Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.17.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
COAL
China coal restrictions may have little impact on imports (via Reuters)
Coal sector eyes salvation in green bond market (via RTCC)
Coal industry market value contracting again after brief rebound (via SNL Energy)
Peabody Energy to be removed from S&P 500 index (via Post-Dispatch)
U.S. Corps of Engineers halts Oregon coal terminal review pending permit outcome (via The Oregonian)
RENEWABLES
China wind sector braces for feed-in tariff cuts (via Recharge News)
Funding released to accelerate 740MW of new renewables in Chile (via PV Tech)
UK solar farm issues Europe’s first certified climate bonds (via BusinessGreen)
PV industry loses $500 million a year through supply chain (via PV Tech)
Chile to get net metering for PV plants under 100kW (via PV Tech)
USDA Secretary expects 2014 biofuel use targets to rise (via Reuters)
When the power’s out, solar panels may not keep the lights on (via NPR)
Some see garbage, others see opportunity: Installing solar on landfills (via RMI Outlet)
Preliminary OK for large California concentrated solar project sparks debate over impact to birds (via Greenwire)
Burlington, Vermont’s electricity now 100% renewable (via The Week)
CLIMATE
Natural disasters displaced more people than war in 2013, finds study (via The Guardian)
Rising sea levels a “sleeping giant” that could cost $226 billion, says report (via The Guardian)
Antarctic Peninsula glacier recession “unprecedented” (via BBC)
Climate change may add billions to wildfire costs, study says (via Los Angeles Times)
Mapping the future of sea-level rise on the Potomac, the Chesapeake, and the Atlantic (via Washington Post)
Drought-hit California faces future trouble as warming reduces water (via RTCC)
NATURAL GAS
Study links increased drilling with earthquakes (via Wall Street Journal)
Study: Bad fracking techniques let methane flow into drinking water (via Washington Post)
Leaky wells spur call for stricter rules on gas drilling (via Bloomberg)
Fracking ban enrages Coloradans sitting on energy riches (via Bloomberg Businessweek)
Natural gas company seeks federal approval for Massachusetts pipeline (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
EMISSIONS
Businesses double down on carbon pricing while Capitol Hill idles (via GreenBiz)
EPA delays key power plant rule of signature climate change plan (via The Guardian)
White House partners with industry to tackle refrigerant greenhouse gas (via Reuters)
EPA extends climate rule comment period (via The Hill)
Broad carbon tax outlines get positive legislative response (via The Oregonian)
OIL
Oil prices rise on prospect of OPEC output cut (via Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg)
Deeper Saudi oil cuts seen after biggest drop since 2012 (via Bloomberg)
Can the U.S. cut off Islamic State’s oil sales? (via Christian Science Monitor)
Feds reveal details on Shell’s Arctic ambitions (via Houston Chronicle)
TransCanada sees itself in oil train business regardless of Keystone XL (via Reuters)
TRANSPORTATION
EVs are cleaner, but still not a magic bullet (via New York Times)
GM learning from current Chevy Volt owners as it works on next-gen model (via Autoblog Green)
Report suggests Tesla Model 3 to cost $50,000 or more (via Green Car Reports)
Tesla “ecosystem” changing the face of Silicon Valley (via Green Car Reports)
GRID
PG&E tops in U.S. smart meter deployments (via Energy Manager Today)
50 million U.S. smart meters and counting (via Greentech Media)
Demand response capacity expected to increase more than six-fold by 2023 (via Navigant Research)
ENVIRONMENT
Unilever aims to end deforestation (via Sustainable Business)
Drought-stricken California gets landmark groundwater legislation (via Sacramento Bee)
POLITICS
Obama welcomes report saying fighting climate change can be low cost (via The Guardian)
Bobby Jindal: White House are “science deniers” (via Politico)
Markey to seek halt on federal coal leases (via The Hill)
OPINION
Fighting climate change makes economic sense; cities should take the lead (via Huffington Post)
Measuring up: How to assess the upcoming UN climate summit (via Climate Progress)
By the numbers: The new climate economy (via WRI Insights)
Mexico has reformed its energy sector, now what? (via Forbes)
Bobby Jindal’s soft climate-change skepticism (via National Journal)