Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.6.13

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

CLIMATE

Philippines prepares for climate-resilient future post Typhoon Haiyan (via RTCC)

Diseases on the move because of climate change (via USA Today)

College endowment managers get schooled on climate change (via GreenBiz)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Riding the fracking wave all the way to China (via National Journal)

90 groups call for federal regulations to curb methane leaks (via Washington Post)

Is California’s Monterey Shale a major oil resource or over-hyped? (via EnergyWire)

RENEWABLES

Renewables’ share of new power capacity in China surpasses 50% (via Thompson Reuters)

Record German wind farm output lifts renewables share over 35% (via Bloomberg)

China’s installed solar PV to reach 10GW by end of 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

Can the cost of solar in the US compete with Germany? (via RMI Outlet)

Renewable fuel backers try to change EPA’s mind at hearing (via Reuters)

White House finalizing review of permits for wind farm eagle deaths (via The Hill)

Midwest wind cost-competitive with gas and coal (via Breaking Energy)

Secretive right-wing group ALEC continues its war on clean energy (via Climate Progress)

Poll shows 78% support for net metering in Colorado (via Renew Grid)

NUCLEAR

Fukushima radiation to reach US coast at safe levels, says NRC (via Bloomberg)

Japan finds scrapping nuclear boosts pollution, fuel cost (via Bloomberg)

GRID

Japanese energy giants rush into storage as solar booms (via Renew Economy)

Taking green-powered island microgrids to commercial scale (via Greentech Media)

Utility Xcel has plans to create its own transmission company (via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Honda joins vehicle-to-grid demonstration project at University of Delaware (via Green Car Congress)

EMISSIONS

EU may extend aviation carbon freeze to 2020, says adviser (via Bloomberg)

Mining, fracking, and drilling have changed public lands from carbon sinks to carbon polluters (via Climate Progress)

FERC tells Congress EPA pollution rules will hit Midwest hardest (via Midwest Energy News/Greenwire)

TRANSPORTATION

Urban car use declines as biking and public transit rise in the US (via Yale e360)

300% increase in all-electric car sales in 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

House proposes 15-cent federal gas tax hike (via Autoblog)

Ohio Senate strips anti-Tesla amendment from legislation (via Autoblog)

OPINION

Is Chile the next star in renewable energy? (via Energy Collective)

EPA’s RFS proposal is a step backwards on clean energy path (via Energy Collective)

Understanding the facts of the renewable energy PTC (via CleanTechnica)

California’s renewable energy future (via EarthTechling)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.6.13

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

CLIMATE

Philippines prepares for climate-resilient future post Typhoon Haiyan (via RTCC)

Diseases on the move because of climate change (via USA Today)

College endowment managers get schooled on climate change (via GreenBiz)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING

Riding the fracking wave all the way to China (via National Journal)

90 groups call for federal regulations to curb methane leaks (via Washington Post)

Is California’s Monterey Shale a major oil resource or over-hyped? (via EnergyWire)

RENEWABLES

Renewables’ share of new power capacity in China surpasses 50% (via Thompson Reuters)

Record German wind farm output lifts renewables share over 35% (via Bloomberg)

China’s installed solar PV to reach 10GW by end of 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

Can the cost of solar in the US compete with Germany? (via RMI Outlet)

Renewable fuel backers try to change EPA’s mind at hearing (via Reuters)

White House finalizing review of permits for wind farm eagle deaths (via The Hill)

Midwest wind cost-competitive with gas and coal (via Breaking Energy)

Secretive right-wing group ALEC continues its war on clean energy (via Climate Progress)

Poll shows 78% support for net metering in Colorado (via Renew Grid)

NUCLEAR

Fukushima radiation to reach US coast at safe levels, says NRC (via Bloomberg)

Japan finds scrapping nuclear boosts pollution, fuel cost (via Bloomberg)

GRID

Japanese energy giants rush into storage as solar booms (via Renew Economy)

Taking green-powered island microgrids to commercial scale (via Greentech Media)

Utility Xcel has plans to create its own transmission company (via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Honda joins vehicle-to-grid demonstration project at University of Delaware (via Green Car Congress)

EMISSIONS

EU may extend aviation carbon freeze to 2020, says adviser (via Bloomberg)

Mining, fracking, and drilling have changed public lands from carbon sinks to carbon polluters (via Climate Progress)

FERC tells Congress EPA pollution rules will hit Midwest hardest (via Midwest Energy News/Greenwire)

TRANSPORTATION

Urban car use declines as biking and public transit rise in the US (via Yale e360)

300% increase in all-electric car sales in 2013 (via CleanTechnica)

House proposes 15-cent federal gas tax hike (via Autoblog)

Ohio Senate strips anti-Tesla amendment from legislation (via Autoblog)

OPINION

Is Chile the next star in renewable energy? (via Energy Collective)

EPA’s RFS proposal is a step backwards on clean energy path (via Energy Collective)

Understanding the facts of the renewable energy PTC (via CleanTechnica)

California’s renewable energy future (via EarthTechling)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 11.14.13

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

COP 19 

Nearly 3 in 10 countries not sending ministers to COP 19 (via The Guardian)

G77+China submit proposal to COP 19 on Loss and Damage (via The Hindu)

Developed nations back out on earlier emissions cut commitments (via Economic Times)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

IEA: Tar sands export pipelines needed for Canadian oil to boom (via InsideClimate News)

Canada attacks EU data labeling tar sands a “dirty” fuel (via The Guardian)

New warnings of construction problems on Keystone XL (via CBS News)

RENEWABLES 

Global solar PV installations will double, hit grid parity by 2020 (via CleanTechnica)

US ethanol output could reach 14 billion gallons in 2014 (via Reuters)

California closes in on smart solar inverter rules (via Greentech Media)

In Arizona, a closely watched vote to decide solar policy’s fate (via Reuters)

New York’s green bank addresses distributed solar financing dilemma (via Solar Industry Magazine)

Wisconsin bill would grant wide latitude to sue wind farms (via Midwest Energy News)

EMISSIONS 

UN seeks carbon market revamp as green fund backers bolt (via Bloomberg)

Masdar digs deep on Middle East’s first carbon capture project (via BusinessGreen)

CBO estimates carbon tax would cut $1 trillion from US deficit (via The Hill)

Poll: Majority of people in 40 states support cutting power plant emissions (via The Hill)

California marks first anniversary of cap-and-trade system (via C2ES)

OIL 

Improving US oil production reaches milestone in October, says EIA (via Washington Post)

TRANSPORTATION 

New study of EV drivers reveals plug-in attitudes (via Plugin Cars)

The surprising reasons gas prices have fallen sharply (via Washington Post)

CLIMATE 

Ocean acidification may increase 170% this century (via Phys.org)

Haiyan foretells military challenges in warming world (via Climate Central)

One senator’s war against climate change (via Bloomberg)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

LEED green building projects span 10.6 billion square feet (via Environmental Leader)

Maryland approves $95 million in energy-efficiency funding (via Baltimore Sun)

Washington Metro will install LEDs at zero cost (via Greentech Media)

GRID 

Global smart meter market to hit $10.7 billion by 2020 (via Renew Grid)

First major US transmission project in decades brings wind energy across West (via Sustainable Business)

GREEN BUSINESS 

Walmart’s sustainability results don’t match promises, report finds (via Huffington Post)

OPINION 

Chu unplugged: Former energy secretary on climate, politics, and tough decisions (via Politico)

China’s bad bet on the environment (via Council on Foreign Relations)

Will President Obama slash the ethanol mandate? (via Politico)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 11.12.13

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

CLIMATE 

Countries look to lay foundation for global pact at climate change summit (via Washington Post)

IPCC corrects carbon figures in landmark UN climate report (via The Guardian)

Researchers find tie between global precipitation and global warming (via Phys.org)

A climate jolt to complacency on food supply (via New York Times)

UN climate deal must be “tailored” to fit US and China (via RTCC)

Climate change report depicts a planet in peril (via Los Angeles Times)

US Chamber urges support for bill to thwart EPA climate rules (via The Hill)

Your city council may be a secret climate change hero (via Greentech Media)

OIL 

Shale’s effect on oil supply is not expected to last (via New York Times)

IEA says US to surpass Saudi Arabia as top oil producer by 2016 (via Reuters)

For OPEC, don’t call it a comeback (via The Hill)

In North Atlantic, world’s largest oil platform is getting a twin (via EnergyWire)

RENEWABLES 

German wind industry says too early for panic on subsidy cuts (via Bloomberg)

IEA says China will lead renewable energy output boom (via Recharge)

India to invite bids for 1 gigawatt solar plant (via Bloomberg)

The secret, dirty cost of Obama’s green power push (via AP)

Tea Party’s green faction fights for solar in red states (via Bloomberg)

Ethanol producers nervously await EPA ruling on 2014 target (via National Journal)

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack: “I don’t know” if ethanol helps climate (via The Hill)

Turning point for renewable energy storage (via Navigant Research)

Veterans and the clean energy workforce: The opportunity of a century (via Greentech Media)

Vanderbilt proposes building energy storage into solar cells (via Renewable Energy World)

Legislative glitch means Illinois not meeting solar energy goals (via Chicago Tribune)

COAL 

Report: TVA coal plants polluting groundwater (via USA Today)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (via Energy.gov)

Planning for home renewable energy systems (via Energy.gov)

Home Depot will trade in your energy-wasting Christmas lights for LEDs (via Grist)

NATURAL GAS 

US Northeast grows increasingly reliant on natural gas for power generation (via US EIA)

TRANSPORTATION 

IKEA promises rollout of EV chargers at all UK stores by end of 2013 (via BusinessGreen)

EMISSIONS 

Bay Area pledges to slash greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 (via Mongabay)

GRID 

Utilities, regulators seek truce in net metering fight (via Navigant Research)

Installed smart meter base will surpass 1 billion by 2022 (via Navigant Research)

OPINION 

Why Obama can’t fix climate change (via National Journal)

The next big renewable energy innovation won’t be technological – it will be financial (via The Atlantic)

The case for ARPA-E: Government’s role in bridging the Valley of Death (via Energy Collective)

Climate change didn’t cause Supertyphoon Haiyan – but the storm is still a reason to fight warming (via Time)

The battle for FERC and the future of energy security (via Breaking Energy)