Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.28.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
EU climate chief to huddle with White House, State officials (via The Hill)
China’s rising sea levels threaten economic interests (via Hindu Business Line)
Pakistan government launches national climate change policy (via Pakistan Daily Times)
US generals warn of climate change dangers (via RTCC)
Nebraska lawmakers warm to climate change study (via Omaha World-Herald)
COAL
Germany to add most coal-fired plants in two decades, IWR says (via Bloomberg)
UK coal use up 32.5% in 2012 (via RTCC)
Nine reasons China won’t need enough coal to justify Pacific Northwest exports (via Grist)
RENEWABLES
Crystal ball: China will not produce more wind energy than the US before 2020 (via Green Leap Forward)
India tops 1GW new solar capacity (via BusinessGreen)
Germany’s clean energy supporters sound alarm over subsidy cuts (via The National)
Analysts warn markets biased against clean energy (via GreenBiz)
How new technologies may push wind energy to new heights (via GreenBiz)
Top four reasons the US still doesn’t have a single offshore wind turbine (via Mother Jones)
What the flux: BrightSource heats up solar tower (via EarthTechling)
GRID
Distributed generation microgrids will reach nearly $13 billion in annual market value by 2018 (via Pike Research)
NEMA: “Rebuild smart” following Superstorm Sandy (via Renew Grid)
Preparing the grid for the next superstorm (via Forbes)
Transmission upgrades open Midwest to lots of cheap wind (via Sustainable Business)
OIL
With two ships damaged, Shell suspends Arctic drilling (via New York Times)
High oil prices hurt wages and limit economic growth (via Christian Science Monitor)
BP drilled despite unsafe conditions, expert says at Gulf spill trial (via Houston Chronicle)
Witness in oil spill trial accuses BP of negligence (via New York Times)
BP drilled doomed US well despite early problems (via Reuters)
ENVIRONMENT
Public concern in environmental issues lowest in 20 years, poll shows (via The Guardian)
Sequester cuts would take toll on state air and water programs (via Stateline)
Six ways the sequester will mess up the environment (via Mother Jones)
NATURAL GAS
Business executives, lawmakers back natural gas exports (via Houston Chronicle)
Shell bets on gas to limit climate change into 22nd century (via Reuters)
Critical infrastructure projects close to breaking Ohio’s gas bottleneck (via EnergyWire)
TRANSPORTATION
Affordable EV ownership gets a cross-border workout in Europe (via CleanTechnica)
The US Navy spends $4 billion on fuel every year (via Mother Jones)
GM planning 20% increase in plug-in hybrid production in 2013 (via Autoblog Green)
Do light rail systems help reduce traffic? Perhaps not. (via Washington Post)
KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS
AFL-CIO backs Keystone oil pipeline, if indirectly (via New York Times)
Aide distances White House from Keystone pipeline decision (via The Hill)
Scrutiny urged on piping of tar sands through Maine (via Portland Press Herald)
EMISSIONS
South Africa to introduce carbon tax in 2015 (via Phys.org)
Debate grows over US carbon tax, despite long odds (via Politico)
How will California slash greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050? (via Forbes)
NUCLEAR
Japan to begin restarting idled nuclear plants, leader says (via New York Times)
ENERGY POLICY
US energy policy shifting as abundance replaces scarcity: Obama adviser (via Reuters)
Bipartisan coalition issues energy blueprint (via Politico)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
80 US college campuses use revolving loan funds for energy efficiency projects (via Energy Manager Today)
POLITICS
Ernest Moniz, possible DOE secretary pick, already drawing criticism (via Washington Post)
OPINION
The case for fossil-fuel divestment (via Rolling Stone)
Crowdsourcing could save the Department of Energy (via Greentech Media)
A pep talk on energy innovation (via New York Times)
What the Tesla-Broder debate says about decarbonizing transportation (via Innovation Files)
How Philadelphia is leading in energy innovation (via GreenBiz)