Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.16.15

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

CLIMATE 

EU plans diplomatic offensive ahead of Paris climate summit (via RTCC)

New Pew survey shows Americans may finally be serious about global warming (via Washington Post)

COAL 

Michigan governor wants to wean state off coal as an energy source (via Lansing News)

RENEWABLES 

Solar, wind power to become cheapest energy source in Asia (via Business Standard)

Brazil wind financing deals surged 83% last year to $2.5 billion (via Bloomberg)

Wind farms could save UK £7.4 billion in gas import costs, says report (via BusinessGreen)

2015 will see first solar equipment produced in Brazil, says BNDES (via Recharge)

Merkel says Germany needs “a respite from solar” (via PV Magazine)

Dubai doubles capacity of “lowest cost” PV plant to 200MW (via PV Tech)

Yingli Green kick-starts China PV project pipeline in 2015 (via PV Tech)

Queensland businesses turn to solar to offset soaring bills (via Renew Economy)

Australian households installed a rooftop solar system every 2.8 minutes in 2014 (via Renew Economy)

U.S. solar industry adds 31,000 jobs in 2014 (via The Hill)

California regulators consider west-facing incentives for solar (via Solar Industry)

Missouri net metering bills could aid battered solar industry (via Midwest Energy News)

In Wisconsin, solar “new math” could equal big impacts (via Midwest Energy News)

Minnesota group wants state energy assistance to fund solar for low-income families (via Sustainable Business)

Solar cell efficiency jumps 50% with hand-build Perovskite layer (via CleanTechnica)

Small-scale hybrid energy device harvests both sun and wind (via Treehugger)

Solar Decathlon 2015 kicks off with Irvine workshop (via CleanTechnica)

OIL 

Mexico considers delaying some oil exploration bidding (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

Canada postpones North American summit amid Keystone XL tension (via Reuters)

Lifting U.S. crude export ban could boost production, cut gas prices, says study (via Reuters)

Judge puts BP’s top fine at $13.7 billion for Gulf oil spill; U.S. sought $18 billion (via Bloomberg)

U.S. oil train safety proposal due in May (via Reuters)

Gravy train derails for oil patch workers laid off in downturn (via Bloomberg)

TRANSPORTATION 

Korea’s target: 200,000 EVs by 2020 (via Inside EVs)

Nissan to have longer-range EVs “relatively quickly,” says executive (via Green Car Reports)

Elon Musk: Hyperloop test track may be built in Texas (via San Francisco Chronicle)

GRID 

India’s power sector moves into the 21st century (via Navigant Research)

PJM files “stop-gap” proposal with FERC to allow demand response in capacity auctions (via SNL Energy)

Opower says 95 utility partners have saved 6TWh energy (via Energy Manager Today)

California takes lead in developing energy storage (via GreenBiz)

Solar and utilities can co-exist through EVs, says Elon Musk (via Renew Economy)

POLITICS 

Poll: GOP clashes with voters on oil industry priorities (via Houston Chronicle)

Solar alliance in Sunshine State may be bad news for Jeb Bush (via Forbes)

OPINION 

How beyond-the-grid solar firms and lenders can make better use of capital (via Greentech Media)

A reminder to investors dumping solar stocks: PV and oil rarely mix (via Greentech Media)

Center for Public Integrity reveals how PR firms manufacture consent for oil firms (via DeSmogBlog)

Wind must cut costs in face of cheap crude (via Renewable Energy World)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.17.14

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

CLIMATE

Research says latest international climate pledges still fall short of 2C goal (via ClimateProgress)

Europe’s record-hot year made 35 times more likely by climate change (via The Guardian)

New York, other major cities face more power outages thanks to climate change (via ClimateProgress)

Rutgers research shows climate change driving fish north (via Newark Star-Ledger)

NUCLEAR

Japan approves two new nuclear reactors (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES

Duties set by U.S. on imports of China, Taiwan solar goods (via Bloomberg)

New tariffs on Chinese solar-panel makers split the U.S. solar industry (via Greentech Media)

Beijing urges U.S. to be reasonable in search for trade settlement (via PV Tech)

David Cameron declares UK has “enough” onshore wind farms (via BusinessGreen)

British Columbia approves $7.5 billion hydropower dam (via Reuters)

Central America’s biggest wind farm gets $300 million from IFC (via Bloomberg)

Chile’s mines set hot pace on renewables – Australia should take notice (via Renew Economy)

Where does solar make sense? New state study shows big differences and surprises (via Breaking Energy)

NREL demonstrates 45.7% efficiency for solar cell (via NREL)

California approves major revisions in its Renewable Auction Mechanism (via Greentech Media)

Rural co-ops promise net metering but don’t always deliver (via Midwest Energy News)

Cape Wind will miss 2014 goal to close project financing (via Recharge)

Power options: Comparing costs of rooftop solar to traditional electricity (via WRI Insights)

Think tank proposes 40 options to change ethanol mandate (via The Hill)

Staples California announces green energy offering for small businesses (via Environmental Leader)

EMISSIONS

Beijing reveals bottom-up approach to national carbon market (via RTCC)

Australia quietly re-instates a carbon-trading scheme (via Renew Economy)

Industry’s mercury challenge could undermine attack on EPA climate rule (via Greenwire)

A carbon pollution policy with all the fixins’ (via Sightline Daily)

California pensions should divest coal assets, says state senate leader (via Reuters)

Washington Governor proposes carbon tax to fund pressing transportation needs (via Huffington Post)

OIL

OPEC net oil export revenues expected to fall in 2014-2015 (via U.S. EIA)

An OPEC of the West? North American nations eye stronger oil and gas ties (via Christian Science Monitor)

U.S. talking oil exports just when the world needs it least (via Bloomberg)

Investors in beat-up oil bonds lean on banks for rescue (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION

ABB-led consortium launches $10.5 million project to install EV fast chargers along key European highways (via Green Car Congress)

4,700 all-electric cars sold in Europe during October (via Inside EVs)

U.S. households to spend $550 less on gasoline in 2015 (via Houston Chronicle)

California, Washington lead all other states in EV ownership rates (via Green Car Reports)

GRID

Utility distribution microgrids are expected to reach $6 billion in annual revenue by 2023 (via Navigant Research)

Developing a reliable wind “super grid” for Europe (via Phys.org)

Cautiously, private utilities dip toes into microgrid pool (via Navigant Research)

Will states take over demand response markets in the U.S.? (via Renewable Energy World)

PG&E testing new grid-scale battery system at $160 per kWh (via Energy Manager Today)

ENVIRONMENT

Italy says it will oppose EU plans to scrap environmental law (via The Guardian)

Obama withdraws Alaska’s Bristol Bay from drilling (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

Top 10 universities taking the lead on sustainability worldwide (via EcoWatch)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working on more regulations than EPA (via Greenwire)

Rocky Mountain Institute, Carbon War Room join forces (via BusinessGreen)

Cutting the cord without blowing your power bill (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

POLITICS

McConnell says Keystone first item on GOP Senate agenda (via The Hill)

Lobbying of Hillary begins (via The Hill)

Jeb Bush may be “the smart brother” but he’s as much a climate denier as any conservative (via The Guardian)

Renewable energy companies use new clout in statehouses (via Stateline)

OPINION

Is India’s grand solar vision becoming reality? (via Renewable Energy World)

Plunging oil prices are doing Obama’s foreign policy for him (via Washington Post)

Protecting Bristol Bay was an easy call for Obama – the hard ones come next (via National Journal)

Should the price of oil really impact renewable energy adoption? (via Greentech Media)

In defense of Massachusetts: Why the Bay State is leading in energy efficiency (via Greentech Media)

The real reason Tesla’s stock is tanking (via Huffington Post)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 4.24.13

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

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Germany is torn over shale gas fracking (via Washington Post)

Natural gas price more than doubles from 2012 low (via Houston Chronicle)

Harvard report slams fracking chemical disclosure website (via Houston Chronicle)

EMISSIONS 

Record carbon plunge means pain for Europe’s utilities (via Bloomberg)

US power sector readies for new emissions rules (via Wall Street Journal)

Utility Xcel Energy on track to surpass 20% CO2 reduction goal by 2020 (via Renew Grid)

RENEWABLES 

Four charts on the future of the global solar market (via Greentech Media)

France backs plan for EU 2030 renewables target (via BusinessGreen)

Portraits of a maturing solar market: how key states are faring (via Greentech Media)

America now has more solar energy workers than coal miners (via Treehugger)

Hydropower, energy efficiency bills get early start in Congress (via Houston Chronicle)

ALEC picks up the pace: 16 states could repeal renewable energy policy (via Sustainable Business)

Wind map shows untapped energy potential in cities (via Phys.org)

IBM’s new concentrated solar technology may provide 80% efficiency (via BusinessGreen)

Colorado renewable energy requirement bill faces another test in legislature (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

How wind energy helped Iowa attract Facebook’s new data center (via Midwest Energy News)

COAL 

Federal court backs EPA veto of mountaintop mining project (via The Hill)

New regional alliance opposes coal-export plan from Washington ports (via Seattle Times)

With natural gas costly, AEP burning more coal (via Columbus Dispatch)

LA City Council unanimously votes to phase out coal-fired energy (via Los Angeles Times)

CLIMATE 

Saudi Arabia blocks climate change from UN poverty goals (via RTCC)

Climate change as real business risk (via GreenBiz)

Climate’s best hope: another Bush presidency? (via Politico)

TRANSPORTATION 

Obama Administration had advance warning on Fisker Automotive failure (via CBS/AP)

LA to host all-electric race car series (via Los Angeles Times)

Fisker execs will be questioned today over DOE loan, repayments (via Autoblog Green) 

ENVIRONMENT 

Federal court rejects challenge to EPA power plant waste runoff rules (via The Hill)

Red River showdown: Texas-Oklahoma water war could reverberate across US (via Stateline)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

New Jersey school cuts energy use 52%, wins EPA building competition (via Energy Manager Today)

OPINION 

India’s PM talks up clean energy, but can he deliver? (via RTCC)

US oil and gas boom has had a modest economic impact – so far (via Washington Post)

Why is Reuters puzzled by global warming’s acceleration? (via The Guardian)

How much does EPA’s objection to Keystone XL matter? A lot. (via Washington Post)

Breaking down on the road to electric cars (via New York Times)

NRG Energy CEO: solar should break up with wind, date natural gas, have distributed babies (via Grist)

Three thoughts on the Fisker debacle (via Scientific American)

POLITICS 

Conservatives come out for renewable energy projects (via National Journal)

Murkowski sees wider support for clean energy tax break (via Bloomberg)

Obama’s pick for Energy Secretary blocked over cuts at South Carolina nuclear waste plant (via National Journal)