solar | Indoor Air Quality Lab

Mar

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.5.13 share

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

OIL

China ousts US as world’s main oil importer (via Mining.com)

US crude exports spur shale oil refineries (via Bloomberg)

Transocean chief disappointed with Gulf oil spill insurance ruling (via Houston Chronicle)

Non-jury trial may favor BP in Gulf oil spill case (via Alabama.com)

GRID

Smart grid technology market will total $494 billion by 2020 (via Pike Research)

US transmission investment will peak at $14 billion in 2013 (via Greentech Media)

How much renewable energy can the grid handle? (via Greentech Media)

Wholesale power: bankruptcies and lessons (via Christian Science Monitor)

RENEWABLES

EU to register Chinese solar panels, highlighting tariff threat (via Bloomberg)

Fast-tracking patent applications bolsters green tech market (via BusinessGreen)

Solar makers turn laser-like focus on boosting solar cell efficiency (via GigaOm)

US wind industry is still clinging onto tax credit (via Politico)

US inching closer to offshore wind (via United Press International)

MIT team outlines path to low-cost solar-to-storable fuels devices (via Green Car Congress)

Now on Kickstarter: a new kind of spinning energy storage device (via GigaOm)

Buffet’s renewables investment MidAmerican Energy a top portfolio company in 2012 (via SNL Energy)

California’s solar PV rebates nearly over: is this good news? (via Renewable Energy World)

University of Maine starts $1.5 million geothermal heating project (via Portland Press Herald)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS

Environmental activists reeling as Keystone pipeline gains momentum (via The Hill)

Arguments over climate impacts rage in wake of State Department report (via Greenwire)

Enviros seize on State’s pipeline alternatives (via EnergyWire)

Eight figures that will define Keystone XL fight over the next 45 days (via National Journal)

Enbridge declines to pay for new studies on Michigan oil spill damage (via Detroit Free Press)

TransCanada shares rise on Keystone environmental report (via Reuters)

GREEN BUILDING/ENERGY EFFICIENCY

UK launches green building hub for construction industry (via BusinessGreen)

Ireland launches energy efficiency fund (via Energy Collective)

St. Louis seeks to be model energy efficient city (via EarthTechling)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Shale boom forces Kremlin to focus on Arctic (via Moscow Times)

Chemical industry surging on US natural gas (via Houston Chronicle)

Fracking goes to the Texas legislature (via StateImpact Texas)

CLIMATE

Splits emerging in UN climate deal agreed in Doha (via RTCC)

Report blames climate change for extreme weather in Australia (via New York Times)

Spring may arrive five weeks earlier by 2100, study finds (via Climate Central)

Warmer climate to open new Arctic shipping routes by 2050 (via Reuters)

Global warming affects crop yields, but it's the water not the heat (via Phys.org)

Two-thirds of Americans now believe global warming is real (via Phys.org)

The coming climate exodus: what we’re doing to help wildlife’s new migration (via Yes! Magazine)

NUCLEAR

Global nuclear capacity rises in 2012 after post-Fukushima drop (via Reuters)

Restart of Japanese nuclear reactors unlikely this year (via United Press International)

Areva plans first nuclear fuel shipment to Japan since Fukushima (via Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION

2013 electric cars: rated range for each model, ultimate guide (via Green Car Reports)

Shell to push natural gas for trains, vehicles (via Houston Chronicle)

Zipcar says 72% of young Americans don’t care about owning a car (via Green Car Reports)

Tesla Motors delays filing of annual report (via San Jose Mercury News)

EMISSIONS

Little unity over California’s cap-and-trade program (via Reuters)

Shell forecasts near-zero global emissions by 2100 (via Environmental Leader)

POLITICS

Obama nominates Moniz as DOE chief, McCarthy as EPA head (via Platts)

Obama’s second-term cabinet to play bigger policy role (via Washington Post)

From “green dream team” to B team (via Politico)

McCarthy’s Republican history should smooth path to EPA (via Reuters)

Is fracking a bride to a clean-energy future? Ernest Moniz thinks so (via Washington Post)

Gina McCarthy for EPA could be Obama’s most significant nominee (via Washington Post)

America’s oil and gas billionaires (via Forbes)

Can climate-change denier Ken Cuccinelli win a swing state? (via National Journal)

OPINION

China keeps making new green pledges (via Grist)

Climate change: the scary hidden stressor (via New York Times)

Arctic ice melt will bring frosty relations as nations navigate across North Pole (via The Independent)

Cabinet picks could take on climate policy (via New York Times)

Do Obama’s cabinet picks match his greener second-term talk? (via Christian Science Monitor)

Does Keystone XL report let Obama off the hook on climate pledge? (via Christian Science Monitor)

Tesla charging situation would benefit from more flexibility, less confrontation (via Autoblog Green)

Posted: | Categories: arctic, Areva, australia, barack obama, BP, california, cap and trade, China, climate, Climate Change, electric vehicles, emissions, Enbridge, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, Ernest Moniz, EU, ev, Extreme weather, fracking, fukushima, geothermal, Gina McCarthy, global warming, green building, grid, Gulf of Mexico, Ireland, japan, Ken Cuccinelli, Keystone XL, Maine, michigan, MIT, natural gas, News, nuclear, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, Oil exports, oil spill, production tax credit, ptc, renewables, Russia, Sea ice melt, Severe weather, Shale gas, Shale oil, Shell, smart grid, solar, Solar cell efficiency, solar pv, Solar tariff, Solar trade war, St. Louis, tar sands, Tesla, texas, TransCanada, transmission, Transocean, Transportation, uk, UN, united kingdom, virginia, Warren Buffet, Wholesale power, wind, Zipcar

Mar

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.4.13 share

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

ENERGY POLICY

China atop renewable energy ranks as shale gas changes the game (via CleanTechnica)

Analyst says US renewable energy policy superior to Europe’s (via Renew Grid)

The rising energy policy power of America’s tribes (via Recharge)

Obama to tap McCarthy to lead EPA, Moniz for Energy secretary (via The Hill)

Natural gas challenges coal as king of the energy hill in Ohio (via Los Angeles Times)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Japan to build LNG terminal for US shale gas imports (via Pakistan Business Recorder)

New research says natural gas boom still has a few decades left in it (via StateImpact Texas)

Pennsylvania fracking health study will decide New York, shape policy around US (via Facts of the Day)

Bakken Shale’s top producer wants to snuff out natural gas flaring (via Midwest Energy News/EnergyWire)

Natural gas leaks come under scrutiny, raise questions on climate impact (via Washington Post)

A snapshot of drilling on a national park’s margins (via New York Times)

RENEWABLES

Solar stunner: unsubsidized “grid parity has been reached in India” and Italy, with more countries coming in 2014 (via Climate Progress)

Green investors take fright at German bid to cap power prices (via Reuters)

Ontario grid to see significant boost in renewable energy integration (via Renew Grid)

Three percent of US electricity could come from river hydropower (via CleanTechnica)

California city wants to require solar on every home (via Greentech Media)

Solar struggles to shine in deregulated Texas electricity market (via StateImpact Texas)

Minnesota’s Goodhue wind project faces blowback (via Finance & Commerce)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS

State Dept: denying Keystone XL would not slow oil sands development (via Forbes)

Railroads emerge as alternative to pipeline for moving Canada’s oil sands (via Washington Post)

Keystone XL pipeline report slammed by activists and scientists (via The Guardian)

New Obama Administration report on Keystone XL pipeline has enviros worried (via Mother Jones)

CLIMATE

China carbon tax may spur US climate debate (via Bloomberg)

Australian climate on “steroids” after hottest summer (via Phys.org)

UK businesses urged to prepare for more extreme weather (via BusinessGreen)

Climate change science poised to enter nation’s classrooms (via InsideClimate News)

How NASA scientists are turning LA into one big climate-change lab (via Atlantic Cities)

ENVIRONMENT

Critic of unbridled growth tipped as new China environmental minister (via Reuters)

Asian and African dust influences western US rain and snowfall – study (via ClimateWire)

Chemical spill in China underlines environmental concerns (via New York Times)

Court ruling keeps polar bear as threatened species (via The Hill)

EPA funding reductions have kneecapped environmental enforcement (via National Journal)

OIL

Standard & Poors warns oil firms could soon face credit downgrades (via BusinessGreen)

Transocean, Halliburton say their Gulf spill tabs should be BP’s burden (via Houston Chronicle)

BP wins appeal on Gulf oil spill insurance claim (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION

Honda to reuse rare earths from old batteries for new hybrid vehicle batteries (via Green Car Congress)

Automakers work to achieve zero-waste goals (via New York Times)

The part of Amtrak that people use makes money – the rest doesn’t (via Slate)

Oregon proposes 1.5-cent-per-mile tax for EVs, 55+ mpg cars (via Autoblog Green)

GRID

How ARPA-E is working to create the 21^st century smart grid (via Greentech Media)

Will drones soon help utilities repair the grid? (via Renew Grid)

Texas electric supply will be “very tight,” says grid operator (via Houston Chronicle)

NUCLEAR

Report casts doubt on Britain’s nuclear electricity strategy (via New York Times)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Green building movement takes hold worldwide (via Sustainable Business)

US homes show greatest seasonal variation in electricity use (via US EIA)

Nearly 30 percent of US homes have ditched incandescent light bulbs (via Greentech Media)

POLITICS

McCarthy: seasoned regulator primed for climate fight (via Politico)

Gov. Jerry Brown works to spread California’s green doctrine (via Los Angeles Times)

ARPA-E director worries the agency could “get lost” in fiscal talks (via Greentech Media)

OPINION

Coal is history, or is it? (via Forbes)

What’s on the chopping block in energy and environment policy? (via National Journal)

Stop comparing early hybrid sales to early EV sales (via Plugin Cars)

Posted: | Categories: Amtrak, ARPA-E, australia, Bakken Shale, barack obama, battery, BP, california, carbon tax, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, department of energy, Efficient lighting, electric vehicles, Energy Efficiency, environment, EPA, Ernest Moniz, Ernst & Young, europe, ev, Extreme weather, Flaring, fracking, germany, Gina McCarthy, green building, grid, Grid Parity, Gulf of Mexico, Halliburton, honda, hybrid, Hydropower, Incandescent light bulb, india, italy, japan, Jerry Brown, Keystone XL, LNG, los angeles, Methane leakage, minnesota, NASA, natural gas, Natural gas export, Natural gas flaring, new york state, News, nuclear, oil, oil spill, ontario, oregon, pennsylvania, Polar bear, Rare earths, Recycling, renewables, Severe weather, Shale gas, smart grid, solar, tar sands, texas, Transocean, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, wind, Zero waste

Mar

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.1.13 share

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

ENERGY POLICY

US energy intensity projected to continue steady decline through 2040 (via US EIA)

Bipartisan group says US energy policy “like an orchestra without a conductor” (via Midwest Energy News)

Green jobs survey dies as US readies sequestration cuts (via Bloomberg)

GRID

Global utility smart grid spending almost doubles in 2012 (via Renew Grid)

Industrial demand response peak load payments to hit $4.3 billion by 2019 (via Energy Manager Today)

44% of US broadband households willing to let utilities monitor appliances (via Renew Grid)

27 microgrid projects advance in Connecticut (via New Haven Register)

KEYSTONE XL

Canadian government hopes US will do “right thing” on Keystone (via Houston Chronicle)

Canada minister doesn’t expect US to veto Keystone pipeline (via Reuters)

RENEWABLES

Brazil said to be readying tax breaks for ethanol (via Bloomberg)

European offshore wind “faces €50 billion funding gap” (via Recharge)

India’s wind power generation-based incentive set to resume (via Recharge)

(more…)

Posted: | Categories: alaska, arctic, Aubrey McClendon, australia, barack obama, Beijing, BP, Brazil, california, canada, cap and trade, carbon tax, Chesapeake, China, climate, Climate Change, colorado, Connecticut, Demand response, desalination, DOE, duke energy, emissions, Energy Efficiency, Energy intensity, environment, ethanol, feed-in tariff, FIT, Florida, fracking, Fracking ban, fukushima, global warming, green jobs, grid, Gulf of Mexico, india, IPCC, japan, kansas, Keystone XL, LNG, Microgrid, natural gas, Natural gas exports, News, noaa, north dakota, nuclear, nuclear waste, offshore wind, oil, oil spill, Renewable energy standard, renewables, res, Sea ice melt, Sequester, Shale gas, Shale oil, Shell, smart grid, smart meters, Smog, solar, Solar forecasting, South Korea, uk, united kingdom, usda, Water, wind

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.28.13 share

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

CLIMATE

EU climate chief to huddle with White House, State officials (via The Hill)

China’s rising sea levels threaten economic interests (via Hindu Business Line)

Pakistan government launches national climate change policy (via Pakistan Daily Times)

US generals warn of climate change dangers (via RTCC)

Nebraska lawmakers warm to climate change study (via Omaha World-Herald)

COAL

Germany to add most coal-fired plants in two decades, IWR says (via Bloomberg)

UK coal use up 32.5% in 2012 (via RTCC)

Nine reasons China won’t need enough coal to justify Pacific Northwest exports (via Grist)

RENEWABLES

Crystal ball: China will not produce more wind energy than the US before 2020 (via Green Leap Forward)

India tops 1GW new solar capacity (via BusinessGreen)

Germany’s clean energy supporters sound alarm over subsidy cuts (via The National)

Analysts warn markets biased against clean energy (via GreenBiz)

(more…)

Posted: | Categories: AFL-CIO, arctic, Bill McKibben, BP, brightsource, california, carbon tax, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, concentrated solar power, Connie Hedegaard, csp, distributed generation, Divestment, DOE, electric vehicles, emissions, Energy Efficiency, Ernest Moniz, europe, ev, germany, GM, grid, Gulf of Mexico, Heather Zichal, india, japan, Keystone XL, Light rail, Maine, Microgrid, natural gas, Natural gas exports, Nebraska, News, nuclear, offshore drilling, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, oil spill, pakistan, philadelphia, plug-in hybrid, renewables, Sea level rise, Shell, smart grid, solar, South Africa, Subsidies, Superstorm Sandy, tar sands, Tesla, transmission, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, US Navy, wind

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.27.13 share

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

NATURAL GAS

IEA recommends natural gas trading hub in Asia (via Houston Chronicle)

Drilling leases now cover more land than California and Florida combined (via StateImpact Texas)

Natural gas share of electricity generation expected to keep expanding (via Kansas City Star)

GRID

China’s grid woes set to worsen (via Recharge)

White House official: power grid upgrades needed to mitigate extreme weather (via The Hill)

Silver Spring Networks sets terms for $63 million IPO (via San Jose Mercury News)

GREEN BUSINESS

New Dow Jones sustainability index targets emerging markets (via GreenBiz)

Ford targets 41% per-vehicle cut in waste to landfills (via Bloomberg)

RENEWABLES

Japan solar shipments double on FIT (via Recharge)

Analyst alert: solar PV pricing on the rise (via Greentech Media)

New modeling suggests wind farm power generation capacity has been significantly overestimated (via Green Car Congress)

(more…)

Posted: | Categories: ALEC, ARPA-E, biofuel, BP, california, canada, cape wind, Cellulosic biofuel, China, climate, Climate Change, Connecticut, deforestation, eia, Electric Vehicle, Elon Musk, ev, Extreme weather, feed-in tariff, FIT, Florida, Ford, fukushima, Geoengineering, geothermal, Gina McCarthy, global warming, green business, grid, Gulf of Mexico, Hydropower, IEA, International Energy Agency, japan, kansas, ken salazar, Keystone XL, massachusetts, Missouri, NASA, natural gas, News, nuclear, offshore wind, Ohio, oil, oil spill, Recycling, Renewable energy standard, renewables, res, Sea level rise, seattle, Severe weather, Silver Spring Networks, solar, solar pv, south carolina, Subsidy, tar sands, Tesla, transmission, Transocean, Transportation, wind

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.26.13 share

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

NATURAL GAS

Germany to approve fracking “with conditions” (via Phys.org)

Wild cards lurk in the speedy switch to gas-fired power generation (via EnergyWire)

EMISSIONS

Alberta cancels carbon capture and storage project (via Huffington Post)

Falling nuclear and rising coal cause rise in carbon emissions during November 2012 for first time in a year (via Facts of the Day)

California carbon price surpasses expectations (via Environmental Leader)

RENEWABLES

India nears renewables goal with 12.4 gigawatts added in 3 years (via Panchabuta)

More than 450 geothermal power projects underway worldwide (via Renew Grid)

Are banks backing away from solar projects? (via Greentech Media)

Solar-powered cell towers lead rural electrification (via Treehugger)

New England offshore wind planning offers lessons for Great Lakes (via Midwest Energy News)

States encourage and discourage renewable energy trading (via AOL Energy)

Massachusetts maps its solar energy future (via Renewable Energy World)

OIL

High-stakes trial resumes over 2010 Gulf oil spill (via Houston Chronicle)

As oil spill trial opens, push for a deal continues (via New York Times)

Deepwater Horizon oil spill trial begins – how much will BP pay? (via Christian Science Monitor)

BP seeks to prove Gulf oil spill errors weren’t negligence (via Bloomberg)

Land grab cheats North Dakota tribes out of $1 billion, suits allege (via ProPublica)

CLIMATE

Global warming and airflow changes “caused US and EU heatwaves” (via The Guardian)

New study links extreme weather to climate change (via Phys.org)

Feeding ourselves on a warming planet (via New York Times)

Southwest, Great Plains most vulnerable to water shortages (via Environmental Leader)

Study: climate change may dry up important US reservoirs like Lakes Powell and Mead (via Climate Progress)

Global warming worries California voters, poll finds (via Sacramento Bee)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS

Report finds diluted oil sands bitumen not more corrosive than comparable heavy crude in pipelines (via Green Car Congress)

Alberta premier says climate change important to US approval of Keystone XL (via CBC News)

Flickers of life for clean fuels standard as oil sands plans form (via InsideClimate News)

GRID

FERC makes first Order 1000 compliance rulings (via Renew Grid)

The ant, the grasshopper, and electricity prices in New England (via New York Times)

JCP&L seeks to recover Sandy repair costs, deploy smart grid tech (via Renew Grid)

NUCLEAR

US nuclear power on track for lowest production since 2000-2001 (via Facts of the Day)

Nuclear waste in the age of climate change (via National Journal)

TRANSPORTATION

Tesla CEO says NY Times article reduced market cap by $100 million (via Bloomberg)

Variable utility rate plans will have little impact for electric vehicle drivers (via Pike Research)

COAL

Utility settles with EPA, agrees to stop burning coal at three sites (via The Hill)

“Green” strategists now back coal trains (via Seattle Times)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Power market transparency: money out of negawatts (via AOL Energy)

America: the worldwide leader in wasting energy (via Forbes)

Energy efficiency in Maine receives two powerful boosts (via CLF Scoop)

Boston mayor wants building energy reporting (via Energy Manager Today)

POLITICS

Obama’s quiet strategy on climate change (via National Journal)

Lew: White House won’t propose carbon tax (via The Hill)

Bipartisan push to address climate change (via Politico)

OPINION

Fight over gas exports is prelude to oil exports brawl (via Houston Chronicle)

Why the debt crisis has trumped the climate crisis – at least in DC (via Time)

What California can teach DC about climate change policy (via GreenBiz)

Divestment: the best solution for environmental justice (via Good)

Why innovation alone isn’t enough to win the climate fight (via Time)

What ARPA-E can’t do (via MIT Technology Review)

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.25.13 share

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

EMISSIONS

German greenhouse gas emissions rise 1.6% in 2012 (via Reuters)

“Internet of things” promises nine billion tons of carbon savings (via BusinessGreen)

California’s second carbon permit auction beats expectations (via Reuters)

Seen as nature lovers’ paradise, Utah struggles with air quality (via New York Times)

OIL

Gulf oil spill trial set to start with no settlement in sight (via Houston Chronicle)

US oil demand fell to 18-year low in January, API says (via Bloomberg)

US Coast Guard documented 16 deficiencies on Arctic drillship (via Houston Chronicle)

ENERGY POLICY

China’s energy consumption rose 3.9% in 2012 (via Yahoo! News/IANS)

US quadruples pipeline tax break cost to $7 billion through 2016 (via Bloomberg)

The next big thing in energy: decentralization (via Grist)

Coastal governors unite in push for offshore revenue-sharing bill (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES

Deutsche sees “sustainable” global solar market in 2014 (via Renew Economy)

Report: more than 100 gigawatts in the China wind pipeline (via Greentech Media)

Indian Gujarat state to have country’s first offshore wind farm (via Panchabuta)

Inside the US military’s clean-energy revolution (via Mother Jones)

The breezy option has become a serious power source (via Globe and Mail)

Big Solar looks to grow with precise cloud forecasts (via EarthTechling)

As economics shift, wind developers see the light on solar power (via Midwest Energy News)

Minnesota lawmakers propose statewide 10% solar renewable energy standard (via Renew Grid)

Five surprising facts about wind energy in Texas (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

Cape Wind: regulation, litigation, and the struggle to develop offshore wind in the US (via Huffington Post)

KEYSTONE XL-TAR SANDS

Canadian officials make climate case in DC ahead of Keystone pipeline decision (via The Hill)

New study to examine health impact of Alberta oil sands (via Edmonton Journal)

Southern segment of Keystone XL is halfway finished (via AP/Houston Chronicle)

What will Obama’s “green quarterback” mean for Keystone XL? (via Canadian Press)

CLIMATE

UN sustainable energy initiative could put world on path to climate targets (via Phys.org)

Hotter, wetter climate slashes labor capacity 10%, says study (via Reuters)

Hawaii to suffer most as global sea levels rise, study says (via NBC News)

Lifting a town to escape the next storm (via New York Times)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Gaps found in EPA drilling emissions reporting (via The Hill)

Fracking emissions get review after EPA watchdog report (via Bloomberg)

West Texas shale could dwarf Eagle Ford (via Houston Chronicle)

GRID

Silicon Valley investors shifting to power grid after solar sours (via Bloomberg)

Germany unveils first North Sea offshore wind power network plan (via Bloomberg)

COAL

Coal demand falls in the US, rises everywhere else (via MIT Technology Review)

As EPA delays new coal ash rules, residents turn to courts for relief (via Center for Public Integrity)

TRANSPORTATION

Why have US gasoline prices risen since the start of 2013? (via US EIA)

Obama’s plan to fund clean cars with oil royalties faces tough test (via InsideClimate News)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Japan moving forward on smart cities (via GreenBiz)

Downtown Pittsburgh to halve energy consumption by 2030 (via Good)

DC unveils sustainability plan (via Environmental Leader)

POLITICS

Interior secretary nomination become embroiled in fight over Alaska refuge (via Washington Post)

Not-so-smart ALEC: how the lobbying group uses bad data to fight clean energy (via Grist)

OPINION

What does the Keystone XL pipeline represent? (via National Journal)

How the US military repelled the GOP’s attack on biofuels (via Mother Jones)

Video: Wait until China acts on Climate. What? They are!? (via Mother Jones)

Posted: | Categories: alaska, Alberta, ALEC, arctic, BP, california, canada, cap and trade, cape wind, China, coal ash, Deutsche Bank, Eagle Ford, emissions, Energy Efficiency, EPA, fracking, Gasoline, Gasoline prices, germany, Gina McCarthy, grid, Gujarat, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, india, Internet of things, Investors, japan, Keystone XL, Lisa Murkowski, massachusetts, minnesota, natural gas, News, North Sea, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, oil spill, Pipeline, Pittsburgh, Renewable energy standard, renewables, res, Sally Jewell, Sea level rise, Shale gas, Shell, Smart cities, Smog, solar, Solar forecast, Subsidy, tar sands, texas, Transportation, UN, united nations, US Coast Guard, US military, utah, Washington DC

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.22.13 share

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

CLIMATE

1.5C temperature rise enough to start permafrost melt, scientists warn (via The Guardian)

Poll: one-third of US says action on climate “essential” this year (via The Hill)

Front-runner to lead EPA vows more action on climate change (via The Hill)

Top oil lobbyist: new climate bill will never reach Senate floor (via The Hill)

Inslee: Washington State must do something about climate change (via The Olympian)

PA DEP Secretary pressed on climate change stance (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

COAL

2012 US coal exports reach record high (via Climate Progress)

ENERGY INDUSTRY

Europe to get first EU-wide offshore oil and gas law (via Reuters)

RENEWABLES

Saudi Arabia backs local content in 7GW renewables drive (via Recharge)

Saudi Arabia invites companies to bid for colossal renewables contracts (via BusinessGreen)

70 percent of China’s new wind is in low-speed regions (via Greentech Media)

Global solar farm capacity doubles inside 12 months (via BusinessGreen)

Renewables still seeking a level playing field (via EarthTechling)

AWEA says utilities “flocking” to wind (via Recharge)

Are local weather patterns impacted by wind farms? (via EarthTechling)

Wet December may boost hydropower output in California this year (via US EIA)

VA governor signs repeal of renewable energy incentives (via Virginian-Pilot)

Cape Wind financing moves forward (via Cape Cod Times)

Nanocrystal “solar paint” could replace panels, be applied to any surface (via The Good Human)

Solar lantern shines a light on energy poverty (via Treehugger)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Most of Europe’s natural gas supplies still linked to oil prices (via Reuters)

Death on the gas field illustrates high risks of rush to drill (via EnergyWire)

Natural gas hinders Chesapeake’s gains (via Houston Chronicle)

Alaska state regulators consider new fracking rules (via Reuters)

In Illinois, environmentalists and industry compromise on fracking bill (via Midwest Energy News)

EMISSIONS

China is getting a carbon tax, but how effective will it be? (via Washington Post)

EU carbon prices plunge after German permit auction fails second time (via Bloomberg)

Study of California cap-and-trade system suggests refinements (via Phys.org)

Researchers develop solar process to covert CO2 to methanol (via Green Car Congress)

GRID

Study says utilities handled Hurricane Sandy better than governments (via Renew Grid)

PPL investing nearly $1 billion to improve grid reliability (via Renew Grid)

TRANSPORTATION

Global lithium-ion battery sales will jump sixfold by 2019 (via Autoblog Green)

Numbers don’t lie: plug-in sales ahead of early hybrid sales (via Autoblog Green)

MIT study: fuel economy standards 6-14 times less cost effective than fuel tax for reducing gasoline use (via Green Car Congress)

One of world’s most efficient vehicles unable to enter US (via New York Times)

Colorado renewables law increases environmental benefits of EVs (via Plugin Cars)

NUCLEAR

Nuclear power another casualty of the shale gas boom (via Washington Post)

Vogtle plant is progressing but nuclear revival is not (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Forget energy efficiency: these office buildings actually make power (via Good)

Software plots how much homeowners can save on energy retrofits (via Greentech Media)

DC announces plans to be America’s greenest city (via Sustainable Cities Collective)

GREEN BUSINESS

How to get real green from your green certifications (via GreenBiz)

ENVIRONMENT

US drought to spread in California, Florida, government forecasts (via Reuters)

USDA forecasts record US corn and soy crops, lower prices (via Reuters)

Time is running out to avert a third summer of drought (via Climate Central)

Unprecedented legal verdict will help millions of birds (via Sustainable Business)

OIL

BP spill pact excluded billions in possible loss claims (via Bloomberg)

POLITICS

Senate Democrats prepare to defend Obama’s climate change rules (via National Journal)

EPA’s McCarthy mum on new job, says states to lead climate rules (via Reuters)

Interest groups gird for battle as they anticipate McCarthy pick (via Greenwire)

Latest polling finds strong support for clean energy, stricter carbon pollution standards (via Climate Progress)

LCV: 2012 House of Representatives most anti-environmental ever (via Huffington Post)

DOE Secretary Steven Chu to return to Stanford University (via Stanford Daily)

OPINION

Dirty fossil fuel exports will come back to bite Australia (via The Guardian)

Supply, demand, and activism: what should the climate movement do next? (via Grist)

Keystone XL decision will define Obama’s climate change legacy (via The Guardian)

Five reasons why the Keystone XL pipeline is bad for the economy (via Resilience)

Court the Right: advice for Obama’s next DOE chief (via Bloomberg)

Posted: | Categories: alaska, australia, awea, barack obama, Barbara Boxer, battery, Bob McDonnell, BP, california, cap and trade, cape wind, carbon tax, Chesapeake, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Coal exports, colorado, drought, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy Efficiency, EPA, EU, europe, European Union, ev, Extreme weather, Florida, fracking, Fracking disclosure, Fuel economy standard, Fuel tax, Gasoline, Georgia, germany, Gina McCarthy, global warming, green business, grid, Grid reliability, Hurricane Sandy, hybrid, Hydropower, Illinois, Jack Gerard, jay inslee, Keystone XL, League of Conservation Voters, Lithium-ion battery, massachusetts, Methanol, Michael Krancer, natural gas, News, nuclear, offshore drilling, offshore wind, oil, oil spill, pennsylvania, Permafrost, Plant Vogtle, Plug in, PPL, renewables, Retrofits, saudi arabia, Severe weather, Shale gas, solar, Stanford, steven chu, Subsidy, tar sands, Tax incentives, Transportation, usda, virginia, Washington DC, Washington State, wind

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.21.13 share

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

TRANSPORTATION

High-capacity chargers target Europe’s luxury market (via Pike Research)

Estonia installs “world’s first” nationwide fast-charging network (via BusinessGreen)

Lithium-ion battery gives IBM hope of power without fires (via Bloomberg)

EPA sets renewable fuel standard, tackles fraud (via The Hill)

Tesla expects to turn its first profit in the first quarter of 2013 (via GigaOm)

2013 Nissan Leaf: 75-mile range “anticipated in new EPA test (via Green Car Reports)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL

Report: oil sands dependence could hurt Canada’s economy (via Canadian Press)

Canadian crude rolling into Gulf Coast refineries (via Houston Chronicle)

Supporters of Keystone XL outspend opponents 35 to 1 (via Climate Progress)

ALEC pushes Keystone pipeline approval through six states (via Sustainable Business)

RENEWABLES

EU to register Chinese solar panels in move toward duties (via Reuters)

Ontario might get a 400MW pumped storage station five times the height of Niagara Falls (via TreeHugger)

Mexico just scratching the surface of solar demand (via Renewable Energy World)

Iceland looks to export geothermal power (via New York Times)

Nine amazing teenagers innovating in cleantech (via Treehugger)

Renewables increase US electricity market share 44% from 2007 to 2012 (via Facts of the Day)

Michigan sees surge in wind power, thanks to renewable portfolio standard (via Renew Grid)

Oversupply and uncertainty for Massachusetts SREC market in 2013 (via Greentech Media)

Offshore wind production bill gets preliminary approval in Maryland House (via Washington Post/AP)

Minnesota bill introduced seeking 10% solar energy standard (via St. Paul Pioneer Press)

PACE funding in Florida gets $500 million boost (via CleanTechnica)

Work begins on new 400MW Texas solar PV plant (via Recharge)

How a city can get more clean, local energy (via CleanTechnica)

OIL/GASOLINE

US oil production will soar in 2013 – can it last? (via Christian Science Monitor)

AAA reports largest increase in gasoline prices in three years (via The Hill)

BP civil settlement remains elusive as trial nears (via Shreveport Times/AP)

ENERGY INDUSTRY

Germany, UK offer contrasting visions for electricity (via Reuters)

Energy to help Texas economy outpace nation’s (via Houston Chronicle)

Enron-era ruling signals $1.6 billion California consumer refunds (via Bloomberg)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Merkel leaves door open to fracking as shale gains appeal (via Bloomberg)

Marcellus production rises again in Pennsylvania (via Pittsburgh Business Times)

Chesapeake probe finds no “intentional” CEO misconduct (via Reuters)

CLIMATE

Filipino super-typhoon an ominous warning of climate change impact (via The Guardian)

If you don’t believe in climate change, talk to a clam digger (via Grist)

Activist investors put climate change issue up for vote at PNC Bank (via Los Angeles Times)

Bill would require Kansas teachers to question climate science (via InsideClimate News)

ENVIRONMENT

After China’s multibillion-dollar cleanup, water still unfit to drink (via Reuters)

Explained in 90 seconds: permafrost (via Mother Jones)

Biofuel rush wiping out America’s grasslands at fastest pace since 1930’s (via Washington Post)

EMISSIONS

Another study names oil and gas drilling as ozone culprit (via Climate Progress)

RGGI changes help both the environment and business (via C2ES)

GRID

PSE&G proposes $4 billion for grid resiliency in New Jersey (via Greentech Media)

EnerNOC adapting demand response for “big data” applications (via Greentech Media)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Efficiency is a more important economic driver than energy supply (via Greentech Media)

University at Albany SUNY saves $704,000 per year with energy efficiency upgrades (via Environmental Leader)

COAL

Oregon governor questions wisdom of headlong coal-export push (via Grist)

West Virginia, US Mine Safety and Health Administration seek greater focus on coal mining safety (via Charleston Gazette)

NUCLEAR

Deal advances development of a smaller nuclear reactor (via New York Times)

POLITICS

Obama settles on EPA, DOE nominees (via Reuters)

Climate change and the Obama Administration (via Council on Foreign Relations)

Kerry comes out swinging on climate change (via The Hill)

Moniz: shale gas boom a low-carbon solution – for now (via InsideClimate News)

Senate Democrat touts support for Keystone XL (via Houston Chronicle)

OPINION

EU and China stumble toward solar trade war (via Reuters)

How the looming food and energy crises are intertwined (via Good)

Tesla’s explosive revenue suggests a bright future (via MIT Technology Review)

Low emissions are no justification for Kansas scaling back renewables (via The Guardian)

Cheap ways you can get green power (via EarthTechling)

Posted: | Categories: ALEC, Angela Merkel, Aubrey McClendon, barack obama, battery, biofuels, BP, california, canada, Chesapeake, China, climate, Climate Change, coal, Demand response, Electric Vehicle, emissions, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, EnerNOC, Enron, EPA, Ernest Moniz, Estonia, EU, europe, European Union, ev, EV charger, EV charging infrastructure, Extreme weather, Florida, fracking, Gasoline, geothermal, germany, Gina McCarthy, grid, Hydropower, ibm, Iceland, john kerry, kansas, Keystone XL, Lithium-ion battery, marcellus shale, maryland, massachusetts, mexico, michigan, minnesota, natural gas, new york state, News, nissan LEAF, nuclear, offshore wind, oil, oil spill, ontario, oregon, Ozone, PACE, pennsylvania, Permafrost, Philippines, PNC Bank, PSE&G, Renewable fuel standard, renewable portfolio standard, renewables, RFS, rggi, rps, Severe weather, Shale gas, small modular reactor, smart grid, solar, solar pv, Solar renewable energy credit, Solar trade war, SREC, tar sands, Tesla, texas, Transportation, uk, united kingdom, Water, West Virginia, wind

Feb

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.20.13 share

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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