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)