Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.10.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
ENERGY POLICY
Mexican opposition party clears first hurdle in bid for energy referendum (via Wall Street Journal)
Net U.S. energy imports as share of consumption lowest in 29 years (via U.S. EIA)
CEOs tout reserves of oil and gas but revealed to be less in federal reports (via Bloomberg)
COAL
China coal tariff sends message to cut supply (via Reuters)
China coal tariffs add to pressure on Australian producers (via Bloomberg)
Cheap natural gas and emission rules darker future of U.S. coal (via Financial Times)
EMISSIONS
Forest fragmentation’s carbon bomb: 736 million tonnes CO2 annually (via Mongabay)
Huge methane emissions “hot spot” found in U.S. (via Climate Central)
RENEWABLES
Scotland approves four offshore wind farms with 2.2GW capacity (via BusinessGreen)
Germany’s KfW issues largest-ever U.S. green bond - $1.5 billion (via Renew Economy)
Australians copy solar garden idea (via Energy Manager Today)
Yieldcos “big” for U.S. offshore wind (via Recharge)
Amid PV boom, solar thermal systems often overlooked (via Midwest Energy News)
Battle lines drawn over Colorado net metering dispute (via PV Tech)
SunEdison yieldco makes third-party acquisition (via PV Tech)
CLIMATE
Few U.S. states preparing for climate change, says study (via Los Angeles Times)
White House pushes climate protections for natural resources (via The Hill)
DOE Secretary says climate change will affect Gulf energy facilities (via Houston Chronicle)
OIL
Venezuela, in a quiet shift, gives foreign partners more control in oil ventures (via New York Times)
Crude oil prices fall to lowest levels in years as market pressures converge (via Houston Chronicle)
Oil companies quietly prepare for a future of carbon pricing (via GreenBiz)
Green groups sue over expansion of California crude by rail (via Reuters)
TRANSPORTATION
Unmoved by oil export proponents, Americans still fear gasoline spike (via Reuters)
Tesla unveils all-wheel drive Model D (via San Francisco Chronicle)
310- to 373-mile EV range by 2020, says Volkswagen executive (via CleanTechnica)
GM confirms 200-mile range EV (via CleanTechnica)
NATURAL GAS
Fracking setback in Poland dims hope for less Russian gas (via Bloomberg)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Efficiency gains over the last decade saved more energy than China consumed in 2011 (via Climate Progress)
GRID
PJM Interconnection offers bid to salvage demand response (via EnergyWire)
Texas power grid has first rotating outages since 2011 (via Houston Chronicle)
ENVIRONMENT
China pollution levels hit 20 times safe limit (via The Guardian)
U.S. weather forecaster says El Nino expected to begin in 1-2 months (via Reuters)
Atlantic hurricane season making late threat (via Bloomberg)
POLITICS
Brazil’s Silva not yet read to endorse Neves in runoff (via Reuters)
GOP flails about looking for climate denial alternatives (via Grist)
California’s top power regulator to exit amid criticism (via ABC News/AP)
Oil and gas industry “soul searching” over Landrieu (via Politico)
OPINION
Our planet is going to blow past the “2 degrees” climate limit (via The New Republic)
The $9.7 trillion problem: Cyclones and climate change (via Climate Central)
Latin America needs good data to plan for water stress and climate change (via WRI Insights)
Why climate litigation could soon go global (via Globe and Mail)
The Keystone killer environmentalists didn’t see coming (via Bloomberg)
Google is gone, but ALEC is still winning (via National Journal)
The bell tolls for KiOR (via Energy Trends Insider)