sight (via EarthTechling)

PTC in place, the US wind industry looks ahead (via Greentech Media)

Solar net metering will provide over $92 million in benefits to California ratepayers (via Electric Light & Power)

Sungevity scores $125 million for third-party solar financing (via Greentech Media)

ALEC to attack North Carolina renewable energy initiative (via DeSmogBlog)

Virginia attorney general targets utility renewable energy incentives (via Washington Times/AP)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Texas study finds increase in water used for fracking (via Texas Tribune)

CLIMATE 

2012 was Earth’s 10th warmest year on record, warmest with a La Nina (via Weather Underground)

US climate diplomat says emissions deal is in nations’ core interest (via The Hill)

Black carbon 2x larger cause of climate change than previously assessed (via Green Car Reports)

Record taxpayer cost is seen for US crop insurance (via New York Times)

Decades of temperature changes where you lived mapped online (via The Guardian)

National Flood Insurance Program – a mighty engine that couldn’t (via ClimateWire)

Science and religion meet at a climate protest (via New York Times)

Do cities really take the lead on climate change? (via Grist)

Sandy relief bill passes House despite conservative opposition (via Huffington Post)

TRANSPORTATION 

Cadillac and Nissan press the case for electric cars (via New York Times)

Tesla Model S to hit UK market in early 2014 (via BusinessGreen)

Cadillac introduces 2014 ELR extended range electric vehicle (via Green Car Congress)

Nissan to use US battery plant for hybrid vehicles (via Bloomberg)

Johnson Controls offers start-stop battery system for vehicles (via New York Times)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Google makes new electricity push with funding to Energy Foundation (via The Hill)

How Ford and Adidas are making climate change work in their favor (via GreenBiz)

US government seeing big savings from green buildings (via Greentech Media)

COAL 

10 things to know about leasing coal on public land (via Oregon Public Radio)

POLITICS 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to leave Obama administration (via Reuters)

Ken Salazar’s legacy includes push for wind, solar energy (via Politico)

Chuck Hagel’s Chevron tie not criticized (via Houston Chronicle)

OPINION 

2013: the year of climate decision (via Climate Progress)

Can the Chinese rescue Fisker? (via Autoblog)

For greater job growth, invest in clean energy, not US coal exports (via National Geographic)

Wind might not roar in 2013, even with PTC (via EarthTechling) 

The extreme weather threat that’s all around us (via Huffington Post)

Why is net metering under attack? (via Greentech Media)

A holding pattern at Tesla (via New York Times)