Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.29.13

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

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Settlement with TransCanada curtails protesters’ acts of civil disobedience (via Greenwire)

GRID 

China tests a small smart electric grid (via MIT Technology Review)

Inspector General: DOE mismanaged ARRA smart grid funds (via Renew Grid)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon price drop deemed “wake-up call” (via United Press International)

“Off the scale” smog envelops Beijing again (via Phys.org)

Scotland sets 2030 power sector decarbonization goal (via Recharge)

RENEWABLES 

PwC: renewables M&A activity falls in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Solar growth moves to China, Middle East, and India as Europe cuts subsidies (via ClimateWire)

UK solar boom predicted to double installations in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Taiwan starts offshore wind push (via Recharge)

Suzlon chief predicts “flat” wind turbine market in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Can fossil-fuel tax benefits boost the renewable energy industry? (via Midwest Energy News)

Solar net metering equals net benefits in California and Vermont (via CleanTechnica)

ERCOT report shows Texas wind and solar power hold their own against natural gas (via EarthTechling)

ENVIRONMENT 

Over $8 billion invested in watersheds globally in 2011 (via Mongabay) 

Projected US water use likely to increase as climate warms (via Phys.org)

Message from Mexico: US is polluting water it may someday need to drink (via ProPublica)

Species on the move present a conservation challenge (via Climate Change)

Drought worsening in Midwest and Plains states, despite Winter weather (via Huffington Post/Reuters)

OIL 

OPEC sees oil markets well supplied, no price collapse in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

US review delays closing of big Chinese oil deal (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

Has “peak car” already happened, making automakers mobility companies? (via Autoblog Green)

Three automakers combine forces on fuel-cell cars (via New York Times)

Electric cars and the power grid: how are they coming together? (via Forbes)

Lower EV prices will not blow up the market (via Pike Research)

EV drivers now have quick-charge coverage from Washington to California (via CleanTechnica)

Colorado county mandates plug-in vehicle wiring for new homes (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

USGS-NOAA: climate change impacts to US coasts threaten public health, safety, economy (via Phys.org)

Cities lead over feds on climate change adaptation (via Sustainable Business)

Scientist publishes first climate change textbook for college students (via Phys.org)

Is it Spring or is it Winter? Wild rollercoaster of US temperatures (via Weather Underground)

An unusual weather turn even for the Midwest: 8 degrees quickly becomes 74 (via New York Times)

NASA retirees appeal to own lack of climate authority (via Skeptical Science)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Shell, Kinder Morgan to jointly export LNG from the US (via Reuters)

Gas royalty checks total $1.2 billion in Pennsylvania (via Facts of the Day)

RARE EARTHS 

Rare earths mining boom poses toxic risks (via Treehugger)

COAL 

Canadian carbon project aims to prove clean coal works (via Reuters)

US coal industry sees progress ahead in Congress, Courts (via Politico)

GREEN BUILDING 

America’s most conservative green community (via The Atlantic)

Washington DC requires privately owned buildings measure energy, water use (via Sustainable Business)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Unlocking sustainability’s hidden value (via GreenBiz)

POLITICS 

What it looks like when Obama’s passion spurs him to defy political odds (via Grist)

Climate change action now helps win elections: poll (via Discovery News)

Moderate Dem Senator Heitkamp bucks party orthodoxy, aims to exemplify “all of the above” (via E&E Daily)

A chat with Sierra Club’s Michael Brune about civil disobedience (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.28.13

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

GRID 

Google spending millions to influence smart grid regulations (via AOL Energy)

Cisco unveils “connected grid” approach for power companies (via AOL Energy)

NYISO reports record-low prices, more wind integration in 2012 (via Renew Grid)

Vermont study concludes smart meters are safe (via Renew Grid)

COAL 

Vancouver port approves first of two controversial coal-export projects (via Vancouver Sun)

EMISSIONS 

Russian row over Kyoto extension rumbles on (via BusinessGreen)

Obama rejects carbon tax, prefers focus on jobs (via Environmental Leader)

Experts outline how REDD+ credits could fit into California’s cap-and-trade program (via Mongabay)

RENEWABLES 

Solar PV market set to rebound next year (via Recharge)

New Chinese wind installations fall again in 2012 (via Recharge)

Europe installed over one offshore wind turbine a day in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Canada’s first offshore wind farm set for British Columbia (via CleanTechnica)

Solar costs to fall as REITs emerge as funding source (via Bloomberg)

Total capacity of US Defense Department renewable energy installations will quadruple by 2025 (via Pike Research)

Federal court overturns EPA’s biofuels mandate (via New York Times)

Falling costs power wind boom: down another 21% since 2010 (via Facts of the Day)

Net metering hits the wall in California (via Pike Research)

A sneak attack on commercial solar in Arizona (via Greentech Media)

Wyoming wind could be good fit for California (via EarthTechling)

Oregon sets wave energy development course (via EarthTechling)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Japanese energy, business groups urge US natgas export approvals (via The Hill)

Fracking’s other danger: radiation (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Survey: consumers want centralized energy efficiency, demand response management (via Renew Grid)

Can smart buildings be catalysts for a second term White House agenda? (via GreenBiz)

Los Angeles saves millions with LED street light deployment (via Forbes)

DC finalizes regulations for benchmarking energy use in large buildings (via Energy Manager Today)

San Francisco 49ers dig for gold with NFL’s first LEED stadium (via CleanTechnica)

TAR SANDS 

Fight intensifies over tar sands pipelines (via Sustainable Business)

Enbridge resisting final clean up of its Michigan oil spill (via InsideClimate News)

Protesters in Maine rally against tar sands oil (via Bloomberg BusinessWeek/AP)

CLIMATE 

Davos strives to make climate talk more than hot air (via Reuters)

Could China and the BRICs nations lead on climate change? (via The Guardian)

NASA’s alarming map of the worst Australian heat wave on record (via The Atlantic)

OIL 

Saudi Arabia: “rampaging domestic demand” threatens future as oil exporter (via AOL Energy)

Environmental groups say insurance cannot cover oil spills in Canada (via Business Insurance)

North Dakota oil boom takes a toll on health care (via New York Times)

Barge accident causes Mississippi River oil spill (via USA Today)

TRANSPORTATION 

US to increase number of public EV charge stations 40% in 2013 (via Autoblog Green)

Toyota Prius was California’s best-selling car in 2012 (via Autoblog Green)

California still hasn’t bought land for bullet train route (via Los Angeles Times)

ENVIRONMENT 

Brazil plans Amazon tree census to assess deforestation (via The Guardian)

Waste heat from cities may be altering weather patterns (via Climate Central)

Measuring the consequence of forest fires on public health (via Phys.org)

Low snowfall raises concerns about drought recovery (via Climate Central)

Texas, New Mexico tangle over water (via Los Angeles Times)

POLITICS 

Washington and business brace for an Obama wave of regulations (via The Hill)

Western candidates top list of prospects to head Interior Department (via Houston Chronicle)

Red state, green Republican: Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (via Midwest Energy News)

OPINION 

Can emerging wind markets compensate for stagnant European growth? (via Renewable Energy World)

6 technologies that could shape the future of energy (via GigaOm)

How should Washington address climate change? (via National Journal)

Is divestment an effective means of protest? (via New York Times)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.23.13

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

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Nebraska governor approves new Keystone XL route (via New York Times)

Nebraska approval puts Keystone pipeline decision squarely on Obama (via Globe and Mail)

US State Department: no Keystone decision before end of Q1 2013 (via Reuters)

Obama’s own words turn up heat on Keystone decision (via Politico)

Sierra Club to engage in civil disobedience for first time in opposition to Keystone XL (via San Francisco Chronicle)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Four of five British have not heard of government’s energy efficiency Green Deal (via BusinessGreen)

Senate bill targets energy efficiency for climate strategy (via Politico)

DC, Virginia, Colorado top US in 2012 LEED certifications (via Energy Manager Today)

Berkeley Lab predicts more energy efficiency incentives in South, Midwest (via Energy Manager Today)

California to invest $2.5 billion retrofitting energy-wasting schools (via Forbes)

RENEWABLES 

China’s solar market boomed in Q4, accounting for third of global demand (via Forbes)

Japan’s solar tariff may drop 12% as costs sink, BNEF estimates (via Bloomberg)

Global insurers see opportunity in renewable energy (via Recharge)

EU proposes duties on US bioethanol imports (via Reuters)

Chinese solar panel imports drop amid new US tariffs (via Houston Chronicle)

Total solar scenario for Earth: plenty, with room to spare (via EarthTechling)

Ikea to double spending on renewable energy to $4 billion (via Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg) 

Taller wind turbines boost state energy self-reliance (via CleanTechnica)

New bill proposed for Maryland offshore wind (via Recharge)

Wind farm towers: taller and slower with more power (via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Wind energy company could be required to track, protect condors (via Bakersfield Californian)

EMISSIONS 

Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to EPA pollution rule (via The Hill)

Court ruling casts doubt on future of EPA monitoring program (via Greenwire)

California greenhouse gas emissions drop for 3rd year (via Sustainable Business)

TRANSPORTATION 

A123 expects Wanxiang sale to be finished by Feb 1 (via Autoblog Green)

Lux Research: Boeing “should have used a safer battery” (via Environmental Leader)

More electric car charging stations open in Atlanta (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

COAL 

Sen. Rockefeller reshaping his federal mine safety legislation (via Register-Herald)

Coal trains: what is the impact? (via Skagit Valley Herald)

The people and process behind Bellingham’s coal port decision (via Crosscut)

Iowa utility agrees to stop using coal at five generators (via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Betting on Indiana coal: Duke wants ratepayers to fund retrofits, enviros cry foul (via Midwest Energy News)

GRID 

Australian utilities reluctant to invest in smart grid (via Renew Grid)

How much electric supply capacity is needed to keep US electricity grids reliable? (via US EIA)

In fuel cells, the US plays catch-up (via Pike Research)

CLIMATE 

Poll shows country split on climate change (via The Hill)

In inaugural address, Obama makes a moral case for action on climate change (via Washington Post)

Obama signals new executive authority focus on climate change (via Los Angeles Times)

Obama could bypass Congress to fulfill climate pledge (via Bloomberg)

Death from above: Chicago’s bird casualties offer clues on climate change (via Grist)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Shareholders challenge Exxon, Chevron over climate risks (via GreenBiz)

NATURAL GAS 

Natural gas vehicles remain less prevalent in US than elsewhere (via Houston Chronicle)

Huntsman Corp. joins campaign against US natural gas exports (via Houston Chronicle)

NUCLEAR 

An early nuclear warning: was it for naught? (via New York Times)

Fish caught near Fukushima shows radiation level 2,500 above safety standards (via Daily Mail)

OPINION 

A quick, awesome must-read on climate change (via Mother Jones)

Will Germany banish fossil fuels before the US? (via Grist)

Enough with our cult of the presidency – the climate’s fate rests with Congress (via Grist)

The climate change endgame (via New York Times)

The 14 fossil-fuel projects poised to f*ck up the climate (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.14.13

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

EMISSIONS 

China, Mexico leading fight on climate change with new CO2 laws (via Bloomberg)

Emissions limits could cut climate change damage by two-thirds (via Reuters)

Beijing’s hazardous air pollution sparks Chinese media anger (via BBC News)

CLIMATE 

Monthly heat records have increased fivefold globally (via Phys.org)

Australia’s top climate commissioner: climate inferno “encroaching on entirely new territory” (via Mother Jones)

Inaugural GLOBE international climate summit convenes in London (via BusinessGreen)

US report warns climate change already happening, could raise temperatures by 10 degrees (via The Hill)

Climate change set to make America hotter, drier, more disaster-prone (via The Guardian)

Delaware turns to climate scientist to develop climate change projections (via News-Journal)

RENEWABLES 

UK clean tech innovators being left high and dry on venture capital (via BusinessGreen)

China to join International Renewable Energy Agency (via Green Car Congress)

Why crowd funding could disrupt how solar power is created (via GigaOm)

Renewable standards add less than 5% to US electricity bills (via Greentech Media)

Technology helps wind industry overcome “start-stop” hurdles (via ClimateWire)

Tax credit moves wind industry to ramp up construction plans (via Houston Chronicle)

Los Angeles utility set to launch 100MW solar feed-in-tariff program (via CleanTechnica)

Solar energy turns brownfields into brightfields (via Energy Collective)

OIL 

US oil glut is depressing, confusing prices (via EnergyWire)

Fracking sparks second look at US oil shale boom (via The Hill)

Shell gets massive involuntary aid package from Alaska, US Coast Guard, and you (via Grist)

EPA says Shell violated air permits for Arctic ships (via New York Times)

TRANSPORTATION 

Electric vehicle battery market to hit $22 billion by 2020, China to be global production leader by 2015 (via Green Car Congress)

Commercial flight first to use fuel produced from natural gas (via Houston Chronicle)

US military bets $20 million on 500 electric vehicles for EV-to-Grid initiative (via CleanTechnica)

Tesla delivering Model S, but cash crunch judgment waits for financials (via Green Car Reports)

NATURAL GAS 

US delays finalizing report linking fracking to water pollution (via Reuters)

Would exporting the US natural gas surplus help or hurt the economy? (via New York Times)

Poll shows more Americans want tough fracking regulations (via Energy Collective)

ENVIRONMENT 

Global food crisis will worsen as heat waves damage crops, research finds (via The Guardian)

USDA declares winter wheat belt drought disaster area (via Climate Central)

TAR SANDS 

Report fails to settle concerns over oil spill risk to Ogallala Aquifer (via InsideClimate News)

GRID 

National Grid gathers partners for smart grid pilot (via Energy Manager Today)

Texas electricity use dropped 2.7% in 2012, says ERCOT (via Forth-Worth Star Telegram)

Maryland legislative panel ponders smart-meter alternative (via Baltimore Sun)

NUCLEAR 

Japan seeks to reverse nuclear power phase-out commitment (via The Guardian)

DOE says new nuclear waste repository possible for Washington State in 2048 (via Tri-City Herald)

COAL 

Coal prices and production in most basins down in 2012 (via US EIA)

Opponents seek to derail Montana coal line (via Seattle Times/AP)

OPINION 

A sweltering planet’s agenda (via Washington Post)

Should America exploit energy exports? (via National Journal)

A new grand strategy for the US, build around sustainability (via Grist)

Green jobs 2.0: re-framing clean energy politics around a climate-informed economy (via Climate Progress)

Fiddling while Rome burns – the $5 trillion cost of climate delay (via The Independent)

OTHER NEWS 

An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.11.13

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

CLIMATE 

Heat, flood, or icy cold, extreme weather rages worldwide (via New York Times)

Australia braces for more blistering heat after record busting spell (via Washington Post)

COAL 

Ontario to be coal-free by 2013 (via Ontario Ministry of Energy)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Fossil fuel divestment campaign spreads to America’s churches (via InsideClimate News)

Investment community calls for predictable climate policy (via GreenBiz)

RENEWABLES 

Deutsche Bank predicts global solar market will rise 22 percent in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Global clean energy investment falls for first time (via BusinessGreen)

Chile approves 3.1GW of solar PV projects (via Renewable Energy World)

US wind industry awaits tax guidance on PTC rule (via Politico)

New York Governor announces $1 billion green bank and $1.5 billion solar program (via Climate Progress)

California solar program hits 1GW-installed milestone (via EarthTechling)

NREL and Stanford team up on peel-and-stick solar cells (via Renewable Energy World)

EMISSIONS 

IRENA: shale gas boom can complement renewables to cut coal (via Bloomberg)

EPA cites Shell Arctic drilling rigs for air emissions violations (via Los Angeles Times)

Do you live near one of the nation’s dirtiest power plants? (via Huffington Post)

TRANSPORTATION 

Global auto exec survey expects internal-combustion engine dominance but with downsizing and PHEV investment (via Green Car Congress)

In lawsuit against Energy Department, firms claim cronyism in “green car” loan program (via Washington Post)

Nearly 1 million natural gas trucks and buses will be sold worldwide from 2012-2019 (via Pike Research)

New EV charging station connects to smart meters (via Renew Grid)

Fuel cell vehicles could be a $1.8 billion market in 2030 (via Environmental Leader)

How to read a plug-in hybrid’s mileage sticker (via Mapawatt)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

US manufacturers lobby against “unfettered” natural gas exports (via Houston Chronicle)

California announces preliminary hydraulic fracturing regulations (via AOL Energy)

USGS finds no contamination from fracking in two Arkansas counties (via Reuters)

RARE EARTHS 

DOE plunks $120 million into rare earths research hub (via AOL Energy)

Molycorp lowers 2013 outlook, shares plunge (via Reuters)

OIL 

Support grows for more offshore drilling oversight by US (via Houston Chronicle)

BP oil spill settlement payments exceed $1 billion mark (via Houston Chronicle)

Rep. Markey: Shell may have moved Kulluk Arctic drilling rig to avoid taxes (via Reuters)

ENVIRONMENT 

Drought-damaged US states face poor outlook as dry weather persists (via The Guardian)

Native Canadians could block natural resource development (via Reuters)

Beetlemania: insects are gobbling up 1,000-year-old trees (via Mother Jones)

GRID 

ERCOT says Texas electric transmission capacity will fall short of demand (via Houston Chronicle)

OPINION 

If you aren’t alarmed about climate, you aren’t paying attention (via Grist)

Why is General Electric backing down from its plug-in pledge? (via Plugin Cars)

New York State’s clean tech challenge to California (via Forbes)

OTHER NEWS 

An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress