Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.27.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Shaheen, Portman finalize latest version of bill ahead of release (Via E&E Daily)
Opower’s evolution: Will the efficiency firm soon be a solar and EV integrator? (via Greentech Media)
KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS
IG: State Dept did not break rules when hiring consultant for Keystone XL report (via Washington Post)
Corporation exploiting major loophole to quickly build 600-mile tar sands pipeline (via Climate Progress)
Canadian crude now moving through Keystone XL’s southern leg (via Houston Chronicle)
Kerry feels Keystone XL pressure from all sides (via National Journal)
Sen. Boxer raises health concerns about Keystone XL (via USA Today)
Youth plan major White House protest against Keystone XL (via Huffington Post)
RENEWABLES
Solar set for record global expansion in 2014, led by China (via Houston Chronicle)
Germany must scrap its green energy law, say experts (via Reuters)
UK wind power output grew 38 percent in 2013 (via BusinessGreen)
IEA says wind, solar can carry bulk of energy transformation (via Recharge)
Midsize EPCs squeezed globally while the US and China nurture top firms (via Solar Industry)
Morocco opens final tender on wind farms worth $1.7 billion (via Reuters)
Large offshore wind farms could soften blow of hurricanes (via Yale e360)
Report: Solar paired with storage is a “real, near, and present” threat to utilities (via Greentech Media)
Oregon Senate passes bill to protect state renewable energy mandates (via The Oregonian)
Cape Wind expects to wrap financing in Q3 (via Recharge)
OIL
Dream of US oil independence slams against shale costs (via Bloomberg)
Accidents spur US to mandate tests of oil by train (via Reuters)
Seismic troubles stir up trouble in offshore drilling debate (via National Journal)
Shippers confused by new federal order on oil transport (via National Journal)
TRANSPORTATION
Obama proposed $302 billion transportation bill (via Washington Post)
Tesla Gigafactory will be capable of supplying 500,000 EVs a year (via Autoblog Green)
Honda to halt production of Insight hybrid vehicle (via Bloomberg)
CLIMATE
US, UK science academies say climate change is real (via Economic Times/Agence France-Presse)
Emerging economies lead climate action, says global study (via Bloomberg)
Climate change is increasing extreme heat globally (via Climate Central)
Report finds almost 500 laws to tackle climate change across world (via The Guardian)
COAL
Dollar value of US net coal exports has increase more than three-fold since 2005 (via US EIA)
ENVIRONMENT
Radioactive water from Fukushima reaches Canada (via United Press International)
Ikea suspended by Forest Stewardship Council for illegal logging (via Environmental Leader)
California’s drought is extreme, but the government is making it worse (via Washington Post)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Light-duty natural gas vehicles worldwide will reach nearly 40 million by 2023 (via Navigant Research)
LA and California lawmakers move to impose fracking moratoriums (via Grist)
GRID
Smart grid benefits could bypass consumers, warns report (via Phys.org)
Threats to power sector gleaned from other industries’ attacks (via EnergyWire)
OPINION
Obama’s pipeline (via New York Times)
Reuters’ climate coverage continues to decline under “skeptic” editor (via Media Matters for America)
Are high natural gas prices here to stay? (via National Journal)
Stunning map shows what a worst case climate change scenario might look like (via Business Insider)
Why is Hawaii scaling back on solar?