Category Archives:North Carolina

26
Jan

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.26.15

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

U.S.-INDIA TALKS 

U.S. and India announce “cooperation” on climate change (via Climate Progress)

Obama backs India solar goals, seeks support for climate talks (via Reuters)

Obama says made a breakthrough in civil nuclear trade with India (via Retuers)

Obama-Modi nuclear “breakthrough” has CEOs wary of fine print (via Bloomberg)

NATURAL GAS 

UK lawmakers urge fracking moratorium (via Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg)

ENVIRONMENT 

Obama proposes to declare ANWR a wilderness area (via National Journal)

RENEWABLES 

India plans 100GW wind energy capacity by 2022 (via CleanTechnica)

Japan to set renewable energy targets despite nuclear creeping back in (via PV Tech)

India to propose global collaboration in solar power R&D to cut costs (via CleanTechnica)

India clean energy investments rise 13% to $7.9 billion (via Bloomberg)

Qatar set to announce 200MW solar tender (via PV Tech)

Chinese tier-1 PV module suppliers have sold out (via CleanTechnica)

Worry for U.S. solar projects after end of tax credits (via New York Times)

A philosophical divide emerges in states considering the future of utilities (via Greentech Media)

Huge New England area to soon open for offshore wind power (via Climate Progress)

New York Governor Cuomo delivers a sunny 2015 State of the State (via Renewable Energy World)

Massachusetts closes out landmark solar rebate program (via Solar Industry)

North Carolina plunges deeper into offshore wind energy (via CleanTechnica)

Clean energy investment plummets in Ohio (via Greentech Media)

New California partnership launches statewide PACE program (via Renewable Energy World)

New steps toward future production of solar fuels (via Phys.org)

Solar and water: Abengoa’s big bets (via Forbes)

Mahindra Group to expand renewables business amid India’s clean energy push (via Reuters)

Inside the coming showdown over rooftop solar in Indiana (via Utility Dive)

CLIMATE 

Cold nights are decreasing across the U.S. (via Climate Central)

Pope’s U.S. visit to stoke climate fight (via The Hill)

Hollande calls for global “solidarity” in fight against climate change (via RTCC)

Before sea level rises, Miami Beach officials want to raise street (via Miami Herald)

OIL 

Saudi oil minister Naimi to stay for now, policy steady (via Retuers)

Head west for best look at U.S. oil drillers’ pain (via Bloomberg)

Defeating Keystone XL might mean more oil by train (via The Stranger)

Illinois misses the fracking boom because of falling oil prices (via Chicago Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION

Plug-in EV sales could hit 1% market share this quarter (via Autoblog)

How low gas prices could spike Obama’s climate plan (via National Journal)

GRID 

Demand response will “win hands down if taken up by Supreme Court, says former FERC Chair (via Greentech Media)

Wind transmission beats Keystone XL pipeline in race for federal approval (via CleanTechnica)

OPINION 

On Obama’s India visit, climate change deal unlikely as Modi boosts coal production (via Washington Post)

Cheapest solar in the world (Michael Liebreich interview series) (via CleanTechnica)

Why you need to pay attention to solar energy legislation in Indiana (via Indianapolis Star)

What isn’t at stake in the Exelon-Pepco merger (via Forbes)

Posted:   |   Categories: abengoa, Andrew Cuomo, anwr, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, california, China, climate, Climate Change, Demand response, electric vehicles, EVs, Exelon, FERC, Florida, fracking, Francois Hollande, global warming, grid, Illinois, india, indiana, investment tax credit, itc, japan, Jon Wellinghoff, Keystone XL, Miami, Narenda Modi, natural gas, New England, new york, News, North Carolina, nuclear, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, Oil train, PACE, Pepco, Pope Francis, Qatar, renewables, saudi arabia, Sea level rise, seattle, solar, Solar manufacturing, transmission, Transportation, united kingdom, wind
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12
Jan

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.12.15

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

ENERGY POLICY 

Obama’s India visit could yield progress on climate change and solar power (via The Guardian)

Solar plus batteries unlikely to threaten utilities anytime soon, says study (via Forbes)

Wholesale power prices increase across the U.S. in 2014 (via U.S. EIA)

EMISSIONS 

South Korea launches carbon cap-and-trade system (via The Hill)

Stanford professors urge withdrawal from fossil fuel investments (via The Guardian)

RENEWABLES 

India plans five separate $5 billion green energy funds (via Panchabuta)

Solar at grid parity in most of world by 2017 (via Renew Economy)

Renewable energy investment surges, nearly surpasses 2011 mark (via Climate Progess)

Solar accounted for nearly half of all global clean energy investment in 2014 (via Greentech Media)

5GW wind-solar energy park planned in Gujarat, India (via CleanTechnica)

Indian oil corporation targets 10,000 solar-powered gas stations (via CleanTechnica)

SunEdison plans $4 billion India solar factory as demand climbs (via Bloomberg)

Morocco solar agency awards 350MW of concentrating solar power contracts (via PV Tech)

Chile will be home to latest challenger for world’s largest merchant solar plant (via PV Tech)

Wind developers seen bidding to build Brazil transmission lines (via Bloomberg)

Steady wave power could be cheaper than wind and solar (via BusinessGreen)

Wind forecasting receives $2.5 million boost from U.S. DOE (via CleanTechnica)

Morgan Stanley deal nudges 2015 U.S. residential solar investment toward $800 million (via PV Tech)

Net metering fight comes to New Mexico (via Navigant Research)

Utility commission order bolsters North Carolina’s status as a rising solar power (via Solar Industry Magazine)

KEYSTONE XL 

White House: State Department studying Nebraska ruling on Keystone XL (via Reuters)

Not enough votes to override Keystone veto, says Sen. Coons (via The Hill)

TransCanada CEO: “We need Keystone” (via The Hill)

CLIMATE 

Countries could leave UN climate body if Paris fails, says Todd Stern (via RTCC)

Most physicians already seeing health effects of climate change in patients (via Yale e360)

72 percent of Republican Senators are climate deniers (via Mother Jones)

OIL 

Oil tumbles to 5-½ year low as OPEC reaffirms stance (via Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg)

Venezuela, Saudi leaders meet to talk oil prices in Riyadh (via Houston Chronicle)

As oil plummets, how much pain still looms for U.S. energy firms? (via Reuters)

Oil drillers bail on U.S. boom, idle most rigs since 1991 (via Bloomberg)

Shell to cut five to ten percent of oil sands jobs (via Houston Chronicle)

Bakken oil producers need $55 a barrel to keep production steady (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

Inflexible ethanol costs stopping further decrease in gas prices (via Autoblog)

2016 Chevy Volt arrives with 50-mile EV range, 41 mpg (via Autoblog)

Official Chevrolet Bolt details: 200-mile range, $30,000 starting price (via Inside EVs)

University of Tennessee to head $250M advanced composites manufacturing institute (via Green Car Congress)

NATURAL GAS 

Idea for gas terminal off East Coast rankles fracking foes (via Houston Chronicle)

New York fracking ban seen as having little impact on supply (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

GRID 

A next-gen battery to land in Hawaii, courtesy of Aquion Energy (via GigaOm)

Massachusetts awards $18 million for microgrids, energy resiliency (via Greentech Media)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Green building materials market to reach $235 billion in value by 2019 (via Environmental Leader)

New U.S. DOE lighting standards could save $15 billion (via CleanTechnica)

What’s unique about the Texas PACE-in-a-box toolkit? (via Renewable Energy World)

ENVIRONMENT 

We can fix the Gulf dead zone, for $2.7 billion a year (via Grist)

New York is biggest city to ban foam packaging (via Grist)

California’s almonds use as much water annually as Los Angeles uses in three years (via Mother Jones)

OPINION 

How EVs could impact the grid in four charts (via Greentech Media)

How innovative solar business models can benefit all (via GreenBiz)

Bakken oil wells and the Red Queen’s revenge (via Reuters)

U.S. car travel has been on the decline for a decade – will cheap gas change that? (via Washington Post)

Posted:   |   Categories: Aquion Energy, Bakken Shale, Batteries, Brazil, california, cap and trade, Carbon market, chevrolet, Chevy Bolt, chevy volt, Chile, Chris Coons, climate, Climate Change, Concentrating solar power, Divestment, DOE, drought, emissions, Energy Department, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, ethanol, Fossil fuel divestment, fracking, Fracking ban, gas prices, Green Buildings, grid, Grid Parity, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, india, Keystone XL, massachusetts, Microgrids, Morgan Stanley, Morocco, natural gas, Nebraska, Net metering, New Mexico, New York City, new york state, News, North Carolina, oil, OPEC, PACE, renewables, saudi arabia, Shale oil, Shell, solar, South Korea, Stanford, SunEdison, Tennessee, texas, Todd Stern, TransCanada, transmission, Transportation, UNFCC, Venezuela, wind
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13
Oct

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.13.14

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

ENERGY POLICY

U.S. opposing China’s plan for Asian Development Bank (via New York Times)

Germany says it can’t exit coal-fired energy at same time as nuclear (via Reuters)

COAL 

China sets coal resource tax between 2%-10% (via Reuters)

RENEWABLES 

Merkel eyes multinational power market to cut renewables cost (via Bloomberg)

Renewables to drive power generation growth in Africa, says IEA (via Bloomberg)

India faces mounting calls to move solar to fixed tariffs (via Bloomberg)

China to promote utility-scale solar power projects (via Bloomberg)

Off-grid solar installation fund announced in Australia (via PV Tech)

Indian PV manufacturing insufficient to meet government ambition (via PV Tech)

40% drop in solar PV cost is brightest spot in global energy picture (via InsideClimate News)

SolarCity: PV panel supply crunch coming (via Recharge)

Biden: “Energy revolution” calls for more investment in alternatives (via The Hill)

North Carolina renewable energy boom being driven by solar (via CleanTechnica)

CLIMATE 

World’s fish leaving tropics, moving to poles (via United Press International)

Expanding Antarctic sea ice is flooding “warning bell” (via Climate Central)

Penny pinching risks global climate deal success in 2015, says France (via The Guardian)

U.S. may make “significant” climate fund pledge, says Peru minister (via Reuters)

NATURAL GAS 

Groups call for wastewater disposal halt in Oklahoma (via The Oklahoman)

In Texas, traffic deaths climb amid fracking boom (via NPR)

ENVIRONMENT 

Cyclone in India kills 8 as typhoon hits Japan (via New York Times)

Sao Paulo water supply at risk in extreme drought (via Huffington Post/AP)

Nation’s wildland firefighters grapple with relentless blazes (via Wall Street Journal)

Obama says he’s “not finished” after naming new monument (via The Hill)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

DOE sets new green standard certifications for federal buildings (via The Hill)

EMISSIONS 

IKEA may tighten carbon rules to protect environment (via Reuters)

Unions, greens press Obama to propose methane regulations (via The Hill)

Methane hotspot is huge, but nothing compared to other methane sources (via Climate Progress)

Methane hot spot in U.S. predates fracking boom, says study (via National Geographic)

OIL 

Spectators push oil into bear market as supply rises (via Bloomberg)

GRID 

Brazil planning transmission auction to link 7.5GW wind (via Recharge)

How microsynchrophasors could keep solar-saturated grids stable (via Greentech Media)

POLITICS 

GOP to investigate environmental groups’ influence on carbon rule (via New York Times)

Iowa candidates clash over EPA in U.S. Senate debate (via Politico)

Why climate hawks should still vote for fossil-fuel loving Democrats (via Grist)

OPINION 

The $10 billion question: Will the Green Climate Fund live up to expectations? (via World Resources Institute)

The price of oil is tumbling, the cost of finding it is not (via Economist)

Charting China’s carbon horizon (via Energy Collective)

Three things to know about Obama’s newest climate plan (via Bloomberg)

Posted:   |   Categories: africa, Angela Merkel, Antarctic, australia, biofuels, Brazil, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, DOE, drought, emissions, Energy Efficiency, environment, EPA, ethanol, fracking, France, germany, global warming, Green Climate Fund, grid, IEA, Ikea, india, Iowa, Japan Extreme weather, Joe Biden, methane, natural gas, News, North Carolina, nuclear, oil, oklahoma, Peru, renewables, Sao Paulo, Sea ice melt, solar, SolarCity, Synchrophasors, tariffs, texas, transmission, Wastewater disposal, wildfires, wind
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18
Sep

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.18.14

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

TRANSPORTATION 

Can this California university create a zero-emission vehicle future? (via CleanTechnica)

OIL 

Benefits of Atlantic offshore drilling outweigh costs, says study (via The Hill)

BP plans deeper offshore oil drilling despite court ruling (via Bloomberg)

RENEWABLES 

Asia-Pacific solar installations could pass 17GW in second half 2014 (via PV Tech)

Global offshore wind market poised for fivefold growth (via BusinessGreen)

Leading the charge in Mexico’s renewable energy revolution (via Renewable Energy World)

Brazil state plans solar auction as it seeks local panel plant (via Bloomberg)

Lazard: U.S. renewable reach cost-parity tipping point (via BusinessGreen)

New studies find significant declines in price of rooftop, utility-scale solar (via Phys.org)

The untapped power of solar data (via Greentech Media)

New online solar map heats up roof potential (via Boston Herald)

Some see garbage, other see opportunity: Installing solar landfills (via Renewable Energy World)

Amid energy law freeze, Ohio solar market stalls (via Midwest Energy News)

SolarCity says it can make commercial rooftops into better power plants (via EnergyWire)

CLIMATE 

Amid climate change, trees are growing faster (via National Journal)

Arctic sea ice to reach sixth-lowest extent on record (via Climate Central)

Obama to tout global warming “resilience” at UN climate summit (via National Journal)

Investors representing £15 trillion in assets call for climate change deal (via The Guardian)

Ban Ki-moon to join climate change march (via The Guardian)

COAL 

Coal industry in deep denial over Chinese coal crackdown (via Renew Economy)

Environmentalists see judge’s rejection of Colorado coal lease as turning point in climate fight (via Greenwire)

North Carolina coal ash petitions demand quicker cleanup (via News Observer)

Leaking Dominion Virginia coal ash ponds spur complaint (via Huffington Post)

EMISSIONS 

Germany takes first steps to ratify Kyoto extension (via Bloomberg)

Carbon-capture technology works, but cost is still prohibitive (via Seattle Times)

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction prices continue to rise (via U.S. EIA)

Obama science advisor calls carbon rule first important step (via Bloomberg)

University of California regents support renewables but not coal and oil divestment (via Los Angeles Times)

NATURAL GAS 

In South China Sea, China makes first big gas discovery while other countries look on (via Climate Progress)

Argentina drafts energy bill to lure shale deposit investors (via Reuters)

GRID 

Energy storage for the grid expected to reach $15.6 billion annual revenue by 2024 (via Navigant Research)

California ISO, PacifiCorp outline energy imbalance market plan (via Renew Grid)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

White House proposes new energy efficiency rule in climate push (via Reuters)

$18 trillion windfall: Health, productivity benefits of efficiency top energy savings (via The Energy Collective)

POLITICS 

Obama may enjoy a “leadership moment” at next week’s climate summit0 (via ClimateWire)

Senators back “technology-neutral” energy taxes (via The Hill)

NRDC hires Interior Department official to be president (via The Hill)

OPINION 

What’s the worst that could happen if Scotland leaves the UK? (via National Journal)

How fossil fuels make inequality worse (via Climate Progress)

Why coal is here to stay (via Christian Science Monitor)

China’s coal addition threatens the planet – but can it handle a natural gas revolution? (via Grist)

How state public money pays for coal exports and oil trains (via Sightline Daily)

Posted:   |   Categories: arctic, Argentina, Ban-Ki Moon, BP, Brazil, california, California ISO, carbon capture, China, Clean Power Plan, climate, Climate Change, coal, coal ash, Coal exports, colorado, Divestment, emissions, Energy Efficiency, Energy imbalance market, energy storage, Fossil fuel divestment, fracking, germany, grid, Grid Parity, Kyoto Treaty, mexico, natural gas, News, North Carolina, nrdc, offshore drilling, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, Oil train, PacifiCorp, regional greenhouse gas initiative, renewables, rggi, Scotland, Sea ice melt, Shale gas, solar, SolarCity, Transportation, UC Davis, united kingdom, virginia, Zero emission vehicle
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16
Sep

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.16.14

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

COAL 

China bans coal with high ash or sulfur to fight smog (via Bloomberg)

GAO: More coal power plants to retire than previously thought (via The Hill)

Coal power shows zero growth in 2014, report shows (via Climate Central)

In mining country, “war on coal” hard to see (via Boston Globe)

Study: Black lung at historically high levels in Appalachia (via Charleston Daily Mail)

EMISSIONS 

Big corporations leading the way on climate change with carbon pricing (via the Guardian)

Study: Urban air pollution may affect brains of young children (via Yale e360)

RENEWABLES 

Global renewable energy capacity grows more than ever before (via Christian Science Monitor)

Yingli drops Q2 solar module manufacturing costs to less than 50 cents per watt (via Greentech Media)

India to up solar target fivefold to 15 gigawatts (via Bloomberg)

Musk solar strategy used as model for record investments (via Bloomberg)

Duke spends $500 million to expand North Carolina solar power (via Bloomberg)

DOE National Labs can also be regional economic hubs (via Energy Collective)

Block Island offshore wind farm receives final federal approval (via Breaking Energy)

New study reveals truth about wind turbines and bird deaths (via Inhabitat)

NATURAL GAS 

Nigeria to triple natural gas output for power supply (via Bloomberg)

Natural gas drilling is polluting water, but don’t blame fracking (via National Journal)

Fracking gives U.S. energy boom plenty of room to run (via Wall Street Journal)

Gas production blamed for rise in Colorado, New Mexico earthquakes (via Reuters)

North Dakota meets first benchmark to reduce flaring (via Bismarck Tribune)

CLIMATE 

NASA ranks August 2014 as warmest on record (via Climate Central)

Fixing climate change may add no costs, says report (via New York Times)

Coca Cola, Heinz, other major food companies warn climate change threatens businesses (via Climate Progress)

Ocean algae can evolve fast to tackle climate change, says study (via Reuters)

OIL 

OPEC expected to lower oil output target in November (via Reuters)

Russia says did not discuss coordination with OPEC on oil prices (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION 

Autonomous and connected car technologies may progressively curb emissions (via ClimateWire)

Morgan Stanley: Tesla stock up “for the wrong reasons?” (via Los Angeles Times)

GRID 

German clean-energy shift can do without storage, says study (via Bloomberg)

Homeowners to invest over $25 billion in generation and storage from 2014 to 2023 (via Navigant Research)

Capacity markets: Future of European demand response? (via Greentech Media)

Storing renewable energy in a thousand basements (via EnergyWire)

Stem banks $100 million for no-money-down energy storage (via Greentech Media)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

DOE pushing new energy efficiency rules for hotel heating and cooling (via The Hill)

ENVIRONMENT 

California drought threatens sushi, too (via Politico)

OPINION 

How fighting climate change could save the planet and rebuild the economy (via Washington Post)

China, the climate, and the fate of the planet (via Rolling Stone)

Preventing climate change and adapting to it are not morally equivalent (via Grist)

Has the great climate change migration already begun? (via The Guardian)

UN Climate Summit: What’s in it for cities? (via World Resources Institute)

Posted:   |   Categories: Black lung, california, Capacity market, Carbon pricing, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, colorado, department of energy, drought, duke energy, Elon Musk, emissions, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, europe, fracking, GAO, germany, global warming, grid, india, methane, Morgan Stanley, natural gas, New Mexico, News, nigeria, North Carolina, north dakota, offshore wind, oil, OPEC, renewables, Russia, solar, Stem, Tesla, Transportation, united nations, wind, Yingli
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08
Sep

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.8.14

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

EMISSIONS

Shanghai opens carbon market to trading pros to boost liquidity (via Bloomberg)

U.S. carbon markets just dropped $400 million on clean energy (via CleanTechnica)

Aircraft emissions may be next for U.S. climate rules (via Bloomberg)

ENERGY POLICY 

Scotland independence vote seen risking $23 billion in power projects (via Bloomberg)

Brazil delays power auction to attract more hydro, gas proposals (via Bloomberg)

It’s not just oil – power industry due to be overhauled in Mexico (via Houston Chronicle)

RENEWABLES 

China spurs rooftop solar projects in world’s top market with call for higher subsidy (via Bloomberg)

Australian government increasingly divided over plan to scrap renewable energy target (via The Guardian)

U.K. leading offshore wind power market (via CleanTechnica)

$71 trillion in net savings by 2050 from transition to renewable energy (via CleanTechnica)

Mexico’s new power industry law: Implications for clean energy (via Breaking Energy)

Ontario set for 1.7GW wind binge by end of 2015 (via Recharge News)

U.S., China account for over half the world’s solar PV pipeline (via Solar Industry Magazine)

U.S. solar industry nears 16GW installed capacity (via Greentech Media)

Buoyed by business deals, solar dominates new U.S. clean tech jobs (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Banner second quarter for new U.S. solar PV installations (via Recharge News)

California solar projects plan undergoing major overhaul (via San Francisco Chronicle)

Ohio clean energy rules favored by voters, poll finds (via Plain-Dealer)

SolarCity bolsters operations in seven states (via PV Tech)

OIL 

BP lashes out at journalists, “opportunistic” environmentalists (via Mother Jones)

BP oil spill penalty could reach 15% of company’s market cap (via Breaking Energy)

BP “grossly negligent” in 2010 oil spill, says judge (via Christian Science Monitor)

BP can absorb new oil spill fine, say analysts (via Reuters)

Ending oil export ban drawing more talk on Capitol Hill (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Electrified car sales stall as buyers back away from hybrids (via Los Angeles Times)

London’s double decker buses get updated with wireless charging (via Autoblog Green)

U.S. vehicle fuel economy at record high (via Phys.org)

Nevada lures Tesla Gigafactory with $1.3 billion in tax breaks, expects $100 billion economic impact (via Bloomberg)

California may have shot at second Tesla Gigafactory (via San Francisco Chronicle)

COAL 

America’s coal-fired divide (via National Journal)

North Carolina says Duke Energy coal ash dams are high hazard risk (via News Observer)

CLIMATE 

World on track for 4 degrees Celsius warming by 2100 because of missed carbon targets (via The Guardian)

UN banking on business to drive climate negotiations (via RTCC)

Activists promise biggest climate march in history (via The Guardian)

Extreme snowfall events will continue even in global warming, says study (via Washington Post)

How climate change is affecting the world’s biggest food company (via Washington Post)

Yale fund takes aim at climate change (via New York Times)

NATURAL GAS 

U.S. economy has gotten a lift by going deep to retrieve natural gas (via Forbes)

Poorly understood fracking wastewater is analyzed for first time (via InsideClimate News)

Ohio halts injections at two fracking wastewater wells after earthquake (via Columbus Dispatch/AP)

GRID 

US electricity transmission investments vary by region (via U.S. EIA)

KEYSTONE XL 

Nebraska Supreme Court examines governor’s role in blessing Keystone XL (via The Guardian)

ENVIRONMENT 

8% of world’s remaining pristine forests degraded since 2000 (via World Resources Institute)

100 die in five days of flooding in Northern India (via New York Times)

Canada tops world in forest degradation thanks to climate change, logging, energy development (via Climate Progress)

Dramatic proof California’s drought is one of the worst ever (via KHON/CNN)

California governor to sign plastic bag ban measure (via The Hill)

POLITICS 

Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul just kicked off 2016’s climate battle (via National Journal)

League of Conservation Voters expects huge jump in midterm election spending (via The Hill)

OPINION 

How the U.S. government is saving taxpayer money with clean energy (via Greentech Media)

Republicans say gas prices are rising – they’re not (via National Journal)

How methane wrecked Obama’s fracking habit (via Mother Jones)

Anthony Foxx takes futurist turn at U.S. Department of Transportation (via National Journal)

Tesla mines gold in Nevada with Gigafactory decision (via Los Angeles Times)

Posted:   |   Categories: Anthony Foxx, australia, BP, Brazil, california, canada, Carbon market, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, coal ash, deforestation, Divestment, drought, duke energy, electric vehicles, emissions, environment, ev, Extreme weather, Fossil fuel divestment, fracking, global warming, green jobs, grid, hillary clinton, Hybrids, Hydropower, india, Jerry Brown, Keystone XL, London, methane, mexico, natural gas, Nebraska, Nevada, News, North Carolina, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, Oil exports, oil spill, ontario, Rand Paul, renewables, Scotland, solar, SolarCity, Tesla, Tesla Gigafactory, transmission, Transportation, united kingdom, united nations, wind, Yale
0
22
Aug

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.21.14

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

EMISSIONS 

China to let foreign investors trade in Shenzen carbon market (via Bloomberg)

Architects from 124 countries make “zero-carbon cities” pledge (via RTCC)

EPA report shows progress reducing urban air toxics across U.S.; 50% reduction from mobile sources since 1990 (via Green Car Congress)

Reducing NYC’s carbon emissions one building at a time (via GreenBiz)

COAL 

Coal gas boom in China holds climate change risks (via Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Canada’s largest port approves $15 million coal transfer project (via Reuters)

Oregon coal terminal decision highlights exports’ emissions (via Climate Central)

North Carolina lawmakers pass coal ash restrictions (via New York Times)

RENEWABLES 

Africa to add more renewables in 2014 than in past 14 years (via Bloomberg)

South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya lead renewables spurt in Africa (via Bloomberg)

Solar power poses lower risk to birds than cats or cars (via Bloomberg)

Renewable energy could hit 36% of global energy, but there’s a biomass catch (via The Energy Collective)

Solar PV helps eliminate kerosene lamps in Africa (via Navigant Research)

“World’s biggest” tidal array gets go ahead in Scotland (via BusinessGreen)

Japan to support PV on landfill sites (via Recharge)

Renewable energy accounts for 100% of all new U.S. power in July (via Renew Grid)

As small hydropower swells, so does caution over its impacts (via GreenBiz)

Are reverse auctions key to reforming solar energy subsidies? (via The Energy Collective)

How one wonky court decision could unlock our renewable energy future (via CleanTechnica)

ABB unveils cable innovation to increase offshore wind efficiency (via Reuters)

Vestas heads for 1st dividend in decade after turnaround (via Bloomberg)

NUCLEAR 

Tepco concedes failure of Fukushima ice wall (via CleanTechnica)

CLIMATE 

Antarctica and Greenland losing ice at fastest rate ever recorded (via Yale e360)

Study says answer to global warming slowdown lies in depths of Atlantic Ocean (via The Guardian)

Food and drink companies respond to consumer pressure on climate change (via The Guardian)

NATURAL GAS 

China’s natural gas production falls short in China (via New York Times)

Study to explore economic potential of Mexican shale (via Houston Chronicle)

Energy industry looks to develop better methane monitors (via Houston Chronicle)

At least 10 percent of fracking fluid is toxic, says LBNL analysis (via Climate Progress)

GRID 

Smart grid technology revenue will be $70.2 billion by 2023 (via Energy Manager Today)

A comeback for community energy storage (via Navigant Research)

Where is distributed energy storage being deployed in the U.S.? (via Greentech Media)

OIL 

Russia said to be near oil tax plan that may cost state $6.6 billion (via Bloomberg)

Western Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling lease sale results in $110 million in bids on 400,000 acres (via Green Car Congress)

ENVIRONMENT 

Epic drought in U.S. West is literally moving mountains (via Climate Central)

63 trillion gallons of groundwater lost in Western U.S. drought (via Los Angeles Times)

California has given out rights to five times more water than it actually has (via Climate Progress)

Drought weighing you down? It’s lifting America up. (via Mother Jones)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Tar sands bitumen set to eclipse pipelines like Keystone XL (via DeSmog Blog)

Canada’s $24 million Keystone XL ad campaign falls flat (via The Hill)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Apple produces 134 out of 135 entries in EPEAT’s new green tablet registry (via Treehugger)

OPINION 

Could shale revive China’s flagging oil fields? (via Reuters)

Brace yourself for Solargeddon, Australia (via The Energy Collective)

Why EVs will make solar viable without subsidies (via Renew Economy)

Here’s why Solar City will move into Mexico (via Greentech Media)

Toyota could be wrong about the high cost of hydrogen (via CleanTechnica)

If you can’t take the heat, get off the island (via Bloomberg)

POLITICS 

McConnell promises spending standoff over Obama green agenda (via National Journal)

Meet the scientists who sat Rick Scott down and explained climate change to him (via Salon)

Posted:   |   Categories: ABB, africa, Antarctica, apple, australia, biomass, california, canada, Carbon market, China, climate, coal, coal ash, Coal export, Coal gas, drought, electric vehicles, emissions, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, environment, EPA, EPEAT, Ethiopia, EVs, fracking, fukushima, global warming, greenland, grid, hydrogen, Hydropower, japan, Kenya, Keystone XL, methane, mexico, Mitch McConnell, natural gas, New York City, News, North Carolina, nuclear, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, oregon, renewables, Reverse auction, Rick Scott, Russia, Scotland, Shale gas, smart grid, solar, Solar City, South Africa, Subsidies, tar sands, Tepco, tidal power, Toyota, vestas, Water rights, wind
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14
Aug

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.14.14

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

ENVIRONMENT 

Worst drought in 50 years hits China’s breadbasket (via Market Watch)

Brown signs $7.5 billion plan to ease California drought (via Bloomberg)

GRID 

Report: Some retiring U.S. power plants may not need to be replaced (via Renew Grid)

PJM may expand capacity market rules: Handout to fossil fuels, or needed reliability boost? (via Greentech Media)

RENEWABLES 

Global renewable energy status uncovered (via Renewable Energy World)

Wave and tidal power costing more than forecast (via Bloomberg)

U.K. renewables industry celebrates record start to 2014 (via BusinessGreen)

Minnesota PUC passes on value of solar, but likely not for long (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Which solar company boasts the highest market cap? (via Greentech Media)

NRG’s portable solar deal gives it a new place in the sun (via Houston Chronicle)

More “Made in the USA” solar modules coming soon (via Renewable Energy World)

OIL 

Oil nationalism seen reversing by IEA amid shale boom (via Bloomberg)

Mexico opens oil fields to foreigners (via New York Times)

Mexico hopes to lure $50.5 billion in historic oil tender (via Reuters)

Feds urged to put Atlantic waters on auction block (via Houston Chronicle)

Fracking opponents renew calls for moratorium amid drought (via CBS Los Angeles)

TRANSPORTATION 

Tesla Roadster to get replacement battery, 400-mile range (via Green Car Reports)

Chevy Volt: Only current GM model not recalled this year (via Green Car Reports)

COAL 

U.S. coal imports fall as natural gas advances (via Houston Chronicle)

North Carolina tells Duke Energy to submit ash removal plans (via Charlotte Observer)

EMISSIONS 

New CO2 satellite sends first data back to Earth (via Climate Central)

Will CO2 emissions standards spur carbon capture technology? (via Energy Collective)

Here’s one company that’s really psyched about EPA’s climate change rule (via National Journal)

Coal-fired rural co-ops dig in against EPA emission rules, but a few mavericks flirt with renewables (via ClimateWire)

NATURAL GAS 

Diesel is used in fracking without permits, says report (via Los Angeles Times)

Fracking operations get even closer to drinking water sources than we thought (via Grist)

Why railroads are taking a fresh look at natural gas (via Reuters)

Texas regulator unveils proposed rules on fracking disposal wells (via Houston Chronicle)

Fracking companies fight Texas families’ air pollution suits, fearing precedent (via InsideClimate News)

Colorado senator defends fracking, says “burning water” helped Native Americans (via National Journal)

CLIMATE 

Antarctica may lift sea level faster in threat to megacities (via Bloomberg)

Expanding existing farmland would benefit climate (via Climate Central)

India PM Modi to miss UN climate change summit in New York (via Economic Times)

National parks could suffer due to climate change, says study (via AccuWeather)

Heavy downpours increasing in U.S. due to global warming

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Canadian oil sands crude is X factor in crude-by-rail rule (via EnergyWire)

Former Hillary aide sought to “neutralize” greens on Keystone XL (via The Hill)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

EU regulators say German, others in breach of energy efficiency law (via Reuters)

CBRE releases list of Top 30 cities for green real estate (via Triple Pundit)

POLITICS 

Sarah Palin jumps in, Mark Begich ducks on Alaska oil tax vote (via Politico)

Coal campaigns: Diverting the public from real issues (via Charleston Gazette)

OPINION 

How to stop tax inversions with a carbon levy. Seriously. (via Bloomberg)

How cap-and-trade helps forest and businesses grow together (via GreenBiz)

How your breakfast is fighting climate change (via The Hill)

U.S. students demand clean energy (via EcoWatch)

Posted:   |   Categories: alaska, battery, california, cap and trade, Capacity market, carbon capture, Carbon pricing, CBRE, chevy volt, China, Clean Power Plan, climate, Climate Change, coal, coal ash, colorado, diesel, drought, duke energy, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy Efficiency, environment, EPA, European Union, ev, Extreme weather, fracking, Fracking disposal well, germany, global warming, GM, green building, grid, IEA, india, Jerry Brown, Keystone XL, Mark Begich, mexico, minnesota, Narenda Modi, natural gas, News, North Carolina, NRG Energy, offshore drilling, oil, Oil trains, PJM Interconnection, renewables, Rural electric co-op, sarah palin, Sea level rise, Shale oil, solar, tar sands, Tesla, tesla roadster, texas, tidal power, Transportation, united kingdom, united nations, Value of solar tariff, wave power
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12
Aug

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.12.14

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

CLIMATE 

In the ocean, clues to climate change (via New York Times)

UN: Climate adaptation investment will ensure Africa’s growth (via BusinessGreen)

Report: Great Barrier Reef’s greatest threat is climate change (via The Guardian)

“Remarkable” warming reported in Central California coastal waters (via Los Angeles Times)

ENERGY POLICY 

Mexico opens gas and oil sectors to foreign, private firms (via ABC News/AP)

RENEWABLES 

Mexico and Central America – emerging clean energy powerhouses (via Bloomberg)

Japan challenges China to be world’s biggest solar market in 2014 (via Renew Economy)

Brazil readies big push on solar energy but companies are wary (via Reuters)

Mexico 2014 renewable investment may exceed $2.4 billion (via Bloomberg)

IRS guidance relaxed renewable energy tax credit (via The Hill)

Feds designate three North Carolina offshore wind areas (via The Hill)

Stacked solar cells could make solar power cheaper than natural gas (via Treehugger)

OIL 

IEA says world oil market will supplied despite conflicts (via Reuters)

ExxonMobil and Russia began drilling for oil in the Arctic on Saturday (via Climate Progress)

IEA: Weakest oil demand growth since 2012 allays supply risks (via Bloomberg)

North Dakota considers requiring treatment of Bakken crude oil (via Wall Street Journal)

TRANSPORTATION 

Annual sales of EVs in North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific will reach 1.8 million by 2023 (via Navigant Research)

Study: Airline ticket prices need to increase for climate policies to work (via Climate Progress)

EV makers and utilities unite to realize V2G potential (via Navigant Research)

Tesla Model S shows flaws over time, says Consumer Reports (via Bloomberg)

Income cap coming for California EV rebate, is Tesla most vulnerable? (via Green Car Reports)

Tesla gets legal approval to sell EVs in Pennsylvania (via Autoblog Green)

ENVIRONMENT 

Australia warns of poor outlook for Great Barrier Reef (via Reuters)

Study: Extreme summer heat, rain on rise as weather gets trapped (via Reuters)

Research project aims to lessen the surprise of extreme wildfires (via Los Angeles Times)

Gulf oyster harvest has nose-dived since BP oil spill (via Huffington Post/AP)

California’s governor reaches $7.2 billion drought bond deal (via Bloomberg)

Tall, ancient, and under pressure (via New York Times)

San Francisco poised to require water rationing in drought (via San Francisco Chronicle)

NATURAL GAS 

Government survey: UK opposition to fracking on the rise (via BusinessGreen)

Report: Too few drinking water safeguards near fracking wells (via Columbus Dispatch)

Ohio’s Utica region now included in EIA’s monthly drilling productivity report (via U.S. EIA)

Big natural gas trove for frackers at Pittsburgh International Airport (via New York Times)

COAL 

Russia ships coal to America despite sanctions (via Forbes)

Beijing cuts coal use 7% in H1 2014 in anti-smog push (via Reuters)

EMISSIONS 

Study examines “brown carbon” while over a dozen western fires burn (via Climate Progress)

Algae companies ask EPA to endorse carbon capture efforts (via Environmental Leader)

Is fight of California cap-and-trade gas prices aimed at scuttling climate law? (via ClimateWire)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Keystone XL could mean more carbon emissions than estimated, says study (via Los Angeles Times)

Nebraska court ruling on Keystone XL pipeline not expected until 2015 (via Reuters)

Environmental groups press Kerry on climate impact of Keystone (via The Hill)

GRID 

For microgrids, it’s not all about size (via Navigant Research)

New England effort to expand gas pipelines, transmission hits a snag (via EnergyWire)

California takes first step toward creating a distributed, intelligent grid of the future (via Greentech Media)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Los Angeles’ city-owned electric utility raises its energy efficiency ambitions (via NRDC Switchboard)

POLITICS 

Rick Perry and other Republicans are loving an Obama-backed green car company (via National Journal)

When did Republicans start hating the environment? (via Mother Jones)

OPINION 

Can we reach a global warming deal? (via National Journal)

Three ways oil matters for the crisis in Iraq (via Vox)

The 198 people who can transform America’s electric grid (via GreenBiz)

Could California become a leader in smart water management? (via Smart Grid Library)

Climate contrarians overrepresented in media coverage, says new survey (via InsideClimate News)

Posted:   |   Categories: algae, arctic, australia, Bakken Shale, Beijing, biofuel, Brazil, Brown carbon, california, Cap an trade, carbon capture, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, drought, eia, electric vehicles, emissions, Energy Efficiency, environment, EPA, EVs, Extreme weather, ExxonMobil, fracking, global warming, Great Barrier Reef, grid, Gulf of Mexico, IEA, iraq, IRS, japan, Jerry Brown, john kerry, Keystone XL, los angeles, mexico, Microgrid, natural gas, Nebraska, New England, News, North Carolina, north dakota, Ocean acidification, offshore drilling, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, oil spill, pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, production tax credit, renewables, Rick Perry, Russia, san francisco, Shale oil, solar, tar sands, Tesla, Tesla Model S, transmission, Transportation, united kingdom, Utica Shale, V2G, wildfires, wind
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24
Jul

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 7.24.14

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

CLIMATE 

June 2014: Earth’s 3rd consecutive warmest month on record (via Weather Underground)

Report: Gulf and Atlantic Coasts not prepared for sea-level rise (via National Geographic)

Chicago’s race to outbuild the rain (via Washington Post)

GRID 

Q2 2014 VC smart grid funding at $81 million, says Mercom (via Energy Manager Today)

RENEWABLES 

Australian renewables compete in carbon tax vacuum (via Xinhua)

India set for 1.5GW solar PV projects auction (via CleanTechnica)

U.K. announces $340 million renewable power auction (via Bloomberg)

Scotland approves two wind farms to power more than 100,000 homes (via Bloomberg)

New biofuels match crude oil’s energy, but there’s a catch (via Christian Science Monitor)

Ethanol needs separate treatment in U.S. rail rules, say biofuel groups (via Reuters)

Ethanol producers squeezing more fuel from corn crops (via Midwest Energy News)

Are utilities about to kill solar energy’s future in North Carolina? (via CleanTechnica)

Texas is wired for wind power and more farms are plugging in (via New York Times)

Beyond the rooftop: Commercial net metering in California (via Greentech Media)

For Californians, higher costs dampen support for clean energy (via Reuters)

Most Ohio utilities plan to keep investing in clean energy despite new law (via Columbus Dispatch) 

COAL 

Japan boosts support for overseas coal plants despite Obama push to cut funding (via International Business Times)

China’s coal industry says times are hard, outlook is worse (via Reuters)

Japanese trading houses look to sell Australian coal assets (via Financial Times)

Environmentalists: Coal ash layers still evident in Dan River (via News & Record)

Court ruling says Illinois can force consumers to buy power from FutureGen (via Chicago Tribune)

EMISSIONS 

China’s planned coal-to-gas plants would emit more CO2, says report (via Al-Jazeera America)

States most against EPA rule would gain the most, finds study (via New York Times)

Court ruling may reverberate on “social cost” of carbon (via Climate Central)

EPA gears up for public hearings on climate rule (via The Hill)

OIL 

U.S. petroleum refineries running at record levels (via U.S. EIA)

DOT proposes stricter oil train safety rules (via Politico)

Construction of first U.S. tar sands mine begins, even as it’s blockaded (via Sustainable Business)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

EU regulators propose 30% energy savings target for 2030 (via Bloomberg)

The NFL’s newest stadium is also one of the greenest (via Grist)

ENVIRONMENT 

Fire season in U.S. West so far below expectations (via AP)

Amid extreme drought, California sees big jump in brush fires (via Los Angeles Times)

California water prices soar for farmers as drought grows (via Bloomberg)

Federal agency pledges new West Virginia chemical leak health studies (via Charleston Daily Mail)

POLITICS 

GOP senator slams EPA chief: “You don’t run this country” (via The Hill)

Mitch McConnell’s mythmaking on coal jobs (via The Hill)

A one-step guide to infuriating an EPA official (via National Journal)

OPINION 

Has China “messed up” its EV charging standards? (via Green Car Reports)

Is climate change changing you? (via Washington Post)

Four reasons U.S. fracking could turn out to be a bubble (via Quartz)

Seven charts explain changing U.S. power sector (via WRI Insights)

Sure, the utility business model is changing, but not so fast (via Breaking Energy)

Why a minimum bill may solve net metering battles (via Greentech Media)

Posted:   |   Categories: australia, biofuels, california, carbon tax, chicago, China, Clean Power Plan, climate, Climate Change, coal, coal ash, Coal ash spill, Coal-to-gas, colorado, DOT, drought, emissions, Energy Efficiency, environment, EPA, ethanol, European Union, ev charging, Extreme weather, fracking, FutureGen, Gina McCarthy, global warming, green building, grid, Illinois, india, japan, LEED, Mitch McConnell, Net metering, News, North Carolina, Ohio, oil, Oil train, renewables, Sea level rise, smart grid, Social cost of carbon, solar, tar sands, texas, united kingdom, West Virginia, Wildfire, wind
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