Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.20.15
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
UN climate chief Figueres says carbon bubble is now a reality (via RTCC)
Ten years of the European Union Emissions Trading System (via Energy Collective)
China cuts energy intensity by 4.8 percent in 2014 (via Reuters)
Investors’ new climate calculation: Engage or divest? (via GreenBiz)
CLIMATE
India’s Modi calls for “paradigm shift” on climate (via RTCC)
RENEWABLES
Clean energy investment jumps 12 percent in 2014 (via BusinessGreen)
China “on course to miss distributed solar PV target” (via PV Tech)
Saudi Arabia delays $109 billion solar plant by 8 years (via Bloomberg)
Defective panels threatening profit at China solar farms (via Bloomberg)
Draft of Germany PV auction rules leaked (via Renewables International)
Chile now home to world’s largest merchant solar power plant (via CleanTechnica)
France celebrates 1GW surge in wind farm capacity (via BusinessGreen)
France proposes increasing feed-in tariff for residential solar projects (via PV Tech)
America installed 22 times more solar in 2014 than in 2008 (via Greentech Media)
OIL
Norway redefines Arctic ice edge in potential oil exploration boost (via Reuters)
50,000 gallons of crude oil spills into partially frozen Yellowstone River (via Climate Progress)
BP oil spill penalty trial begins in New Orleans (via Houston Chronicle)
TRANSPORTATION
Light-duty EV sales expected to reach 6.4 million annually by 2023 (via Navigant Research)
Plug-in EV sales in China increase 350 percent (via CleanTechnica)
Nissan Leaf enjoys 33 percent European sales boost (via BusinessGreen)
Usage rises at DC fast chargers along West Coast EV highway (via Inside EVs)
NATURAL GAS
Kansas official links earthquakes to fracking wastewater disposal (via Houston Chronicle)
GRID
Japan plans to pump $700 million into energy storage (via Greentech Media)
New York town tries to “island” itself with microgrid to avoid storm-driven power outages (via ClimateWire)
ENERGY POLICY
U.S. Senate tees up votes on Keystone XL, oil exports, climate (via Houston Chronicle)
Spiking energy prices drive interest in Massachusetts competitive power market (via Energy Manager Today)
Proposal would void new North Dakota methane flaring, oil shipment rules (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
POLITICS
GOP finds secret weapon against Obama’s regulatory agenda (via The Hill)
OPINION
First Solar moves into silicon: Why efficiency is back (via Forbes)
Why solar costs will fall another 40 percent in just two years (via Renew Economy)
Lower oil prices will blunt fuel efficiency drive (via Reuters)