Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.22.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
NOAA: 2013 tied for fourth-warmest year on record (via The Guardian)
2013 timeline: A year of extreme weather events (via WRI Insights)
Report says China must spend $330 billion more to do fair share on climate (via Reuters)
Climate change: “Water supply at risk from back-to-back extreme events” (via The Guardian)
Extreme weather in Canada cost insurers billions in 2013 (via Climate Progress)
EMISSIONS
EU sets targets of 40% carbon cut and 27% renewables by 2030 (via The Guardian)
China’s per capita CO2 emissions are now greater than Europe’s (via Energy Collective)
Europe divides over more ambitious pollution limits (via Bloomberg)
RENEWABLES
China lifts 2014 solar PV installation target to 14GW (via Renew Economy)
Will Germany meet its renewable energy targets? (via Renew Economy)
China’s wind power sector foresees a recovery in 2014 (via Renewable Energy World)
Clean tech’s investment cycle: Don’t worry, think bigger (via Renewable Energy World)
Corn ethanol reduces emissions 32% compared to petroleum (via Environmental Leader)
California official: Utilities would like to “strangle” solar (via San Francisco Chronicle)
Community-owned solar creates a new business model in Massachusetts (via Greentech Media)
Lessons from Minnesota – an unexpected solar success (via CleanTechnica)
COAL
India’s coal imports rise 21% in 2013 (via Reuters)
West Virginia spill just latest case of coal tainting U.S. waters (via AP)
Outside energy experts question EPA reliance on “unproven” clean coal technology (via National Journal)
Republicans’ strategy on new EPA coal rule: Kill it now before it’s finalized (via Inside Climate News)
GRID
States to utilities: Modernize the grid (via Navigant Research)
ENVIRONMENT
What Japan’s bloody dolphin hunt has in common with the BP oil spill (via Climate Progress)
West Virginia governor pushes bill tightening chemical storage regulations (via The Hill)
Houston’s ozone mystery: Pockets of pollution unlike other cities (via StateImpact Texas)
OIL
U.S. oil demand grew faster than China’s in 2013 – that won’t last (via Time)
What happens when the shale oil boom ends? (via Christian Science Monitor)
More oil spilled from trains in 2013 than in previous four decades (via McClatchy)
Keystone XL’s southern leg to begin transporting oil to U.S. Gulf Coast (via Washington Post)
TRANSPORTATION
Tesla expands Supercharger network in central Europe (via Autoblog Green)
Study shows recent increase in US households without a vehicle (via Green Car Congress)
Will “car rage” join “range anxiety” as EV owner emotion? (via Green Car Reports)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Saudi’s SABIC expects to enter US shale market this year (via Reuters)
Australia divided on fracking (via New York Times)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy efficiency is about to get a $200 million jolt from Wall Street (via Greentech Media)
More and more cities switching to LED street lighting (via Sustainable Cities Collective)
ASHRAE publishes fourth edition of green building GreenGuide (via Energy Manager Today)
OPINION
State of Green Business Report 2014 (via GreenBiz)
10 things you didn’t know about Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (via Energy.gov)
Five big questions about the massive West Virginia chemical spill (via Washington Post)