Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.14.13

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

EMISSIONS 

South Korea to launch world’s most ambitious carbon trading scheme (via BusinessGreen)

Clock is ticking, slowly, on rules for coal-fired power plants (via Los Angeles Times)

EIA releases report on CO2 emissions by state (via Green Car Congress)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Sustainability “highly important” to 42% of supply chains (via Environmental Leader)

ENERGY POLICY 

Wyoming governor unveils state energy policy 2 years in making (via Houston Chronicle)

RENEWABLES 

Germany disputes hard EU stance on China solar panel duties (via Reuters)

5 achievements from Germany’s “Energiewende” (via WRI Insights)

Consumer support for wind and solar energy fell in 2012 (via Navigant Research)

Big Data will provide accurate analysis of wind-wildlife impacts (via Treehugger)

Feds study Gulf wildlife to make way for wind turbines (via Houston Chronicle)

Sharper computer models clear the way for more wind power (via MIT Technology Review)

In Solyndra wake, US solar industry sees chance to go from niche to mainstream (via Greenwire)

DOE’s high-impact energy innovation incubator program (via Energy Collective)

SolarCity shares up 200% since IPO (via Recharge)

Illinois renewable energy fund lacks power to fulfill purpose (via Chicago Tribune)

OIL 

Lower Mexican oil production contributes to lower US crude oil exports (via US EIA)

Pipelines spill three times as much oil as trains (via Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg)

US oil boom leaves OPEC sidelined from demand growth (via Reuters)

CLIMATE 

Mount Everest glaciers have shrunk 13% in 50 years (via Mongabay)

Melting ice opens fight over sea routes for Arctic (via Bloomberg)

Hurricane Sandy forced third-most people from homes worldwide in 2012 (via The Hill)

America’s first climate refugees (via The Guardian)

Climate resilience: deconstructing the new buzz-word (via Climate Progress)

Both sides in climate war blamed for cherry-picking attribution research (via InsideClimate News)

GRID 

Smart meters stumble in the UK (via Greentech Media)

How “shadow bids” could hurt the demand response market (via Greentech Media)

Insights into renewables and the grid from Congress (via Greentech Media)

Water utilities to spend $2 billion on smart meters through 2020 (via Bloomberg)

ENVIRONMENT 

Nations ponder how to handle busier, more polluted Arctic (via ClimateWire)

Fewer rainforests mean less energy for developing nations (via New York Times)

Tinderbox-dry Western US at high risk of major wildfires (via Climate Central)

Feds warn sequester cuts weakened readiness for wildfire season (via The Hill)

Do we need a better yardstick to measure severe droughts in US? (via Climatewire)

OPINION 

The myths and realities of America’s oil and gas boom (via Greentech Media)

What to expect from EV range now and over time (via Plugin Cars)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.14.13

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

EMISSIONS 

South Korea to launch world’s most ambitious carbon trading scheme (via BusinessGreen)

Clock is ticking, slowly, on rules for coal-fired power plants (via Los Angeles Times)

EIA releases report on CO2 emissions by state (via Green Car Congress)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Sustainability “highly important” to 42% of supply chains (via Environmental Leader)

ENERGY POLICY 

Wyoming governor unveils state energy policy 2 years in making (via Houston Chronicle)

RENEWABLES 

Germany disputes hard EU stance on China solar panel duties (via Reuters)

5 achievements from Germany’s “Energiewende” (via WRI Insights)

Consumer support for wind and solar energy fell in 2012 (via Navigant Research)

Big Data will provide accurate analysis of wind-wildlife impacts (via Treehugger)

Feds study Gulf wildlife to make way for wind turbines (via Houston Chronicle)

Sharper computer models clear the way for more wind power (via MIT Technology Review)

In Solyndra wake, US solar industry sees chance to go from niche to mainstream (via Greenwire)

DOE’s high-impact energy innovation incubator program (via Energy Collective)

SolarCity shares up 200% since IPO (via Recharge)

Illinois renewable energy fund lacks power to fulfill purpose (via Chicago Tribune)

OIL 

Lower Mexican oil production contributes to lower US crude oil exports (via US EIA)

Pipelines spill three times as much oil as trains (via Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg)

US oil boom leaves OPEC sidelined from demand growth (via Reuters)

CLIMATE 

Mount Everest glaciers have shrunk 13% in 50 years (via Mongabay)

Melting ice opens fight over sea routes for Arctic (via Bloomberg)

Hurricane Sandy forced third-most people from homes worldwide in 2012 (via The Hill)

America’s first climate refugees (via The Guardian)

Climate resilience: deconstructing the new buzz-word (via Climate Progress)

Both sides in climate war blamed for cherry-picking attribution research (via InsideClimate News)

GRID 

Smart meters stumble in the UK (via Greentech Media)

How “shadow bids” could hurt the demand response market (via Greentech Media)

Insights into renewables and the grid from Congress (via Greentech Media)

Water utilities to spend $2 billion on smart meters through 2020 (via Bloomberg)

ENVIRONMENT 

Nations ponder how to handle busier, more polluted Arctic (via ClimateWire)

Fewer rainforests mean less energy for developing nations (via New York Times)

Tinderbox-dry Western US at high risk of major wildfires (via Climate Central)

Feds warn sequester cuts weakened readiness for wildfire season (via The Hill)

Do we need a better yardstick to measure severe droughts in US? (via Climatewire)

OPINION 

The myths and realities of America’s oil and gas boom (via Greentech Media)

What to expect from EV range now and over time (via Plugin Cars)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.7.13

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

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

US shale revolution hinges on exports, say executives (via Houston Chronicle)

Railway says fuel savings inspired LNG test (via Houston Chronicle)

Enbridge CEO interested in providing natural gas for trains (via Houston Chronicle)

New York State Assembly votes to block fracking until 2015 (via Reuters)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Clean energy, transportation posed to create 110,000 jobs (via Sustainable Business)

Wal-Mart beats 20% emissions reduction goal a year early (via BusinessGreen)

COAL 

Weak global coal market threatens low-margin mines (via Reuters)

RENEWABLES 

Japan’s wind industry headed for boom after solar surge (via Bloomberg)

Green investing update (via AOL Energy)

Despite major growth, SolarCity shares drop on Q4 loss (via GigaOm)

Wind energy lessons from Illinois: Q&A with AWEA’s Rob Gramlich (via Midwest Energy News)

SMUD launches pilot to study the grid impacts of solar (via Renew Grid)

Clean energy coalition ups ante on renewable energy in Minnesota (via Pioneer Press)

Minnesota lawmakers consider rate-based solar power incentives (via Star-Tribune)

ENERGY POLICY 

Fossil fuels still fastest-growing global energy source (via Energy Manager Today)

Dearth of skilled workers imperils $100 billion in US projects (via Bloomberg)

US oil and gas boom takes many by surprise (via NBC News)

California CEOs say current energy policies helpful but too complicated (via Renew Grid)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Top 1% of US homes consume 4 times more electricity than average (via Outlier)

Energy efficiency cut 107TWh of US electricity demand in 2011 (via CleanTechnica)

The industrial sector: low-hanging fruit for demand response? (via Renew Grid)

Chicago buildings aggregate energy data to participate in better demand response (via Energy Manager Today)

KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS 

Canadian official: Keystone rejection wouldn’t harm US-Canada relationship (via The Hill)

Four factors that could turn Keystone’s fate (via Politico)

Canada pitches oil sands crude as greener choice for US (via Houston Chronicle)

Keystone XL critics now hang hopes on delaying the pipeline (via Reuters)

GRID 

EEI expects $15 billion in transmission investment this year (via Renew Grid)

US smart meter market is far from saturated (via Greentech Media)

Heating and cooling no longer majority of US home energy use (via US EIA)

CLIMATE 

Misunderstanding seal-level rise and climate impacts (via Science Blogs)

How climate change worsened violence in Syria (via Mother Jones)

EPA, DOE can tackle climate change on several fronts (via Washington Post)

Climate change turns an already troubled ski industry on its head (via High Country News)

Washington governor, senators disagree on terms of climate-change bill (via Seattle Times)

OIL 

Saudi Aramco committed to US oil exports, says CEO (via Bloomberg)

German oil executive: country’s clean energy dream now a “nightmare” (via Houston Chronicle)

Texas oil production may hit record by 2020, says state regulator (via Bloomberg)

BP CEO: no retreat from Gulf of Mexico despite spill (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

EV efficiency should be ranked on miles/KWh, not MPGe (via Green Car Reports)

FedEx Express fleet beats 20% fuel economy improvement goal, sets new target of 30% improvement by 2020 compared to 2005 (via Green Car Congress)

GM targets lower car weight, long-range EVs (via Reuters)

ENVIRONMENT 

Bangladesh, India, China at “high-risk” from natural disasters (via RTCC)

UK consumer consumption footprint more than 1½ times its land area (via BusinessGreen)

Endangered or not, species at least no longer waiting (via New York Times)

House votes to increase weather satellite funding (via Climate Central)

Texas shields free-market habitat program from federal scrutiny (via Greenwire)

NUCLEAR 

Feds look to ship Washington radioactive waste to New Mexico (via Post-Intelligencer)

Hanford nuclear leak: budget cuts threaten cleanup efforts (via Politico/AP)

POLITICS 

Harry Reid: the closet environmentalist (via National Journal)

Obama pick for Interior Department faces hearing; agency under fire (via Reuters)

Interior nominee Jewell championed outdoor jobs over oil (via Bloomberg)

OPINION 

Why food riots are likely to become the new normal (via The Guardian)

Better Place was supposed to revolutionize electric cars – what went wrong? (via Washington Post)

BP CEO: “peak oil” talk quieted by abundance (via The Hill)

Are environmentalists wrong about Keystone XL? (via Christian Science Monitor)