Energy and Environment News Roundup – 4.7.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
UN says time running out to meet global warming target (via Reuters)
US seeks changes to “skewed” data in UN climate draft (via Bloomberg)
Forest fires arrive early as Siberia sees record high temperatures (via Siberian Times)
Climate change could turn focus on Canadian Prairies for food production (via Calgary Herald)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Gazprom stops courting US investors after Crimea crisis (via Houston Chronicle)
Ukraine in emergency talks with EU neighbors on natural gas imports (via Reuters)
Interior Department works through millions of comments on fracking rules (via Bloomberg)
Exxon Mobil to reveal fracking data (via Time)
Wyoming to start plugging old methane wells (via Billings Gazette)
RENEWABLES
Global trends in renewable energy investment 2014 (via Bloomberg)
Japan’s new energy policy stops short of setting renewables targets (via Bloomberg)
Britain embraces distributed solar (via Forbes)
Solar capacity in India crosses 2.6GW (via Panchabuta)
Fastest quarterly growth in polysilicon prices since 2010 (via Greentech Media)
Wind power has cut US CO2 emissions 4.4%, says report (via Huffington Post)
Wind power is reducing electricity rates: Repays tax credit 17x over (via TriplePundit)
Policy headwinds for the wind industry (via Navigant Research)
Deeper data dives yield more certainty on solar jobs (via Solar Industry)
Study touts benefits of wood pellets for energy (via Houston Chronicle)
Kansas lawmakers pass net metering plan in defeat for ALEC (via Midwest Energy News)
Home Depot launches the next generation of outdoor power (via EarthTechling)
Women are key residential solar energy customers (via Energy Collective)
Criticism of 2008 law part of new debate over Ohio green energy bill (via Columbus Dispatch)
Tackling energy poverty with renewables? (via Breaking Energy)
OIL
Canada can move faster than US on oil rail cars, says Transport Minister (via Reuters)
Interior says Atlantic offshore drilling tests could begin this year (via The Hill)
Coast Guard report criticizes Shell’s judgment in Arctic drilling (via The Hill)
California regulations block state shale oil boom (via Reuters)
TRANSPORTATION
Solar, hydrogen, and aluminum: A guide to the latest advanced vehicle technology (via Climate Progress)
Electricity pricing and the economics of EVs (via Navigant Research)
NUCLEAR
Dozens of nuclear reactors must prove safety under revised quake estimates (via New York Times)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Opower makes public market debut, gives hope to other green tech startups (via Forbes)
TAR SANDS
Mounting evidence of health concerns near tar sands development (via Energy Collective)
Enbridge first to confirm re-exports of Canadian crude via US (via Reuters)
Is Minnesota the next tar sands fight battleground? (via Midwest Energy News)
GRID
Enabling remote microgrids in the developing world (via Navigant Research)
Texas blackouts rise, rank second in nation (via Houston Chronicle)
OPINION
Declare a California fracking moratorium now (via San Francisco Chronicle)
Must-see video: Showtime climate series “Years of Living Dangerously” (via Climate Progress)
Can “Generation Hot” avoid its fate? (via The Daily Beast)
Should the wind production tax credit be revived? (via National Journal)
Opower IPO is a sign that “intelligent efficiency” truly matters (via Greentech Media)
Why Norway has embraced Tesla and other EVs (via Renew Economy)
Louisiana’s coastline is disappearing – here’s why it’s so hard to escape (via Washington Post)
Is Tesla Motors a carmaker, or really a grid-storage company? (via Green Car Reports)
What does “winning” the clean energy race even mean? (via Greentech Media)
Can complexities of sugarcane ethanol imports lead to increased carbon emissions? (via Energy Collective)