Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.25.14

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

EMISSIONS 

Backloading EU carbon market fix poised to become law (via BusinessGreen)

UN promises “bold response” to stalled carbon offset scheme (via BusinessGreen)

Supreme Court questions EPA’s power on emissions controls (via National Journal)

Supreme Court justices struggle for common ground on EPA emission rules (via Greenwire)

Shell reaches landmark with world’s first industrial carbon capture project (via Houston Chronicle)

EPA threatens Pennsylvania over air pollution rule violations (via The Hill)

KEYSTONE XL 

Governors: Obama expects Keystone decision within months (via Politico)

Loopholes speeding Keystone XL route through Nebraska backfire on governor, TransCanada (via InsideClimate News)

RENEWABLES 

China narrows gap to US in renewable energy ranking (via Bloomberg)

Greece awaits “new deal” after adding 1GW of solar in 2013 (via PV Magazine)

Netherlands connects over 600MW of PV to grid (via PV Tech)

Survival of fittest in China’s renewable energy market (via Bloomberg)

India announces 2GW worth of new large-scale solar projects (via CleanTechnica)

Non-hydro renewable sources triple electricity output in last decade (via Facts of the Day)

Powering the US with renewables: A state-by-state roadmap (via Renewable Energy World)

ALEC coordinates new attacks on renewables mandates and net metering (via Greentech Media)

Unions’ full support for offshore wind a “work in progress” (via ClimateWire)

Sugarcane converted to cold-tolerant, oil-producing crop (via Science Daily)

SolarCity says it had “an amazing year” in 2013 but delays earnings (via GigaOm)

SolarCity to install fewer panels in first quarter (via Reuters)

California startup turns old wind turbines into gold (via InsideClimate News)

North Carolina is newest net-metering battleground (via Energy Manager Today)

ENERGY POLICY 

Japan unveils draft energy policy, with nuclear, in wake of Fukushima (via The Guardian)

Court throws out Bush Administration rule on mountaintop coal removal (via SustainableBusiness)

GE to spend another $10 billion on energy research by 2020 (via Reuters) 

Oil, coal trains, concerns likely to increase in Northwest (via Spokesman-Review)

NATURAL GAS 

Natural gas at heart of GE’s $10 billion Ecomagination boost (via Greentech Media)

More work needed to stop natural gas flaring at oil wells, officials say (via Houston Chronicle)

CLIMATE 

UN makes future of small island states a 2014 priority (via RTCC)

Increase in Western wildfires fuels Obama’s budget move (via Climate Central)

OIL 

Oil net imports have declined since 2011, with value falling slower than volume (via US EIA)

Shell’s Arctic oil plans face shareholder scrutiny (via RTCC)

TRANSPORTATION 

Volt fleet to cross 400 million EV miles today (via GM)

OPINION 

Is it getting any easier for clean tech firms to cross the “valley of death?” (via Greentech Media)

RMI report predicts demise of existing utility business (via Energy Manager Today)

After legal setback in Nebraska, what’s next for Keystone XL? (via Climate Progress)

A $400 natural gas bill? It’s on the way (via Washington Post)

Microalgae-derived biogas a promising alternative to fossil fuels (via Phys.org)