Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.31.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
GRID
Transmission and distribution equipment market to more than double by 2020 (via Renew Grid)
Utilities spent $14 billion worldwide on smart grid tech in 2012 (via Renew Grid)
Honeywell and Opower team up on smart energy (via GreenBiz)
PG&E gears up for final push on smart meters (via Bakersfield Californian)
EMISSIONS
Oil and gas majors at risk from “unburnable” reserves if emissions targets enforced (via GreenBiz)
Fossil fuel divestment “virtually risk free” (via Environmental Leader)
Divesting from fossil-fuel companies unlikely to harm endowments (via Chronicle of Higher Education)
Three things to know about British Columbia’s carbon tax – in pictures (via Sightline Daily)
RENEWABLES
Global offshore wind market “set for 55GW by 2020” (via Recharge)
Smoggy China to seek more solar power (via EarthTechling)
Spain’s monthly wind power tops 6 terawatt hours for first time (via Bloomberg)
Saudi Arabia completes biggest solar power plant (via Bloomberg)
Facing expiring tax credit, US wind industry posts record 13GW year (via The Hill)
Renewable energy industries push for new financing opinions (via New York Times)
Wind, solar groups quit ALEC as group targets clean energy programs (via Greenwire)
Wind power to shave $1 million off Ohio State University electricity bill (via Triple Pundit)
OIL
Satellite analysis shows Gulf oil spills typically underestimated (via Yale e360)
CLIMATE
Humans have already set in motion 69 feet of sea level rise (via Mother Jones)
Growing palm oil for biofuels could speed up climate change (via Reuters)
Butterflies booking it north as climate warms (via Mother Jones)
Three states pushing ALEC bill to require teaching climate change denial in schools (via DeSmog Blog)
NUCLEAR
Report: Georgia nuclear power plant could be Solyndra redux (via Christian Science Monitor)
TRANSPORTATION
EPA plan to cut sulfur in gasoline on track for March launch (via Houston Chronicle)
Hagel endorses ban on high-carbon fuel use for Department of Defense (via The Hill)
Boeing Dreamliner batteries said to fail 10 times before incident (via Bloomberg)
TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL
Pressure builds for Obama to link tar sands pipelines to climate change (via InsideClimate News)
ENVIRONMENT
Five sobering realities about global water security (via WRI Insights)
Thousands evacuated as flooding hits Eastern Australia (via Bloomberg)
POLITICS
McCarthy not discussing EPA plans (via Politico)
OPINION
Obama talks climate change, California acts on it (via Time)
The cost of not using renewable energy (via Grist)