Category Archives:NREL

13
Mar

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.13.13

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

ENERGY POLICY

Brussels looks to reignite 2030 EU carbon target debate (via BusinessGreen)

Merkel may create new energy ministry in nuclear to renewables switch (via Bloomberg)

COAL

Report: coal killed 100,000 in India in 2012 (via Huffington Post)

Coal to gas moves are generating economic waves (via Forbes)

CLIMATE

China plans first commercial trip through Arctic shortcut in 2013 (via Reuters)

Obama: climate change threatens US shipping routes (via The Hill)

As CO2 emissions rise, so will pollen counts and asthma attacks (via Climate Progress)

Bloomberg announces mayor’s summit to fight climate change (via CBS News)

RENEWABLES

China to outpace Germany as leading solar PV consumer in 2013 (via San Jose Mercury News)

Chinese solar panel maker Suntech on financial brink (via New York Times)

Cellulosic ethanol “to be cost-competitive by 2016” (via Environmental Leader)

California’s Mount Diablo school district leads the world on solar (via Sustainable Business)

Cape Wind going overseas, snubs Massachusetts steel company (via Boston Globe)

OIL

Brazil says subsalt oil finds could triple total reserves (via Reuters)

The Gulf of Mexico oil leak we’re not supposed to know about (via Triple Pundit)

Halliburton official “surprised” by unauthorized tests before Gulf oil spill (via Bloomberg)

TRANSPORTATION

Tesla Motors to expand European operations (via Plugin Cars)

New EPA gasoline rule could raise prices, fuel political fires (via National Journal)

US public charging stations increase by 180 a month, on track for 7,400 by end of year (via Autoblog Green)

Chevy Volt outsold Nissan Leaf for first time in 2012, says BNEF (via Bloomberg)

ChargePoint installs first of 80 new EV charging stations in NY State (via Renew Grid)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Japan hopes methane hydrates are the next big energy source (via Washington Post)

Fracking fluid suppliers defend trade secrets on West Coast (via EnergyWire)

Fracking groundwater rules in Texas reflect legal ambiguities (via Texas Tribune)

How much water does it take to frack a well? (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

New York health commissioner says fracking recommendation may come soon (via Huffington Post/AP)

Ohio’s resurgent natural gas industry spends millions to set up shop (via New York Times)

ENVIRONMENT

Rains or not, India is falling short of drinkable water (via New York Times)

Bat-killing fungus reaches South Carolina; now found in 21 states and 5 provinces (via Scientific American)

Senate bill would boost funding for weather satellites (via Climate Central)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS

Canadian opposition leader: government playing US “for fools” on Keystone (via The Hill)

Keystone XL pipeline jobs vs. 100,000 green jobs (via CleanTechnica)

Michigan officials say water supplies along Kalamazoo River unharmed from tar sands oil spill (via Michigan Live/Kalamazoo Gazette)

29 Vermont communities say no to tar sands shipments, New England opposition grows (via DeSmogBlog)

GRID

Power grids in US, EU, third world face huge and varied challenges (via Greentech Media)

Nearly 56GW of long-duration energy storage to be installed from 2012 to 2022 (via Pike Research)

Hackers may breach US grid within two years (via Bloomberg)

Silver Spring raises $81 million in IPO (via Greentech Media)

NUCLEAR

Developing nations put nuclear on fast-forward (via MIT Technology Review)

Lawsuits filed against Tepco in Fukushima nuclear disaster (via United Press International)

NRC upholds ruling on Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant (via Baltimore Sun)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Computers and appliances: today’s home-based energy hogs (via National Geographic)

NREL unveils world’s most efficient data center, could cut operation costs by $1 million (via Inhabitat)

POLITICS

Draft bill released by Waxman and Whitehouse would price carbon and reduce emissions (via Climate Progress)

Ryan, Murray unveil dueling energy deficit plans (via Politico)

Dems launch series of climate change speeches to fight GOP “climate deniers” (via The Hill)

OPINION

What is the underlying value of EU carbon? (via Reuters)

Could Waxman’s new bill offer new hope for a carbon tax? (via Mother Jones)

Where innovation advocates go wrong (via Grist)

Posted:   |   Categories: Angela Merkel, arctic, barack obama, biofuels, Brazil, california, Calvert Cliffs, cap and trade, cape wind, carbon tax, cellulosic ethanol, ChargePoint, chevy volt, China Climate change, climate, coal, data center, drought, electric vehicles, emissions, Enbridge, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, environment, EPA, ethanol, EU, European Union, ev, EV chargers, EV charging infrastructure, fracking, Fracking fluid, fukushima, Gasoline, germany, grid, Gulf of Mexico, Halliburton, Henry Waxman, india, IPO, japan, Kalamazoo River, Keystone XL, massachusetts, Methane hydrates, michigan, Mike Bloomberg, natural gas, new york state, News, nissan LEAF, NRC, NREL, nuclear, Offshore oil drilling, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, oil spill, Patty Murray, Paul Ryan, politics, renewables, Sea ice melt, Sheldon Whitehouse, Silver Spring Networks, solar, solar pv, south carolina, Suntech, tar sands, Tepco, Tesla, texas, Transportation, vermont, Weather satellites, wind
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20
Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.20.13

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

EMISSIONS 

China to introduce carbon tax, says official (via Xinhua)

Carbon price plunges 20 percent after EU backloading vote (via BusinessGreen)

Businesses line up to back UK decarbonization target (via BusinessGreen)

Landmark carbon assessment developed for Australia (via Phys.org)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

TransCanada says Keystone XL won’t affect climate (via Houston Chronicle)

Re-defining “energy independence” in the Keystone era (via Huffington Post)

NATURAL GAS 

Japanese prime minister to ask Obama to approve shale gas exports (via Bloomberg)

Specialists working to kill Apache natural gas well in Gulf of Mexico (via Houston Chronicle)

RENEWABLES 

EU tariffs on Chinese solar goods could cost UK €3.5 billion (via BusinessGreen)

What the global renewables industry might look like in 2050 (via Greentech Media)

Big banks, Big Oil pile into Japan’s burgeoning solar market (via Sustainable Business)

Wind blows German power swings to five-year high (via Bloomberg)

German solar PV prices fall to €1.52 per watt in January (via CleanTechnica)

1MW solar system shapes Brazil’s World Cup stadium (via BusinessGreen)

US ethanol groups decry EU tariff as “blatant protectionism” (via Reuters)

100% of electric capacity added in US last month was renewable (via Grist)

Are direct-drive turbines the future of wind energy? (via EarthTechling)

Sewage status grows as resource for methane generation (via Bloomberg)

Sleeping geothermal giant stirs (via Pike Research)

LA’s solar feed-in tariff attracts strong interest during first week (via Renew Grid)

Bill proposed to increase Pennsylvania renewable portfolio standard (via Renew Grid)

GRID 

Texas and Inner Mongolia need transmission to integrate wind (via Greentech Media)

German town goes off the grid, achieves energy independence (via TreeHugger)

Energy storage in commercial buildings to reach “$7.5 billion in 2022” (via Energy Manager Today)

USDA awards $330 more for transmission upgrades and smart grid tech (via Renew Grid)

Cal-ISO and PacifiCorp agreement paves way for lower-cost solar integration (via Renewable Energy World)

NREL eyes intersection of EVs, green power and the grid (via GreenBiz)

OIL 

US judge approves Transocean civil spill settlement (via Reuters)

BP challenges “excessive” spill claims (via The Hill)

Battle lines drawn for BP’s day in court (via New York Times)

TRANSPORTATION 

Chinese companies slowly collecting discounted US electric car assets (via GigaOm)

UK to accelerate EVs with €37 million charging fund (via BusinessGreen)

Home solar systems to be an option for Honda customers (via New York Times)

New lithium-ion battery tech could appear in next few years (via Green Car Reports)

US gas prices are on a mysterious climb (via Washington Post)

All eyes on Tesla as it inches toward profitability in 2013 (via GigaOm)

$20 million DOE funding targets $30,000 EV with 240 miles of range (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

Jurassic records warn of risk to marine life from global warming (via Phys.org)

COAL 

Research finds additional harm from coal dust exposure (via Midwest Energy News)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Daylighting in New York City could save 160 megawatts (via Greentech Media)

POLITICS 

Top EPA official used personal email address (via The Hill)

OPINION 

The virtues of being unreasonable on Keystone (via Grist)

Joe Nocera’s wrong: a carbon tax wouldn’t help Canada’s tar sands (via Washington Post)

EU emissions trade is sputtering (via New York Times)

Musk-New York Times debate highlights electric car shortcomings (via MIT Technology Review)

Is free charging for EVs actually a long-term hindrance? (via Autoblog Green)

Posted:   |   Categories: Apache, australia, barack obama, battery, Bob Perciasepe, BP, Brazil, California ISO, canada, Carbon market, carbon tax, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Curtailment, DOE, Electric Vehicle, Elon Musk, emissions, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, EPA, ethanol, EU, European Union, ev, EV charging infrastructure, ev charging station, feed-in tariff, FIT, Gasoline, geothermal, germany, global warming, green building, grid, Gulf of Mexico, honda, japan, Keystone XL, los angeles, methane, natural gas, Natural gas exports, New York City, News, NREL, offshore drilling, oil, oil spill, PacifiCorp, pennsylvania, renewable portfolio standard, renewables, rps, smart grid, solar, solar pv, tar sands, Tariff, Tesla, texas, TransCanada, transmission, Transocean, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, usda, V2G, wind, world cup
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06
Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.6.13

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

CLIMATE 

USDA: climate change could devastate US agriculture (via USA Today)

Preparing for the rising tide across New England (via CLF Scoop)

How climate change impacts America’s energy infrastructure (via WRI Insights)

Warm weather forces changes ahead of Iditarod race (via New York Times)

Boston mayor calls on city to prepare for climate change (via Reuters)

New York Governor seeking home buyouts in flood zones (via New York Times)

Alaska climate taskforce hasn’t met since 2011, documents show (via The Guardian)

EMISSIONS 

UK emissions fall seven percent in 2011 as gas use plunges (via BusinessGreen)

White House weighs emissions rules for power plants (via Wall Street Journal)

EPA: power plants accounted for two-thirds of US industrial emissions in 2011 (via The Hill)

CARB chair Mary Nichols discusses state carbon trading (via Greentech Media)

RENEWABLES 

Solar PV installations hit 32GW in 2012, 35GW projected for 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

Wind could power nine million homes in Eastern Europe (via BusinessGreen)

Europe’s first wind-powered province touts renewables as key to recovery (via BusinessGreen)

New German wind installations expected to top “up to 3.5GW this year” (via Recharge)

Norway expects onshore wind lift-off (via Recharge)

Wind energy fund plans $320 million IPO with UK government backing (via Reuters)

Novel designs are taking wind power to the next level (via MIT Technology Review)

US solar will eclipse wind in 2013, says Duke Energy (via Bloomberg)

Midwest gets into clean tech investing with energy foundry (via Greentech Media)

Beyond tax incentives: how to make solar attractive to universities (via Good)

ENERGY POLICY 

Time for change: China flags peak in coal usage (via Sydney Morning Herald)

Canada set to cut direct spending on fossil fuel sector (via Reuters)

Seattle and San Francisco consider divesting from fossil fuels (via Grist)

OIL 

Deep-sea drilling muddles political waters (via New York Times)

Canada not ready for major offshore spill, says environmental agency (via Reuters)

North Dakota’s Bakken Oil finally hits the East Coast (via Bloomberg Businessweek)

As profits sag, BP girds for “trial of the year” (via Forbes)

TRANSPORTATION 

China to roll out cleaner fuel standards, says government (via Reuters)

Better Place to shut down US, Australian operations (via Forbes)

Americans now spending most on gas since early 1980s (via Washington Post)

Toyota recycles hybrid batteries into energy management systems (via CleanTechnica)

Boeing 787 batteries: what’s causing their “thermal runaways?” (via Christian Science Monitor)

UPS deploys 100 commercial EVs in California (via Green Car Congress)

Volt owners are almost equally Republicans & Democrats (via CleanTechnica)

ENVIRONMENT 

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron hit all-time low water levels (via Weather Underground)

Some parts of Texas approaching worst-ever drought (via Star-Telegram/AP)

Wyoming explores oil-gas regulations for groundwater testing (via Casper Star-Tribune)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Alberta may offer more environmental initiatives to smooth way for Keystone XL (via Yahoo! News/Reuters)

Debunking Nature’s arguments in favor of Keystone XL (via Grist)

GREEN BUSINESS 

How to get your CFO to love your sustainability director (via GreenBiz)

Alaskan Brewing Company runs on energy generated by its own beer (via AP)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

MIT engineers develop process to treat produced water from natgas wells at low cost (via Green Car Congress)

Shale industry moves to ship fracking waste via barge down Ohio River (via DeSmog Blog)

Former PA Governor Rendell intervened on behalf of gas driller in Texas contamination case (via StateImpact Texas)

VEHICLE-TO-GRID 

Connecting EVs to the grid – NREL takes the lead (via CleanTechnica)

Pentagon places $20 million bet on vehicle-to-grid technology (via Greenwire)

POLITICS 

Waxman to push for Congressional climate hearings (via The Hill)

Can Congress ever agree on climate change? An interview with Henry Waxman (via Washington Post)

Obama to nominate CEO of REI for Interior Secretary (via Washington Post)

OPINION 

How can we prepare for climate change without screwing poor people? (via Grist)

Work less, save the planet? (via Mother Jones)

Analysts: energy policy not keeping pace with technology (via Houston Chronicle)

Will climate change be President Obama’s legacy? (via EarthTechling)

Posted:   |   Categories: alaska, Alberta, Andrew Cuomo, australia, Bakken Shale, barack obama, Batteries, better place, Boeing Dreamliner, Boston, BP, california, california air resources board, canada, CARB, chevy volt, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Divestment, drought, duke energy, Ed Rendell, electric vehicles, emissions, energy storage, environment, EPA, europe, ev, fracking, Fracking wastewater, Fuel standard, Gasoline, germany, global warming, green business, Henry Waxman, hybrid, Iditarod, Illinois, interior department, Keystone XL, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Mary Nichols, MIT, natural gas, New England, new york state, News, north dakota, norway, NREL, Offshore drilling Oil spill, Ohio, oil, renewables, Sally Jewell, san francisco, Sea level rise, seattle, Shale gas, Shale oil, solar, Subsidies, tar sands, Tax incentives, texas, Tom Menino, Toyota, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, ups, usda, V2G, wind, wyoming
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11
Jan

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

Posted:   |   Categories: Andrew Cuomo, arctic, Arkansas, australia, BP, california, canada, Chile, climate, Climate Change, coal, deforestation, department of energy, Deutsche Bank, Divestment, drought, Ed Markey, Electric Vehicle, emissions, environment, EPA, ERCOT, ev, ev charging, Extreme weather, Flood, Fossil fuel divestment, fracking, fuel cell, GE, General Electric, green business, grid, Internal combustion engine, investment, IRENA, Molycorp, natural gas, Natural gas export, new york state, News, NREL, offshore drilling, oil, oil spill, ontario, PHEV, Pine bark beetles, Plug in, production tax credit, ptc, Rare earths, renewables, Severe weather, Shale gas, Shell, smart meter, solar, Stanford, Subsidy, texas, transmission, Transportation, usgs, wind
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