Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.6.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
Europe offers US a deal, hoping for global rules on airline emissions (via New York Times)
Carbon prices rise to 5-month high as EU crimps free-permit handout (via Bloomberg)
Coalition’s plans to remove Australian carbon price will cost more than $6 billion (via The Guardian)
A new divestment focus: Fossil fuels (via New York Times)
COAL
China may get over its addition to coal sooner than anyone thought (via Quartz)
Coal, hit hard by natural gas, could see further US market erosion from regulations (via ClimateWire)
RENEWABLES
Geothermal power will hit 12GW worldwide by end of 2013 (via Houston Chronicle)
Deutsche Bank says solar is approaching grid parity (via Breaking Energy)
Chile adopts 20% renewables by 2025 target (via Recharge)
Biggest geothermal plant of its kind kicks into gear in New Zealand (via EarthTechling)
Renewables account for nearly 50% of US added capacity in 2012 (via Transmission & Distribution World)
White House reviewing 2014 biofuel targets (via Reuters)
Wildlife groups, wind industry meet on eagle permit rule (via The Hill)
A $1.6 million win in America’s second offshore wind lease auction (via CleanTechnica)
Studies suggest combining renewables can fully cover energy needs by 2030 (via Energy Collective)
Is solar about to get squeezed or saved in California? (via Greentech Solar)
In unlikely alliance, Wisconsin Libertarians back solar plan (via Midwest Energy News)
OIL
US oil production reaches highest level in 24 years (via Houston Chronicle)
Is there another big US shale oil play? (via Breaking Energy)
Analyst says rail will be a lasting competitor against oil pipelines (via Houston Chronicle)
Drilling permit applications soar in Texas (via Houston Chronicle)
EPA fines Shell $1.1 million for Arctic air pollution during drilling (via The Hill)
TRANSPORTATION
India will announce plans to cut fuel consumption (via Reuters)
Who’s all excited about quick EV charging? That’d be the US military (via Green Car Reports)
San Francisco, Los Angeles account for 35% of US EV sales (via Huffington Post)
Like Tesla, Nissan making money selling ZEC credits (via Autoblog Green)
NATURAL GAS
Exxon: Natural gas will soon overtake coal in global energy use (via Houston Chronicle)
US natgas via Panama frightens LNG exporters worldwide (via Reuters)
Study says new shale gas development boom unlikely in Michigan (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
CLIMATE
EU says clock ticking on 2015 climate talks deal (via Phys.org)
Acidifying oceans add to list of CO2 dangers (via Reuters)
Caribbean faces water shortages from climate change (via Time)
Study links global warming to 2012 wild weather (via AP)
Risk of Sandy-level flood in New York City has doubled since 1950 (via Climate Central)
TAR SANDS
Canada spent $120 million on research for Enbridge pipeline (via CBC News)
Enbridge moves ahead with Michigan river cleanup (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
First Keystone pipeline pumped little money into local economy (via Lincoln Journal-Start)
GRID
German energy storage plan could trigger new market boom (via Renew Economy)
Is the smart meter market slowing down or just relocating? (via Renew Grid)
Why energy storage is cost-effective and in need of a clear market signal (via TriplePundit)
NUCLEAR
Nuclear trash men gain from record US reactor shutdowns (via Bloomberg)
Vermont Yankee nuclear plant closure in 2014 will challenge New England energy markets (via US EIA)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Expect to see deep energy retrofits for federal buildings (via GreenBiz)
Survey: Building automation and data analytics are top efficiency priorities (via Greentech Media)
GREEN BUSINESS
Significant gap exists between firms’ sustainability talk, actions (via Environmental Leader)
POLITICS
How climate change became the “killing fields” of Australian politics (via Mother Jones)
Obama trying to escape political fallout from natural gas fracking proposals (via Forbes)