Energy and Environment News Roundup – 12.18.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
EU needs international climate finance roadmap (via Reuters)
November temperatures set new global high, says NOAA (via CNN)
Water scarcity escalating due to climate change, says report (via The Hill)
2013 in review: A year of increasing extreme weather events (via The Guardian)
Obama and climate change: The real story (via Rolling Stone)
11 US cities tapped to spur “climate resiliency” action worldwide (via InsideClimate News)
OIL
Shale well depletion raises questions over US oil boom (via Houston Chronicle)
Report: Taxpayers not getting fair return from drilling (via Houston Chronicle)
Without exports, US could face oil supply glut in 2015 (via Breaking Energy)
Interior Department has stopped trying to raise drilling royalty rates (via Climate Progress)
RENEWABLES
Tony Abbott could scrap Australia’s renewables target (via RTCC)
Merkel rejects EU probe of Germany’s green energy incentives (via Bloomberg)
Canadian solar surging on sales of power projects (via Bloomberg)
Mexico will be hottest solar market in Latin America, despite huge Chile project pipeline (via Greentech Media)
UK approves plans for major offshore wind hub project (via Recharge)
Study shows rooftop solar adds thousands to home resale values (via CleanTechnica)
US DOE invests $13 million into domestic solar manufacturing (via CleanTechnica)
Turbine noise can be heard from just 3% of wind farms (via The Guardian)
A struggle to balance wind energy with wildlife (via New York Times)
Wind power rivals coal with $1 billion order from Buffett (via Bloomberg)
Ohio and Michigan partner for clean energy manufacturing (via CBS News)
Construction begins on Cape Wind offshore wind farm (via Cape Cod Times)
Move over wind – solar energy market “exploding” in Iowa (via Midwest Energy News)
Kansas renewable energy target under fire again in state legislature (via Lawrence Journal-World)
US shifts offshore wind gaze to Maryland (via Renewable Energy World)
Pentagon report says market forces shifted rare earth availability (via Reuters)
KEYSTONE XL
TransCanada to start oil shipments on Keystone XL southern leg in January (via Houston Chronicle)
House budget chief looks to tie Keystone XL to debt-ceiling vote (via The Hill)
GRID
Utility-scale battery storage costs could be competitive with gas within 18 months (via Renew Economy)
US net metering set to grow, but effect on electric utilities uncertain (via Reuters)
USDA providing $1.8 billion in funding for rural electric utilities (via Renew Grid)
California ISO unveils roadmap to smarter, stronger grid (via BusinessWire)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Britain opens door to more shale gas drilling (via New York Times)
Outlook suggests green light for more gas exports (via EnergyWire)
USGS study: Methane common in southern New York State groundwater (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)
TRANSPORTATION
Will biofuels do better in aviation than anywhere else? (via Green Car Reports)
Tesla gets $34.7 million tax break to boost manufacturing in California (via San Francisco Chronicle)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Shaheen fights to recharge energy efficiency bill (via National Journal)
Infographic guide to buying energy-efficient light bulbs (via Inhabitat)
NUCLEAR
Right-sized reactors breathing new life into nuclear energy (via Forbes)
OPINION
Can the American wind energy industry survive without the PTC? (via Energy Collective)
It doesn’t take much global warming to drive water scarcity way up (via Climate Progress)
How wind power could beat out natural gas (via EarthTechling)
Could 2014 be the year of the battery? (via Renew Economy)
Are taxpayers getting their fair share of oil royalties? (via National Journal)
Four ways climate change is transforming our winters (via C2ES)