Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.20.13

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

ENERGY POLICY 

Fossil fuels get $500 billion Christmas present from taxpayers (via CleanTechnica)

EMISSIONS 

The second-largest carbon market in the world just opened in China (via Climate Progress)

France adopts 2014 budget with carbon tax on fossil fuels (via Platts)

Tianjin to launch China’s fifth carbon market on December 26 (via Reuters)

EPA unveils carbon capture regulations (via The Hill)

Cities call for carbon pricing in Washington State (via Sightline Daily)

RENEWABLES 

Wind developers start work, then cross their fingers as PTC expiration looms (via Greenwire)

Deepwater Wind says New England offshore wind farm will meet PTC deadline (via Bloomberg)

Solar power hitting new records in California (via Greentech Media)

The way Congress funds clean energy is a mess – Max Baucus thinks there’s a better idea (via Washington Post)

OIL 

US budget deal opens door to drilling in new Gulf waters (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Data shows cities can save big money by switching to EVs (via Autoblog Green)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes down part of pro-fracking law (via Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

CLIMATE 

Poll: Americans see impact of global warming (via USA Today)

John Podesta’s plan to bypass Congress on climate change (via Washington Post)

TAR SANDS 

Canada approves tar sands oil pipeline to Pacific Coast (via ABC News/AP)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Madison, Wisconsin considers mandatory energy reporting law (via Energy Manager Today)

Seattle adopts 20% energy use reduction plan (via Energy Manager Today)

OPINION 

Will the Senate energy panel veer right? (via National Journal)

Is carbon pricing a diversion from the real story? (via Huffington Post)

Max Baucus’ renewable energy tax break reform: The good, the bad, and the ugly (via Climate Progress)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.25.13

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

TRANSPORTATION 

8 US states target 3.3 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025 (via CleanTechnica)

Pecan Street study shows EVs might not stress grids (via Austin-American Statesman)

EMISSIONS 

Wall Street demands answers from fossil fuel producers on “unburnable” carbon (via Inside Climate News)

71 institutional investors urge top oil, power companies to tap clean energy (via Pensions & Investments)

Canada falling far short on emission reduction goals (via Globe and Mail)

Response to a city’s smog points to change in Chinese attitude (via New York Times)

Legislative glitch could doom CO2 rules for existing power plants (via Greenwire)

Ann Arbor asks pension board to consider fossil fuel divestment (via Ann Arbor News)

Report: Smoke from wildfires poses health risks (via National Journal)

RENEWABLES 

IEA increases wind power target for global electricity by 2050 (via Phys.org)

GTM research exposes hidden solar growth markets (via Greentech Media)

Japan builds floating windmills to expand offshore power (via New York Times)

Leaked RFS proposal irks both oil and ethanol groups (via Houston Chronicle)

How the Department of Energy is reducing the cost of solar by 75% (via Climate Progress)

Colorado’s first solar rights auction on public lands draws no bids (via Denver Post)

KEYSTONE XL 

State Department to hand over Keystone XL documents to environmental group (via The Hill)

Obama’s former climate czar predicts president will reject Keystone XL (via The Hill)

GRID 

A guide to 123GW of grid-scale energy storage (via Greentech Media)

USDA awards $960 million for rural grid improvements (via Renew Grid)

One year later, Hurricane Sandy fuels grid innovation (via GreenBiz)

COAL 

Poland could halve demand for coal by 2030, study says (via Reuters)

CLIMATE 

Arctic temperatures reach highest levels in 44,000 years (via Huffington Post)

West Coast states, British Columbia form climate pact (via National Journal)

Nebraska climate change study opposed by state scientists (via Omaha World-Herald)

Ernest Moniz sees Capitol Hill thaw on climate change (via The Hill)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

NYC is replacing its 250,000 streetlights with LEDs (via Gizmodo)

OPINION

Investors: Can oil companies thrive in a warming world? (via Climate Central)

5 things you didn’t know about green business in Brazil (via GreenBiz)

Why businesses need to avoid climate’s “inevitable surprise” (via GreenBiz)

Don’t extend the wind production tax credit, fix it (via MIT Technology Review)

Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.11.13

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

EMISSIONS 

Markets bet on Australian carbon repeal…and a new carbon price (via Renew Economy)

EU Parliament votes to tackle biofuel emissions from 2020 (via BusinessGreen)

Biggest polluters in US ranked by emissions in new report (via Huffington Post)

California cap-and-trade may be hurt as emissions drop off (via San Francisco Chronicle)

Oil industry touts $81 billion in carbon-cutting efforts (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Batteries and plug-ins dominate Frankfurt Auto Show (via Climate Progress)

CA, NY, WA, FL will lead US in plug-in EV sales through 2022 (via Navigant Research)

Average fuel economy for new US vehicles hits high of 24.9 mpg (via Green Car Congress)

RENEWABLES 

Development banks lend record $108.9 billion to clean energy in 2012 (via Bloomberg)

Report: Offshore wind can be installed in deeper waters at cheaper cost (via Greentech Media)

China to back 50MW Kazakhstan wind farm (via Recharge)

3D-printing robots could enable solar arrays to self-fabricate in space (via Treehugger)

Coupled solar and energy storage market to grow (via Renewable Energy World)

Talking windmills herald gust of US productivity growth (via Bloomberg)

Cuomo starts $1 billion New York State green bank for energy lending (via Bloomberg)

Energy bill in California gets a rooftop solar-friendly makeover (via Renewable Energy World)

North Dakota county approves $350-million wind farm (via Bismarck Tribune)

Minnesota opens state’s first community solar installation (via Minnesota Public Radio)

From sunlight to farm waste, small Minnesota cities create energy from what’s on hand (via Minnesota Public Radio)

Greensburg, Kansas: A high-renewables tomorrow today (via RMI Outlet)

Solar Decathlon 2013: Raising more than just walls (via Energy.gov)

NFL goes solar, who’s in the lead? (via Renewable Energy World)

Solar panel is next granite countertop for homebuilders (via Bloomberg)

GRID 

Renewable energy boom could create $90 billion global HVDC transmission market (via BusinessGreen)

London Array to sell its substations and cables for £459 million (via BusinessGreen)

In Germany, a yellow light for smart meters (via Navigant Research)

USDA provides new funding for grid improvements in eight states (via Renew Grid)

CPUC proposes 1.325GW energy storage target by 2020 (via Renew Grid)

Hawaii governor vows to link islands via undersea cable despite opposition (via Star-Advertiser)

CLIMATE 

EU limbers up for fight over new climate targets (via Renew Economy)

Australian military: Climate change will “exacerbate existing problems” (via ABC)

Drought helped cause Syria’s war – will climate change bring more like it? (via Washington Post)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Secrets of fracking fluids pave way for cleaner recipe (via Nature)

Gas flaring responsible for 42% of black carbon in the Arctic (via RTCC)

North Dakota senators seek state exemption from Interior Department fracking rules (via The Hill)

As gas continues to go up in the air, North Dakota moves to tighten loose flaring rules (via EnergyWire)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

US decision on Keystone XL pipeline likely to slip to 2014 (via Reuters)

No Keystone, no problem: TransCanada pushing another tar sands pipeline (via Climate Progress)

Neil Young on tar sands: “Fort McMurray looks like Hiroshima” (via Globe and Mail)

ENERGY INDUSTRY 

Moody’s: Bankruptcy of Energy Future Holdings is imminent (via Houston Chronicle)

California lawmakers close to passing energy reform bill (via Houston Chronicle/AP)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Energy management app turns off the heat when you leave the house (via Treehugger)

LED streetlights save Las Vegas $2 million per year (via Energy Manager Today)

NUCLEAR 

Japan ponders Fukushima options, but Tepco too big to fail (via Reuters)

ENVIRONMENT 

As drought continues, Texas reservoirs could hit all-time lows (via StateImpact Texas)

OPINION 

Australia proposal to ditch carbon pricing is another nail in cap and trade (via Reuters)

Coalition wants US EIA to revamp renewable energy estimates (via Platts)

Why utilities and EV owners need demand response (via Navigant Research)

Imagining a cyberattack on the US power grid (via New York Times)

New York’s ongoing wind energy mistakes (via Breaking Energy)

How the West Texas drilling boom could go bust again (via StateImpact Texas)