Category Archives:massachusetts

14
Jan

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.14.14

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

EMISSIONS 

Top global emitter China best on climate change, Figures says (via Bloomberg)

After years of decline, US carbon emissions rose 2% in 2013 (via Washington Post)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Google buys Nest for $3.2 billion (via Forbes)

Seattle energy benchmarking finds $90 million potential annual utility bill savings (via CleanTechnica)

Net zero at unprecedented scale on Illinois campus (via EarthTechling)

Nest gives Google its next big data play: Energy (via Forbes)

RENEWABLES 

UK solar panels reach half a million rooftop milestone (via BusinessGreen)

How the new US-China trade case could change the American solar market (via Greentech Media)

UK renewable energy firms “looking to hire more staff” (via BBC News)

Clean tech venture investment is on the rise, says report (via GreenBiz)

Solar City takes 32% of 2013 3Q US residential PV marker as utilities squirm (via CleanTechnica)

Ethanol mandate unlikely to face repeal in 2014 (via Argus Leader/Gannett)

North Carolina to join California as top 10 global PV “country” in 2014 (via CleanTechnica)

Coal-dependent Michigan ready to make the switch to clean energy (via EnergyWire)

New ACORE head outlines renewable energy priorities (via National Journal)

COAL 

Japan’s Tepco doubled coal burning on nuclear shutdown (via Bloomberg)

Coal reliance puts Australia second on OECD’s emissions list (via The Guardian)

China to boost annual railway coal capacity to 3 billion tons by 2020 (via Reuters)

Omnibus federal spending bill thwarts Obama on overseas coal funding limits (via National Journal)

Most states remain dependent on coal imports, draining billions from local economies (via Union of Concerned Scientists)

CLIMATE 

Massive Antarctic glacier has entered irreversible melt, could add up to 1 centimeter of sea level rise (via InsideClimate)

New assessment of climate change’s economic risks is ready for business (via Climate Progress)

Historic black colleges leading climate change advocacy (via Huffington Post)

The flood next time: Grappling with sea level rise sooner not later (via New York Times)

Massachusetts governor to unveil climate change prep plan today (via Boston Herald/AP)

Washington DC’s water utility takes lead in preparing for warming world (via ClimateWire)

OIL 

Trains will still move oil despite wrecks, Keystone XL (via Climate Central)

Federal report says 400,000 gallons of oil spilled in North Dakota train derailment (via National Journal)

TRANSPORTATION 

Nearly 2.6 million EVs will be sold in the US between 2013 and 2022 (via Navigant Research)

Ford F150 truck trail blazes new green technologies (via TriplePundit)

Annual North Carolina fee on electric vehicles starts this month (via Winston-Salem Journal)

Inslee won’t rule out low-carbon fuel standards in Washington State (via Washington State Wire)

KEYSTONE XL 

Keystone XL: Texas high court gives hope to landowners in eminent domain fight (via InsideClimate News)

ENVIRONMENT 

West Virginia chemical crisis: The latest (via National Journal)

Water restrictions lifted on day five of West Virginia chemical spill (via The Hill)

GRID 

A123 installs 3MWh grid storage solution in Spain (via Renew Grid)

Upper Great Plains Region looking to join Southwest Power Pool grid (via Renew Grid)

ENERGY POLICY 

How one utility giant created its own pipeline of skilled workers (via National Journal)

Has shale gas really reduced US carbon emissions? The problem of coal exports (via Energy Collective)

OPINION 

Keep up the pressure, climate activists (via Washington Post)

Infrastructure snags: What’s so hard about moving energy? (via National Journal)

Why Nest could be a nightmare for Google (via Forbes)

Posted:   |   Categories: A123, ACORE, Antarctica, australia, california, China, Christiana Figueres, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, deval patrick, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy benchmarking, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, environment, ethanol, ev, Ford, Ford F150, google, grid, Illinois, japan, jay inslee, Keystone XL, massachusetts, Michael Browner, michigan, Nest, Net zero, News, North Carolina, north dakota, nuclear, oil, oil spill, Oil train, PGE, Renewable fuel standard, renewables, RFS, Rick Snyder, Sea level rise, seattle, Shale gas, solar, SolarCity, Southwest Power Pool, Spain, SPP, Tepco, texas, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, Washington DC, Washington State, West Virginia
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13
Jan

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.13.14

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

ENVIRONMENT 

China’s water squeeze worsens as wetlands shrink 9% since 2003 (via Reuters)

Federal authorities to investigate West Virginia chemical spill (via The Guardian)

West Virginia river chemical leak far larger than previously estimated (via Climate Progress)

MIT study: 52% of projected 2050 global population will live in water-stressed areas (via Green Car Congress)

Drought may pressure California power utilities (via Fitch Ratings)

GREEN BUILDING 

LEED certification’s impact on America: By the numbers (via CleanTechnica)

RENEWABLES 

Solar faceoff: Feed-in tariff versus net metering (via Energy Collective)

Over 11,000 comments filed on EPA’s ethanol rules (via Autoblog Green)

Solar dropping wholesale electricity prices like a bad habit (via CleanTechnica)

Fate of New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm in hands of regulators (via Atlantic City Press)

Massachusetts reviving SREC program to promote solar growth (via Solar Industry Magazine)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

France’s Total to invest in Britain’s shale gas quest (via Reuters)

UK “going all out for shale” with 40 fracking sites in pipeline (via RTCC)

Manufacturers call for halt on natural gas export approvals (via Houston Chronicle)

New Jersey Pinelands gas pipeline plan is defeated (via Asbury Park Press)

CLIMATE 

EU commissioners clash over 2030 climate goals (via The Guardian)

Public’s climate change concerns “shaped by weather outside” (via RTCC)

In flood insurance fight, Congress wants easy win, not tough solutions (via ClimateWire)

Federal government investigating Christie’s use of Sandy relief funds (via CNN)

OIL 

Canada expects safety standard action on oil train cars “fairly soon” (via Reuters)

Wetland contamination can be predicted by oil boom states (via Los Angeles Times)

Can the oil industry save a threatened species? Texas tries it out (via EnergyWire)

TRANSPORTATION 

Study: Air travel outpacing driving in fuel efficiency gains (via Midwest Energy News)

Congress fails to renew important EV tax credits (via Plugin Cars)

Electric vehicle consumers – beyond early adopters (via Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)

Fuel economy of vehicles sold last year at record-high (via Phys.org)

TAR SANDS 

Canadian government to spend $22 million green washing tar sands (via Autoblog Green)

Posted:   |   Categories: Britain, california, canada, China, Chris Christie, climate, Climate Change, drought, electric vehicles, environment, EPA, ethanol, EU, European Union, ev, feed-in tariff, Flood, France, fuel-efficiency, green building, LEED, massachusetts, natural gas, Natural gas exports, Net metering, new jersey, News, offshore wind, oil, Oil train, Pipeline, renewables, Shale gas, solar, SREC, tar sands, Total, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, Water scarcity, weather, West Virginia
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08
Jan

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.8.14

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

EMISSIONS 

Global carbon market value to gain 15% in 2014 on EU surplus fix (via Bloomberg)

China’s state utilities move on preferential rules in carbon offset market (via Reuters)

Pollution seen costlier after EU intervention (via Bloomberg)

US carbon emissions increase 2.1% in 2013, may rise again in 2014 (via Facts of the Day)

EPA to publish emission rules for new power plants after delay (via Huffington Post)

America’s forest carbon sink is shrinking, says government report (via InsideClimate News)

Suburbs offset low-carbon footprints of major US cities, study finds (via Yale e360)

NJ environmentalists get their day in court over RGGI withdrawal (via EnviroPolitics Blog)

RENEWABLES 

China on world’s “biggest push” for wind power (via BBC News)

Japan set for offshore wind feed-in tariff (via Recharge)

Chinese solar firms face “total eclipse” in the US (via Xinhua)

Is solar PV on the brink of a second “gold rush”? (via BusinessGreen)

DOE launces national clean energy incubator initiative (via Sustainable Business)

Solar net metering war: Casualty-free, for now (via EarthTechling)

Utility holding company Integrys moves into residential solar (via Greentech Media)

Enzyme with big appetite could boost biofuels (via EarthTechling)

Midwest might be prime real estate for airborne wind power (via Midwest Energy News)

Blue Planet Foundation sees Hawaii energy 100% renewable by 2050 (via Pacific Business News)

Solar popularity continues to grow in Massachusetts (via Renewable Energy World)

COAL 

China’s solution to smog-choked cities is to boost coal production six-fold (via Quartz)

Temporary rebound expected for US coal mining in 2014 (via ABC News/AP)

Goldman Sachs pulls out of Washington State coal export project (via National Journal)

Exports keeping coal industry alive despite surge in natural gas (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

CLIMATE 

Climate change could cause deep water die-off (via Scientific American)

New Year brings more extreme weather and flooding for storm-weary UK (via Climate Progress)

Climate change brings an uncertain future to one of world’s finest teas (via ClimateWire)

Polar freeze: It’s weather, not climate (via Politico)

In much of US, extreme cold is becoming more rare (via Climate Central)

Los Angeles storms to get more severe as sea level rises, study says (via Los Angeles Times)

OIL 

Oil prices may fall on oversupply in 2014, Moody’s says (via Houston Chronicle)

US oil output to reach 43-year record in 2015, says EIA (via Reuters)

Murkowski calls for end to US crude export ban (via The Hill)

Top oil lobby to throw muscle into 2014 races (via The Hill)

North Dakota Republican calls for oil boom slowdown after train crash (via Prairie Business)

TRANSPORTATION 

More than 35 million EVs will be on roads worldwide by 2022 (via Navigant Research)

Research: EV drivers respond to range anxiety in distinct ways (via Plugin Cars)

EV sales up 229% in 2013 across US (via CleanTechnica)

EVs integrating with the smart grid (via Plugin Cars)

GRID 

Report: Japan plans national smart meter roll out (via BusinessGreen)

Report forecasts global fuel cell market (via Energy Manager Today)

With increasing barriers to federal funding, electric co-ops turn to capital markets (via Renew Grid)

Polar vortex drives record winter energy use in PJM (via Greentech Media)

ENVIRONMENT 

Geoengineering could bring severe drought to the tropics, research shows (via The Guardian)

Slowly, Asia’s factories begin to turn green (via New York Times)

GREEN BUILDING 

Federal government approves Defense Department funds for LEED Gold, Platinum certifications (via Environmental Leader)

OPINION 

America’s trade deficit is shrinking – thank fracking (via Washington Post)

Seven things you think you know about energy (via Christian Science Monitor)

An open invitation to 60 Minutes to discuss energy (via GigaOm)

Low-carbon investments in a “virtuous circle” in California (via Energy Manager Today)

Posted:   |   Categories: Airborne wind, biofuels, california, cap and trade, Carbon market, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, DOE, drought, electric vehicles, emissions, environment, EPA, EU, EU ETS, European Union, EVs, Extreme weather, feed-in tariff, Flooding, fracking, fuel cell, Geoengineering, Goldman Sachs, green building, grid, Hawaii, Integrys, japan, LEED, Lisa Murkowski, los angeles, massachusetts, Moody's, Net metering, new jersey, News, north dakota, offshore wind, oil, Oil exports, oil prices, Oil trains, PJM Interconnection, Range anxiety, renewables, rggi, Sea level rise, Shale oil, smart grid, smart meter, solar pv, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, V2G, Washington State, wind
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08
Jan

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.8.14

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

EMISSIONS 

Global carbon market value to gain 15% in 2014 on EU surplus fix (via Bloomberg)

China’s state utilities move on preferential rules in carbon offset market (via Reuters)

Pollution seen costlier after EU intervention (via Bloomberg)

US carbon emissions increase 2.1% in 2013, may rise again in 2014 (via Facts of the Day)

EPA to publish emission rules for new power plants after delay (via Huffington Post)

America’s forest carbon sink is shrinking, says government report (via InsideClimate News)

Suburbs offset low-carbon footprints of major US cities, study finds (via Yale e360)

NJ environmentalists get their day in court over RGGI withdrawal (via EnviroPolitics Blog)

RENEWABLES 

China on world’s “biggest push” for wind power (via BBC News)

Japan set for offshore wind feed-in tariff (via Recharge)

Chinese solar firms face “total eclipse” in the US (via Xinhua)

Is solar PV on the brink of a second “gold rush”? (via BusinessGreen)

DOE launces national clean energy incubator initiative (via Sustainable Business)

Solar net metering war: Casualty-free, for now (via EarthTechling)

Utility holding company Integrys moves into residential solar (via Greentech Media)

Enzyme with big appetite could boost biofuels (via EarthTechling)

Midwest might be prime real estate for airborne wind power (via Midwest Energy News)

Blue Planet Foundation sees Hawaii energy 100% renewable by 2050 (via Pacific Business News)

Solar popularity continues to grow in Massachusetts (via Renewable Energy World)

COAL 

China’s solution to smog-choked cities is to boost coal production six-fold (via Quartz)

Temporary rebound expected for US coal mining in 2014 (via ABC News/AP)

Goldman Sachs pulls out of Washington State coal export project (via National Journal)

Exports keeping coal industry alive despite surge in natural gas (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

CLIMATE 

Climate change could cause deep water die-off (via Scientific American)

New Year brings more extreme weather and flooding for storm-weary UK (via Climate Progress)

Climate change brings an uncertain future to one of world’s finest teas (via ClimateWire)

Polar freeze: It’s weather, not climate (via Politico)

In much of US, extreme cold is becoming more rare (via Climate Central)

Los Angeles storms to get more severe as sea level rises, study says (via Los Angeles Times)

OIL 

Oil prices may fall on oversupply in 2014, Moody’s says (via Houston Chronicle)

US oil output to reach 43-year record in 2015, says EIA (via Reuters)

Murkowski calls for end to US crude export ban (via The Hill)

Top oil lobby to throw muscle into 2014 races (via The Hill)

North Dakota Republican calls for oil boom slowdown after train crash (via Prairie Business)

TRANSPORTATION 

More than 35 million EVs will be on roads worldwide by 2022 (via Navigant Research)

Research: EV drivers respond to range anxiety in distinct ways (via Plugin Cars)

EV sales up 229% in 2013 across US (via CleanTechnica)

EVs integrating with the smart grid (via Plugin Cars)

GRID 

Report: Japan plans national smart meter roll out (via BusinessGreen)

Report forecasts global fuel cell market (via Energy Manager Today)

With increasing barriers to federal funding, electric co-ops turn to capital markets (via Renew Grid)

Polar vortex drives record winter energy use in PJM (via Greentech Media)

ENVIRONMENT 

Geoengineering could bring severe drought to the tropics, research shows (via The Guardian)

Slowly, Asia’s factories begin to turn green (via New York Times)

GREEN BUILDING 

Federal government approves Defense Department funds for LEED Gold, Platinum certifications (via Environmental Leader)

OPINION 

America’s trade deficit is shrinking – thank fracking (via Washington Post)

Seven things you think you know about energy (via Christian Science Monitor)

An open invitation to 60 Minutes to discuss energy (via GigaOm)

Low-carbon investments in a “virtuous circle” in California (via Energy Manager Today)

Posted:   |   Categories: Airborne wind, biofuels, california, cap and trade, Carbon market, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, DOE, drought, electric vehicles, emissions, environment, EPA, EU, EU ETS, European Union, EVs, Extreme weather, feed-in tariff, Flooding, fracking, fuel cell, Geoengineering, Goldman Sachs, green building, grid, Hawaii, Integrys, japan, LEED, Lisa Murkowski, los angeles, massachusetts, Moody's, Net metering, new jersey, News, north dakota, offshore wind, oil, Oil exports, oil prices, Oil trains, PJM Interconnection, Range anxiety, renewables, rggi, Sea level rise, Shale oil, smart grid, smart meter, solar pv, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, V2G, Washington State, wind
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18
Dec

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.18.13

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

CLIMATE 

EU needs international climate finance roadmap (via Reuters)

November temperatures set new global high, says NOAA (via CNN)

Water scarcity escalating due to climate change, says report (via The Hill)

2013 in review: A year of increasing extreme weather events (via The Guardian)

Obama and climate change: The real story (via Rolling Stone)

11 US cities tapped to spur “climate resiliency” action worldwide (via InsideClimate News)

OIL 

Shale well depletion raises questions over US oil boom (via Houston Chronicle)

Report: Taxpayers not getting fair return from drilling (via Houston Chronicle)

Without exports, US could face oil supply glut in 2015 (via Breaking Energy)

Interior Department has stopped trying to raise drilling royalty rates (via Climate Progress)

RENEWABLES 

Tony Abbott could scrap Australia’s renewables target (via RTCC)

Merkel rejects EU probe of Germany’s green energy incentives (via Bloomberg)

Canadian solar surging on sales of power projects (via Bloomberg)

Mexico will be hottest solar market in Latin America, despite huge Chile project pipeline (via Greentech Media)

UK approves plans for major offshore wind hub project (via Recharge)

Study shows rooftop solar adds thousands to home resale values (via CleanTechnica)

US DOE invests $13 million into domestic solar manufacturing (via CleanTechnica)

Turbine noise can be heard from just 3% of wind farms (via The Guardian)

A struggle to balance wind energy with wildlife (via New York Times)

Wind power rivals coal with $1 billion order from Buffett (via Bloomberg)

Ohio and Michigan partner for clean energy manufacturing (via CBS News)

Construction begins on Cape Wind offshore wind farm (via Cape Cod Times)

Move over wind – solar energy market “exploding” in Iowa (via Midwest Energy News)

Kansas renewable energy target under fire again in state legislature (via Lawrence Journal-World)

US shifts offshore wind gaze to Maryland (via Renewable Energy World)

Pentagon report says market forces shifted rare earth availability (via Reuters) 

KEYSTONE XL 

TransCanada to start oil shipments on Keystone XL southern leg in January (via Houston Chronicle)

House budget chief looks to tie Keystone XL to debt-ceiling vote (via The Hill)

GRID 

Utility-scale battery storage costs could be competitive with gas within 18 months (via Renew Economy)

US net metering set to grow, but effect on electric utilities uncertain (via Reuters)

USDA providing $1.8 billion in funding for rural electric utilities (via Renew Grid)

California ISO unveils roadmap to smarter, stronger grid (via BusinessWire)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Britain opens door to more shale gas drilling (via New York Times)

Outlook suggests green light for more gas exports (via EnergyWire)

USGS study: Methane common in southern New York State groundwater (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

TRANSPORTATION 

Will biofuels do better in aviation than anywhere else? (via Green Car Reports)

Tesla gets $34.7 million tax break to boost manufacturing in California (via San Francisco Chronicle)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Shaheen fights to recharge energy efficiency bill (via National Journal)

Infographic guide to buying energy-efficient light bulbs (via Inhabitat)

NUCLEAR 

Right-sized reactors breathing new life into nuclear energy (via Forbes)

OPINION 

Can the American wind energy industry survive without the PTC? (via Energy Collective)

It doesn’t take much global warming to drive water scarcity way up (via Climate Progress)

How wind power could beat out natural gas (via EarthTechling)

Could 2014 be the year of the battery? (via Renew Economy)

Are taxpayers getting their fair share of oil royalties? (via National Journal)

Four ways climate change is transforming our winters (via C2ES)

Posted:   |   Categories: Angela Merkel, australia, barack obama, battery, Bill McKibben, biofuels, CaISO, california, California ISO, canada, cape wind, CFL, Chile, climate, Climate Change, Climate resiliency, department of energy, DOE, Energy Efficiency, Extreme weather, fracking, Gas exports, germany, global warming, grid, interior department, Iowa, Jeanne Shaheen, kansas, Keystone XL, LED, maryland, massachusetts, methane, mexico, michigan, natural gas, Net metering, new york, News, noaa, nuclear, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, Paul Ryan, production tax credit, ptc, Rare earths, renewables, rooftop solar, Shaheen-Portmann, Shale oil, solar, Tesla, Tony Abbott, TransCanada, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, usda, usgs, warren buffett, Water scarcity, wind, Wind turbine noise
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02
Dec

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.2.13

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

EMISSIONS

Carbon markets now cover 20% of world’s emissions (via RTCC)

Beijing carbon trading starts as China acts on climate (via Reuters)

Top EU powers retreat further on aviation emission plans (via Reuters)

Australia must cut emissions 40% by 2020 to avoid “dramatic climatic shifts” (via The Guardian)

Australia’s pollution plan starts to look like emissions trading (via Bloomberg)

Divestment in fossil fuels pushed in response to climate change inaction (via National Journal)

Student fossil fuel divestment movement suffers setbacks (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

OIL

US oil producers rise in ranking of world’s largest (via Houston Chronicle)

As oil floods Plains towns, crime pours in (via New York Times)

RENEWABLES

EU nations approve solar panel trade pact with China (via Bloomberg)

World built more solar capacity than wind capacity for first time ever in 2013 (via Business Insider)

UK sets new wind energy record with 6GW generated power (via BusinessGreen)

Merkel’s new coalition government seeks greater control over renewables (via Bloomberg)

EPA begins accepting comments on federal Renewable Fuels Standard (via Des Moines Register)

DOE announces $30 million to develop distributed generation technologies (via Renew Grid)

US biodiesel production booms to record pace (via Facts of the Day)

Missouri wants to dismiss lawsuit to enforce renewable energy goals (via News-Leader)

Massachusetts’ Cape Wind project faces tax credit deadlines (via Huffington Post)

New York City doubles down on solar energy (via GreenBiz)

Delta Air Lines joins battle over biofuels (via Houston Chronicle)

41 scientists warn Obama against burning trees for electricity (via Climate Progress)

Ethanol supporters ready to go to bat for biofuels (via Autoblog Green)

The yeast in your beer can also produce hydrocarbons (via Breaking Energy)

US online startup makes going solar as easy as booking flights (via Reuters)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Where fracking falls short (via National Journal)

Fracking boom a dilemma for environmentalists (via McClatchy)

CLIMATE

Evidence shows global heat may be hiding in oceans (via Climate Central)

Climate change will pose rising burden on US taxpayers (via Climate Central)

In New Jersey pines, beetles lead to deforestation (via New York Time)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Australian households cut electricity use by 23% over past 10 years (via Renew Economy)

DOE awards $4 million to 13 states for energy efficiency projects (via Renew Grid)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL

Canada continues to delay release of oil sands emission rules (via Reuters)

Memo suggests US light oil threatens approval of Keystone XL (via Globe and Mail)

TRANSPORTATION

Nissan and British Gas launch UK’s largest commercial EV pilot (via Green Car Congress)

Electric vehicles: Mobile agents of the grid edge (via Greentech Media)

Survey says $25,000 cost barrier is a problem for EVs (via Autoblog)

Are hydrogen cars the wave of the future? Toyota thinks so. (via Washington Post)

OPINION

How will China’s carbon markets work in a non-market economy? (via Renew Economy)

Why India’s solar market looks brighter in 2014 (via Renewable Energy World)

For institutional investors, no ditching fossil fuels yet (via Washington Post)

Climate change no longer electoral Kryptonite (via Grist)

EPA resets the biofuel industry (via Navigant Research)

US Defense Secretary Hagel: Clean energy capability makes US Army “stronger fighting force” (via RTCC)

Is geothermal the only baseload power replacement that makes sense? (via Renewable Energy World)

The EPA’s bold new agenda (via Mother Jones)

UC Davis shows what a sustainable energy future looks like (via GreenBiz)

Posted:   |   Categories: Angela Merkel, australia, biodiesel, biofuels, biomass, canada, cap and trade, cape wind, Carbon market, China, Chuck Hagel, climate, Climate Change, deforestation, distributed generation, Divestment, DOE, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy Efficiency, EPA, ethanol, EU, European Union, ev, Fossil fuel divestment, fracking, geothermal, germany, global warming, green building, hydrogen, india, Keystone XL, massachusetts, Missouri, natural gas, new jersey, New York City, News, Nissan, offshore wind, oil, Renewable Fuels Standard, renewables, RFS, solar, tar sands, Toyota, Transportation, UC Davis, uk, united kingdom, wind
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08
Nov

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 11.8.13

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

EMISSIONS 

EU ministers approve carbon market backloading fix (via BusinessGreen)

Brazil greenhouse gas emissions drop to lowest level in 20 years (via Washington Post)

Nine states file brief against EPA emissions regulations (via The Hill)

Enviros, coal advocates push messaging at EPA listening session in DC (via National Journal)

Energy Department approves $84 million for 18 carbon capture projects (via Washington Post)

ENERGY POLICY 

Fossil fuels receive $500 billion a year in government subsidies worldwide (via Climate Progress)

US power companies struggle to profit in energy markets (via Reuters)

White House tallies shutdown’s energy and environmental impact (via The Hill)

Energy Department failed to report concerns as green tech firm headed for bankruptcy (via Washington Post)

RENEWABLES 

Japan’s solar market surge blows away earlier forecasts (via Greentech Media)

South Africa: Where clean energy is growing the fastest (via Sustainable Business)

China’s ailing solar panel makers see the light, on a farm (via Reuters)

Singapore launches 1st tidal turbine test bed (via Xinhua)

The promise and challenge of developing offshore wind resources (via Forbes)

Biofuels producers brace for major EPA changes as big lobby groups clash (via ClimateWire)

California seen beating renewable energy generation goal (via Bloomberg)

Two new green investing options could help avoid the carbon bubble (via CleanTechnica)

Massachusetts sets itself apart as global clean energy hub (via Renewable Energy World)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Climate impact of Canada’s tar sands is growing (via Climate Progress)

Keystone “not in Canada’s best interests” says federal party (via Globe and Mail)

A small victory for a Texas landowner in Keystone pipeline case (via Dallas Observer)

CLIMATE 

Warsaw climate talks expected to deliver loss and damage mechanism (via Thompson Reuters)

Super typhoon Haiyan, one of strongest storms ever, plows across Philippines (via CNN)

NOAA’s new tool puts climate on view for all (via Climate Central)

Amazon deforestation could mean droughts for western US (via Phys.org)

OIL 

OPEC acknowledges threat of US oil (via National Journal)

Saudi Arabia throttles back from record high oil output (via Reuters)

Strong dollar drives crude oil prices lower (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

Three Texas universities win bid to launch offshore drilling safety center (via Houston Chronicle)

Bakken boom linked to haze at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (via Greenwire)

TRANSPORTATION 

Li-ion battery prices still headed down to $180/kWh by 2020 (via Autoblog Green)

Third Model S fire drives down Tesla stock (via San Francisco Chronicle)

DOE launches alternative fueling station locator app (via Green Car Congress)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Big trucking companies shifting to natural gas across the US (via Autoblog Green)

Colorado cities’ fracking rejection poses political test for natural gas industry (via New York Times)

Colorado’s fracking bans could fall before courts (via Reuters)

OPINION 

Five issues to watch at COP 19, the “Construction COP” (via WRI Insights)

The solar industry is red hot – will it get hotter? (via Breaking Energy)

10 reasons you should care about the COP 19 UN climate talks (via RTCC)

Could California’s shale oil boom be just a mirage? (via DeSmog Blog)

Posted:   |   Categories: amazon, Backloading EU ETS, Bakken Shale, battery, biofuels, Brazil, california, canada, Carbon bubble, carbon capture, Carbon market, carbon trading, China, climate, Climate Change, colorado, deforestation, DOE, drought, Electric Vehicle, emissions, EPA, European Union, ev, Extreme weather, fracking, Green investing, japan, Keystone XL, massachusetts, natural gas, News, noaa, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, OPEC, Philippines, renewables, saudi arabia, Singapore, solar, South Africa, Subsidies, Tarsands, Tesla, Tesla Model S, texas, tidal power, Transportation
0
07
Nov

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 11.7.13

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

CLIMATE 

Climate talks will open in Poland amid flurry of new scientific warnings (via InsideClimate News)

UK and South Korea agree to collaborate on tackling climate change (via RTCC)

Resilient cities from Ahmedabad to Atlantic City prepare for climate change (via Energy Collective)

WRI lifts the veil on new climate analysis tool (via GreenBiz)

ENERGY POLICY 

Fossil fuel subsidies costing rich countries $112 per person (via BusinessGreen)

Western voters say no to fossil fuels (via Climate Progress)

GRID 

North America remains the leading region for microgrid deployments (via Navigant Research)

RENEWABLES 

Poland seeks 40% cut in renewable energy costs by 2014 (via Bloomberg)

UK offshore wind capacity grows 80% over past year (via BusinessGreen)

Report highlights values of geothermal in today’s renewable power market (via BusinessWire)

Solar, wind, and biofuels team up to push for funding in farm bill (via Midwest Energy News/E&E Daily)

Reaching beyond the roof: Three strategies for corporate investments in solar (via Renewable Energy World)

US DOE awards $12 million to cut solar soft costs (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Nuclear giant Exelon taps wind tax credit that it’s trying to kill (via Greenwire)

COAL 

Two Australian coal mines would create 3x Keystone emissions, 6x UK’s annual emissions (via The Guardian)

Bad news for Big Coal in Whatcom County (via Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

EMISSIONS 

“Unburnable” carbon fuels investment concerns (via The Guardian)

China cracks down on emissions to combat choking smog (via The Guardian)

Carbon tax advocate seeks to shake up EPA power plant debate (via The Hill)

Burning biomass pellets could lower China’s mercury emissions (via Phys.org)

Boston cuts emissions from city government operations 16% (via Environmental Leader)

OIL 

US oil industry may invoke trade law to challenge export ban (via Bloomberg)

Shell launches formal bid to resume Arctic drilling (via Houston Chronicle)

Exxon faces $2.7 million fine for Arkansas pipeline spill (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

Canada more than doubled number of EVs to pass 4,000 cars last year (via Green Car Congress)

US electric car sales have increased 361% so far in 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

West Coast’s I-5 corridor EV fast charge stations getting lots of use (via Autoblog Green)

For Tesla Motors, success is all about the batteries (via MIT Technology Review)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

China’s first coal-to-gas plant soon to pump gas to Beijing (via Reuters)

Local bans set up a showdown over fracking in Colorado (via Time)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Building toward “nearly zero energy” cities (via Phys.org)

Massachusetts ranked most energy-efficient state (via National Journal)

Opower planning IPO amidst billion-dollar behavioral efficiency opportunity (via Greentech Media)

NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility earns LEED Platinum (via Energy Manager Today)

KEYSTONE XL 

Keystone XL developer: Other pipeline companies will face similar hurdles (via The Hill)

ENVIRONMENT 

Texas passes $2 billion drought fund, putting faith in government to secure water future (via Climate Progress)

OPINION 

How do we secure a strong, international climate agreement by 2015? (via WRI Insights)

Big business wants renewable energy, but it ain’t easy (via RMI Outlet)

Will Warsaw talks fuel a pact? (via Politico)

Crowdfunding for renewables: A game changer? (via Energy Collective)

Posted:   |   Categories: arctic, Arkansas, australia, battery, biofuels, biomass, Boston, canada, Carbon bubble, carbon tax, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, colorado, department of energy, DOE, drought, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy Efficiency, EPA, ev, ev charging, Exelon, Exxon, fracking, geothermal, grid, Keystone XL, LEED, massachusetts, Microgrid, natural gas, Net zero, News, NREL, nuclear, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, oil spill, Opower, Pipeline, Poland, production tax credit, ptc, renewables, Resiliency, rooftop solar, Shell, solar, South Korea, Subsidies, Tesla, texas, TransCanada, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, Washington State, wind
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23
Sep

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.23.13

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

EMISSIONS 

French carbon tax to raise €4 billion for green energy by 2016 (via Reuters)

Norway cancels carbon capture plan it likened to “Moon landing” (via Reuters)

Everything you need to know about the EPA’s carbon limits for new power plants (via Washington Post)

Emissions regulations are central battle in Obama climate agenda (via The Hill)

Feds promise to work with businesses on meeting emissions goals (via The Hill)

COAL 

EPA claims new power plan emission regulations offer coal lifeline (via InsideClimate News)

A changing market and dim future for coal in Texas (via StateImpact Texas)

RENEWABLES 

SEIA offers peace plan to avert US-China solar trade war (via Bloomberg)

India to build world’s largest power plant in Rajasthan (via India Economic Times)

Report: Old business models holding back clean energy shift (via Midwest Energy News)

Wind energy: Bigger isn't always better (via Breaking Energy)

Wicked green: Massachusetts clean economy grows 11.8% to 80,000 jobs (via CleanTechnica)

Renewables provide a growing share of California’s electricity (via US EIA)

New Jersey offshore wind proposal still seeks answers (via Renewable Energy World)

Michigan can triple its renewable energy production by 2035, finds report (via Detroit Free Press)

Lake Erie wind turbines viable (via Plain Dealer)

CLIMATE 

IPCC issues stark warning over global warming (via The Guardian/The Observer)

Global warming “hiatus” puts climate change scientists on the spot (via Los Angeles Times)

Big business funds effort to discredit climate science, warns UN official (via The Guardian)

Arctic alpine plants may survive in “micro refuges” as temperatures rise (via The Guardian)

Arctic on course for ice-free summer “within decades”, scientists say (via The Guardian)

Hunger to worsen as climate change heats up world (via Bloomberg)

Study says children will bear brunt of climate change impact (via The Guardian)

OIL 

Not business as usual: China’s oil majors are no longer invincible (via Houston Chronicle)

Federal standards needed for safe Arctic drilling, Pew says (via Houston Chronicle)

Eagle Ford’s future might lie in Mexico’s oil demand (via Houston Chronicle)

California law to regulate fracking signed by governor (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

China to raise prices for clean fuel to boost production (via Reuters)

US gasoline prices fall 6.4 cents as crude declines (via Reuters)

Green parking: Not just a concept anymore (via New York Times)

Tesla’s feat of (financial) engineering (via Washington Post)

NUCLEAR 

France to tax nuclear output to fund shift to renewables (via Bloomberg)

US DOE invests $60 million in nuclear technology research and training (via Green Car Reports)

GRID 

Vehicle-to-grid charging coming of age (via EarthTechling)

Top 9 things you didn’t know about America’s power grid (via Energy.gov)

KEYSTONE XL 

Hundreds of events “Draw the Line” against Keystone XL and tar sands (via Huffington Post)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Why are some airlines better at saving fuel than others? (via Washington Post)

Siemens installing energy saving measures for US Coast Guard (via Energy Manager Today)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Money flowing to build pipelines (via Houston Chronicle)

Sites sought for Marcellus Shale region’s fracking residue (via Columbus Dispatch)

POLITICS 

Merkel romps to victory but faces tough coalition choices (via Reuters)

Republicans pounce on Obama’s global warming regulations for political fodder (via National Journal)

White House “War on Coal” no slam dunk for GOP in 2014 (via Politico)

White House: No retreat on troubled FERC nominee Binz (via The Hill)

OPINION 

What climate scientists should talk about: Their personal stories (via The Guardian)

Beleaguered CEOs say they can’t save the planet by themselves (via Bloomberg)

A reality check on offshore wind in Virginia (via Washington Post)

How big an impact will EVs have on the grid and your wallet? (via Greentech Media)

Will offshore wind finally take off on US East Coast? (via Yale e360)

Posted:   |   Categories: Angela Merkel, arctic, barack obama, california, carbon capture, carbon tax, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Eagle Ford Shale, emissions, Energy Efficiency, EPA, FERC, fracking, France, Gasoline prices, global warming, green jobs, grid, india, IPCC, Keystone XL, Lake Erie, marcellus shale, massachusetts, mexico, michigan, natural gas, new jersey, News, norway, nuclear, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, Rajasthan, renewables, Ron Binz, Sea ice melt, seia, Shale oil, Siemens, solar, Solar Energy Industries Association, tar sands, Tesla, texas, Transportation, US Coast Guard, V2G, Vehicle to grid, virginia, War on Coal, wind
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20
Sep

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.20.13

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

COAL 

Obama takes on coal with first-ever carbon limits (via Associated Press)

Coal’s future darkens around the world (via Associated Press)

Government’s latest coal auction attracts lowest bid in 15 years (via Climate Progress)

It’s not just Obama’s carbon rules that are killing coal – it’s cheap gas (via Time)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon markets set “to be oversupplied until 2027” (via BusinessGreen)

France to cut fossil fuels 30% by 2030, president says (via Phys.org)

EU carbon price forecast to hit €66 per ton by 2030 (via Recharge)

Administration presses ahead with limits on power plant emissions (via New York Times)

Study: Fracked shale formations could store carbon dioxide (via Yale e360)

How bad for the environment are gas-powered leaf blowers? (via Washington Post)

RENEWABLES 

Germany industry wants end of feed-in tariff on rising power cost (via Bloomberg)

Is Brazilian sugarcane the answer to US biofuel needs? (via Green Car Reports)

Algae biofuels cut CO2 emissions more than 50% compared to petroleum fuels (via Phys.org)

Siemens opens state-of-the-art wind service training center (via Energy Collective)

Solar Exchange launches with over $28 million in solar goods (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Top 10 challenges for the biofuels industry (via Renewable Energy World)

In Minnesota, looking for lessons from Goodhue wind fight (via Midwest Energy News)

Massachusetts racks up 11.8% growth in clean energy (via Solar Industry Magazine)

NUCLEAR 

Japan’s future depends on stopping Fukushima leaks, PM tells workers (via The Guardian)

CLIMATE 

Ozone treaty offers quicker fix for global warming (via Bloomberg)

Russia urges UN climate report to include geoengineering (via The Guardian)

Australia scraps national climate commission (via The Guardian)

India and China face significant flooding risk warns Swiss Re (via RTCC)

UN climate report set to establish “global carbon budget” (via RTCC)

Study says journalists should talk about climate change like a pension policy (via Climate Progress)

Clash over flood insurance rates sharpens days before hikes are enacted (via ClimateWire)

The many small ways Americans are adapting to climate change (via The Atlantic)

ENERGY POLICY 

US revives aid program for cleaner fossil fuels (via New York Times)

California’s strategic plan for renewables and efficiency (via Greentech Media)

GRID 

Beacon Power starts up flywheel energy storage facility in Pennsylvania (via Renew Grid)

OIL 

Halliburton pleads guilty to destroying evidence after BP oil spill (via The Hill)

Legal, political battles await EPA’s power plant emissions limits (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

General Motors looks to cut battery prices and increase EV range (via New York Times)

Tesla shares hit yet another record high at $180 (via Autoblog Green)

Ecotality bankruptcy could give Nissan its own charger network (via Plugin Cars)

2014 Chevy Spark EV test drive (via CleanTechnica)

POLITICS 

Senate support unravels for Obama’s FERC nominee (via The Hill)

US Senate GOP leader says he will work to defeat FERC nominee (via Reuters)

Government funding battle knocks stalled energy efficiency bill off Senate floor (via The Hill)

OPINION 

Sorry, Arctic sea ice isn’t really “recovering” (via Washington Post)

Time to act on climate change (via Huffington Post)

Will coal survive the EPA’s new carbon rules? (via Washington Post)

Obama’s coming climate crackdown (via Politico)

A clean energy revolution – now (via Energy.gov)

These five things need to happen before electric cars really go mainstream (via Washington Post)

Are wind farm-related eagle deaths higher than we think? (via EarthTechling)

Posted:   |   Categories: adaptation, arctic, australia, barack obama, battery, Beacon Power, biofuels, BP, Brazil, california, cap and trade, Carbon market, Carbon sequestration, Chevy Spark EV, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, ecotality, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, EPA, ethanol, EU, EU ETS, European Union, ev, EV charger, feed-in tariff, FERC, Floods, Flywheel, France, fukushima, General Motors, Geoengineering, germany, green jobs, Gulf of Mexico, Halliburton, india, japan, massachusetts, minnesota, Mitch McConnell, natural gas, News, Nissan, nuclear, oil, oil spill, pennsylvania, renewables, Ron Binz, Russia, Sea ice melt, Severe weather, Shaheen-Portman, Shale gas, Siemens, solar, Sugarcane ethanol, Tesla, Transportation, wind
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