Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.28.13

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…)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.11.13

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

CLIMATE 

The scary truth about how much climate change is costing you (via National Journal)

EPA publishes climate change protection plan, asks for comments (via The Hill)

Science groups push Obama for climate change summit (via Climate Central)

New map pinpoints cities to avoid as sea levels rise (via NewScientist)

Attention investors: climate policy could knock off half the value of fossil fuel companies (via Grist)

COAL 

Interior Department will investigate coal export royalty payments (via The Hill)

Big Coal’s big problems (via Rolling Stone)

Flexibility key to carbon limits on US coal-fired power (via Reuters)

Coal exports are a no-win business model (via The Oregonian)

RENEWABLES

Wind industry installs almost 5.3GW of capacity in December (via US EIA)

World added 30GW of PV solar in 2012, EPIA says (via Recharge)

Clean energy a $2 trillion market through 2018 (via Pike Research)

China, US lead global wind installations in 2012 (via Renew Economy)

Germany has five times as much solar power as the US – despite Alaska levels of sun (via Washington Post)

Tidal power concept fails in UK demo (via EarthTechling)

GWEC: “Africa to emerge as wind hotspot” (via Recharge)

US residential solar financing to reach $5.7 billion by 2016 (via Greentech Media)

Obama Administration to stay course on biofuel law, Vilsack says (via Bloomberg)

DOE launches database to support sustainable development of ocean energy resources (via Green Car Congress)

In the Rockies, growing support for renewables (via New York Times)

Solar outside the Sunbelt: Minnesota (via Greentech Media)

Rhode Island feed-in tariff schedule announced for 2013 (via Renewable Energy World)

EMISSIONS 

Carbon Emissions Globe provides 3D visualization of world’s increasing emissions (via Inhabitat)

Japan proposes pollution meeting with China (via Phys.org)

Business gains seen in US standards for power plant emissions (via Bloomberg)

RGGI’s tougher carbon cap seen doubling revenues by 2020 (via InsideClimate News)

Ohio State’s carbon-capture breakthrough still has long road to adoption (via Midwest Energy News)

TRANSPORTATION 

US Army makes progress on vehicle fleet efficiency (via Triple Pundit)

How battery improvements will revolutionize electric car design (via GigaOm)

Stalled out on Tesla’s electric highway (via New York Times)

Toward a cure for range anxiety (via New York Times)

Automakers straddle the EV charging chasm (via Pike Research)

MyFord mobile app now directs C-Max and Fusion Energi drivers to nearest EV chargers (via Autoblog Green)

KEYSTONE XL 

Kerry wants Keystone pipeline decision in “near term” (via The Hill)

Is Keystone XL Obama’s line in the sand? (via The Globe and Mail)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

€600 million approved UK’s Green Deal energy efficiency program (via CleanTechnica)

Energy efficiency could save US billions, create 1.3 million jobs by 2030 (via CleanTechnica)

Energy efficiency prospects: what to watch (via GreenBiz)

OIL 

Oil exports trim US deficit as fuel gap shrinks (via Bloomberg)

Higher oil taxes would lift the economy (via Council on Foreign Relations)

Major oil company breaks with trade group over SEC disclosure lawsuit (via The Hill)

GRID 

Exelon: wind power subsidies could threaten nuclear plant closings (via Chicago Tribune)

Texas wind power transmission set to skyrocket (via CleanTechnica)

Governor’s office, California ISO square off on distributed generation (via Greentech Media)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

In North Carolina, fracking rights rise to the surface (via Reuters)

POLITICS 

Sizing up Obama’s State of the Union address (via National Journal)

Obama to lay out economic growth plan in State of Union speech (via Reuters)

Q&A: Sen. Murkowski on her “20/20” energy policy vision (via Washington Post)

Marco Rubio not convinced climate change an actual problem (via Huffington Post)

OPINION 

It’s not easy being green (via New York Times)

10 lessons learned from solar power success in Germany (via CleanTechnica)

More clean energy cometh (via EarthTechling)

Why Keystone XL is not in the US national interest (via Energy Collective)

Cap-and-trade is still alive in New England – is it working? (via Washington Post)

Germany has more solar power because everyone wins (via CleanTechnica)

Could Nemo inspire more dubious climate change coverage? (via Mother Jones)

Can USDA’s climate reality message take root with denialist farmers? (via Grist)

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)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.5.13

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

TRANSPORTATION 

Japan probe of Dreamliner battery finds signs of thermal runaway (via Washington Post/AP)

US households spent record amount on gasoline in 2012 (via Reuters)

Analysts forecast extended range EV market to reach more than 329k units by 2018 (via Green Car Congress)

GRID 

Polish utility chief questions EU energy market integration (via Recharge)

US Energy Department hacked, says no classified data was compromised (via Reuters)

Energy storage: crossing the chasm to commercialization (via Greentech Media)

Midwest grid operator expanding south, to “last frontier” for renewables (via Midwest Energy News)

RENEWABLES 

IEA chief: fossil fuel subsidies are public enemy number one for green energy (via BusinessGreen)

Wind overtakes nuclear in Chinese energy league table (via BusinessGreen)

Top Chinese manufacturers will produce solar panels for 42 cents per watt in 2015 (via Greentech Media)

Unusual allies fight renewable fuel standard (via Houston Chronicle)

US net meter capacity exceeds 2,688MW & 225,000 customers (via Facts of the Day)

DOE study quantifies county-level employment & income gains from wind energy development (via CleanTechnica)

Solar development absorbing California farmland (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

ERCOT may add 1.2GW of wind in 2013 (via Facts of the Day)

35MW “solar forest” sprouts in North Carolina (via Sustainable Business)

EMISSIONS 

Fears mount over Japan’s carbon target (via BusinessGreen)

US Pacific Northwest paying high price for carbon emissions (via Grist)

Arizona sues US EPA over coal power plant emissions (via Reuters)

COAL 

Under Obama, coal country fights for its way of life (via Reuters)

DOE moves FutureGen CCS project forward into second phase (via Green Car Congress)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

UK PM Cameron pushes energy efficiency as motor of green growth (via The Guardian)

Spending on US utility efficiency programs to double by 2025 (via Greentech Media)

California budget proposes shifting energy-efficiency funds (via Energy Manager Today)

SUPER BOWL BLACKOUT 

Super Bowl power outage was known fear (via ESPN)

NFL: halftime show had no role in Super Bowl blackout (via Chicago Tribune/Reuters)

Super Bowl: who turned out the lights? (via Politico)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

New York State: no timetable for fracking decision (via Corning Leader/AP)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Deep green investing: a closer look (via GreenBiz)

CLIMATE 

Blowing hot and cold: US belief in climate change shifts with weather (via Phys.org)

POLITICS 

Biden vows climate change action in meeting with French president (via The Hill)

Outgoing EPA chief regrets lack of dialogue with rural America (via The Hill)

Outgoing EPA chief convinced Obama serious on climate change (via Reuters)

Top Senate Republican unveils broad energy blueprint (via Houston Chronicle)

OPINION 

Sen. Murkowski unveils her energy plan – here’s a breakdown (via Washington Post)

Chu navigated energy policy through changing tides in US production (via EnergyWire)

Electric cars head toward another dead end (via Reuters) 

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.29.13

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

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Settlement with TransCanada curtails protesters’ acts of civil disobedience (via Greenwire)

GRID 

China tests a small smart electric grid (via MIT Technology Review)

Inspector General: DOE mismanaged ARRA smart grid funds (via Renew Grid)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon price drop deemed “wake-up call” (via United Press International)

“Off the scale” smog envelops Beijing again (via Phys.org)

Scotland sets 2030 power sector decarbonization goal (via Recharge)

RENEWABLES 

PwC: renewables M&A activity falls in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Solar growth moves to China, Middle East, and India as Europe cuts subsidies (via ClimateWire)

UK solar boom predicted to double installations in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Taiwan starts offshore wind push (via Recharge)

Suzlon chief predicts “flat” wind turbine market in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

Can fossil-fuel tax benefits boost the renewable energy industry? (via Midwest Energy News)

Solar net metering equals net benefits in California and Vermont (via CleanTechnica)

ERCOT report shows Texas wind and solar power hold their own against natural gas (via EarthTechling)

ENVIRONMENT 

Over $8 billion invested in watersheds globally in 2011 (via Mongabay) 

Projected US water use likely to increase as climate warms (via Phys.org)

Message from Mexico: US is polluting water it may someday need to drink (via ProPublica)

Species on the move present a conservation challenge (via Climate Change)

Drought worsening in Midwest and Plains states, despite Winter weather (via Huffington Post/Reuters)

OIL 

OPEC sees oil markets well supplied, no price collapse in 2013 (via Bloomberg)

US review delays closing of big Chinese oil deal (via The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION 

Has “peak car” already happened, making automakers mobility companies? (via Autoblog Green)

Three automakers combine forces on fuel-cell cars (via New York Times)

Electric cars and the power grid: how are they coming together? (via Forbes)

Lower EV prices will not blow up the market (via Pike Research)

EV drivers now have quick-charge coverage from Washington to California (via CleanTechnica)

Colorado county mandates plug-in vehicle wiring for new homes (via Plugin Cars)

CLIMATE 

USGS-NOAA: climate change impacts to US coasts threaten public health, safety, economy (via Phys.org)

Cities lead over feds on climate change adaptation (via Sustainable Business)

Scientist publishes first climate change textbook for college students (via Phys.org)

Is it Spring or is it Winter? Wild rollercoaster of US temperatures (via Weather Underground)

An unusual weather turn even for the Midwest: 8 degrees quickly becomes 74 (via New York Times)

NASA retirees appeal to own lack of climate authority (via Skeptical Science)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Shell, Kinder Morgan to jointly export LNG from the US (via Reuters)

Gas royalty checks total $1.2 billion in Pennsylvania (via Facts of the Day)

RARE EARTHS 

Rare earths mining boom poses toxic risks (via Treehugger)

COAL 

Canadian carbon project aims to prove clean coal works (via Reuters)

US coal industry sees progress ahead in Congress, Courts (via Politico)

GREEN BUILDING 

America’s most conservative green community (via The Atlantic)

Washington DC requires privately owned buildings measure energy, water use (via Sustainable Business)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Unlocking sustainability’s hidden value (via GreenBiz)

POLITICS 

What it looks like when Obama’s passion spurs him to defy political odds (via Grist)

Climate change action now helps win elections: poll (via Discovery News)

Moderate Dem Senator Heitkamp bucks party orthodoxy, aims to exemplify “all of the above” (via E&E Daily)

A chat with Sierra Club’s Michael Brune about civil disobedience (via Grist)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.22.13

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

CLIMATE 

Interview: UN Chief wants action on climate change (via Time/AP)

World Economic Forum: efforts to curb climate change could cost $700 billion a year (via Huffington Post/Reuters)

Survey: 70 percent of firms fear climate threat to revenues (via BusinessGreen)

Seeking clues about sea level rise from fossil beaches (via New York Times)

EMISSIONS 

EU carbon price dips below €5 mark for first time (via BusinessGreen)

China and Australia top list of “carbon bomb” projects (via The Guardian)

EU carbon market in need of an auction monitor (via Reuters)

GRID 

EU energy chief appeals to Germany to drop energy isolation (via Reuters)

Smart city technology market to hit $20.2 billion annually in 2020 (via Green Car Congress)

Germany plans support for energy storage on small PV installations (via Recharge)

In energy storage, the numbers don’t add up – yet (via Pike Research)

RENEWABLES 

France considers third offshore wind power tender for 6GW (via Reuters)

South Korea to change renewable subsidies to boost program efficiency (via Bloomberg)

Unlikely companies bring clout and cash to clean energy lobbying effort (via InsideClimate News)

New thin-film solar cell efficiency record set at 20.4% (via CleanTechnica)

Vermont study demonstrates net metering benefit for ratepayers (via Renewable Energy World)

Willow trees grown for biofuel produce more if grown diagonally (via R&D)

COAL 

Record China imports unlikely to excite Asian coal markets (via Reuters)

Carbon capture & sequestration emissions savings may be lower than predicted (via BusinessGreen)

Visit the tiny town where Big Coal will meet its fate (via Mother Jones)

TRANSPORTATION 

Report: airlines could make €1.3 billion from EU carbon regulations (via BusinessGreen)

What does the Boeing Dreamliner battery fire mean for EVs? (via Plugin Cars)

Toyota leads green tech patent growth for third consecutive quarter (via CleanTechnica)

Major price drops coming for electric vehicles (via CleanTechnica)

Bumpy road ahead for EV charging market? (via Renew Grid)

Avis’ Zipcar buy likely to be approved by antitrust legislators (via Autoblog Green)

Virginia governor’s road-funding plan: penalize hybrids, EVs (via Green Car Reports)

OBAMA INAUGURATION 

Obama’s speech gives climate goals center stage (via New York Times)

Climate change moves to forefront in Obama’s inaugural address (via The Guardian)

Can Obama make defeating climate change his legacy? (via The Guardian)

After Obama’s speech, a hunt for details (via The Hill)

Obama’s climate change pledge tested by Keystone XL pipeline (via Huffington Post/AP)

Can Obama tackle climate change in his second term? (via Washington Post)

OIL 

Arctic drilling can be done safely, federal adviser says (via Houston Chronicle)

Friendly business environment fuels US oil boom (via Houston Chronicle)

800 scientists gather for Gulf of Mexico oil spill conference (via Times-Picayune)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

LEDs emerge as popular efficient lighting (via New York Times)

In Chicago, seeking the next bright idea in energy efficiency (via Midwest Energy News)

NUCLEAR 

End to Yucca Mountain “within reach,” Nevada commissions says (via Las Vegas Sun)

Endgame close in legal tussles over Vermont Yankee (via Greenwire)

ENVIRONMENT 

Crop production boosted 145% in drought conditions with water-saving membranes (via TreeHugger)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.17.13

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

OIL AND GAS 

EPA halted fracking water contamination investigation in Texas after industry protest (via Huffington Post/AP)

OPEC sees weaker demand for its crude in 2013 (via Yahoo! News/Reuters)

BP, Justice Department say Gulf plea deal fair and appropriate (via Houston Chronicle)

Oil and gas lobby sees ‘early breakthrough’ for offshore royalty bill (via The Hill)

POWER GENERATION 

America’s 2012 power plant construction boom: new generation capacity jumps 21% (via Facts of the Day)

New coal generation capacity in 2012 up 135% over 2011 (via Facts of the Day)

RENEWABLES 

Japan to build world’s largest offshore wind farm (via New Scientist)

UK green bank chief plans to allocate $4.8 billion to clean energy by 2015 (via Renewable Energy World)

Green energy makes up half of new US capacity in 2012 (via BusinessGreen)

Indian states aim to boost solar power (via Panchabuta)

Mitsubishi invests $770 million in German offshore wind (via Houston Chronicle)

An emerging source of clean power in India: city waste (via GigaOm)

New study shows net metering is financial benefit, not burden, to ratepayers (via Renewable Energy World)

Reverse auctions seen as model for clean energy renaissance (via Sustainable Business)

EMISSIONS

Beijing’s toxic smog was years in the making, had many sources (via Reuters)

Airborne toxins down, but overall pollutant levels rising, EPA says (via Phys.org)

The simple technology helping Coca Cola, AT&T, Wal-Mart cut costs and emissions (via Forbes) 

GRID 

In smart grid energy savings, utilities must meet consumer expectations (via Pike Research)

FERC documents continued growth of demand response in the US (via Pike Research)

CLIMATE 

Study: global warming means more wildfires (via Coloradoan)

Fighting fires: you’re doing it wrong (via Live Science)

In Thoreau’s flower journal, clues for climatologists (via New York Times)

5 tips for handling climate skeptics in 2013 (via Huffington Post)

Sweltering summers to become the norm for US capital (via Climate Progress)

Climate change report forecasts major impacts for the Southwest (via Phys.org)

Europe’s climate change fail (via Energy Collective)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

2013 will bring phase-out of 75-watt incandescent light bulbs (via The Good Human)

TRANSPORTATION 

A vehicle engine that uses one-third the fuel (via MIT Technology Review)

2012 Coda sedan EV price slashed to $25,000 (via Green Car Reports)

ACEEE announces greenest cars of the year (via Green Car Reports)

Can subsidies get electric vehicles rolling in India? (via Forbes)

ENVIRONMENT 

Infographic study shows world’s oldest trees are dying off rapidly (via Inhabitat)

OPINION 

Will Australia become uninhabitable? (via Australia News24)

The road forward from cap-and-trade (via Grist)

America needs a vibrant clean energy manufacturing sector (via Innovation Files)

Why has climate legislation failed? (via Washington Post)

Why the renewable energy industry needs green banks (via Renewable Energy World)

Breaking down the federal clean energy innovation budget (via Innovation Files)

The really, really big picture: there isn’t going to be enough net energy for the economic growth we want (via Resiliency)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.10.13

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

CLIMATE 

UN climate official wants “strong” US response to record heat (via The Hill)

Arab Spring spawns Middle East youth climate change movement (via Sustainable Business)

Five charts help illustrate 2012 as warmest year on record (via Climate Central)

By the numbers: the hottest year on record (via WRI Insights)

Local governments answer America’s climate change wake-up call (via CleanTechnica)

Climate change and the shrinking Mississippi River (via Huffington Post)

Since 2009, Sunday TV shows haven’t quoted a single scientist on climate change (via Treehugger)

RENEWABLES 

Solar shakeout expected to slash solar equipment makers by 70% (via GigaOm)

MENA solar markets to exceed 3GW annually by 2015 (via Greentech Media)

China’s plan to double solar capacity in 2013 boosts industry (via Reuters)

China and renewables: the outlook for growth (via CleanTechnica)

Nearly 12% of UK electricity now produced by renewables (via Energy Collective)

In India, solar ambitions are suddenly outsized (via New York Times)

Wind power to provide 5% of America’s electricity by 2015 (via Facts of the Day)

Answers about tax credit specifics are still blowin’ in the wind (via Houston Chronicle)

New York Gov. Cuomo announces $1 billion green bank, new energy czar (via Greentech Media)

BP cuts ribbon on 600MW worth of US wind farms (via BusinessGreen)

Google invests $200 million in Texas wind farm, has now backed 2GW of clean power (via GigaOm)

Chinese firm buys US solar start-up MiaSole (via New York Times)

OIL 

Arctic standards urged for oil drilling in forbidding region (via Houston Chronicle)

US oil imports are falling to their lowest level since 1987 (via Washington Post)

Shale oil output anchors a record growth in US production (via EnergyWire)

Interior Department, Coast Guard launch separate probes of Shell Arctic operations (via EnergyWire)

BP’s oil and dispersant toxic to baby corals (via Mother Jones)

Phillips makes $1 billion commitment to ship Bakken shale oil (via Reuters)

Big Oil lobby claims the industry “gets no subsidies, zero, nothing” (via Climate Progress)

GRID 

Smart meter opponents turn to Maryland state legislature (via Capital Gazette)

California awards $1.8 million to UCSD microgrid project (via Green Car Congress)

TRANSPORTATION 

Volkswagen wants to be “the leader in electrification” (via Autoblog Green)

China to offer electric car incentives soon, says official (via Bloomberg)

2013 Nissan Leaf now more efficient, charges in half the time (via Inhabitat)

Virginia Gov. McDonnell proposes eliminating state’s gas tax (via The Hill)

EMISSIONS 

California ratepayers to receive 85% of cap-and-trade revenue as climate dividend (via AOL Energy)

COAL 

EIA projects slight bump up for coal this year, but long-term projections show decline (via Charleston Gazette)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Utilities can save big with next-generation energy efficiency programs (via Energy Manager Today)

Back from the brink: home energy efficiency tax credits (via EarthTechling)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

US Chamber’s fracking jobs boom: behind the numbers (via Midwest Energy News)

POLITICS 

Obama’s first term: assessing progress on top energy and climate priorities (via Climate Progress)

Former White House aide defends “green” stimulus, says created 720,000 jobs (via The Hill)

Sen. Sanders floats new climate bill after US hits heat record (via The Hill)

MIT to Obama: get serious about climate change (via Triple Pundit)

Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew has ties to energy (via Christian Science Monitor)

Tom Steyer might be the next big name in US energy politics (via Greenwire)

OPINION 

China’s solar PV goal masks a fallacy (via Recharge)

Solyndra stunk. The green stimulus didn’t. (via Washington Post)

Climate-proofing cities: not something conservatives will be good at (via Grist)

Heat: Hell on poor countries, no biggie for the rich (via Grist)

Clarifying public investments in clean energy innovation (via Innovation Files)

Innovation should be central to next Energy Secretary’s agenda (via Innovation Files)

The science of why comment trolls suck (via Mother Jones)

OTHER NEWS 

An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress