Energy and Environment News Roundup – 3.19.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
Russia’s new 2020 carbon target could see emissions rise by 30% (via RTCC)
New Chinese premier vows to tackle pollution with “iron fist” (via Yale e360)
New EPA power plant rule running late, with major changes possible (via Greenwire)
Coal state Dems press Obama to scale back EPA emissions rules (via The Hill)
Why the EPA might delay carbon rules for power plants (via Washington Post)
California cap-and-trade funds proposed for green bank (via Bloomberg)
CLIMATE
Climate change could mean seven times as many Katrinas for US (via Mother Jones)
A dramatic greening of the Artic over past 30 years (via Weather Underground)
RENEWABLES
Renewables contribute 12.5% of India’s total power generation (via Panchabuta)
China may cut subsidy for largest solar projects (via Bloomberg)
Masdar cuts ribbon on world’s largest concentrated solar power plant (via BusinessGreen)
France announces tender for 400MW of large solar PV plants (via CleanTechnica)
Global clean energy reserves could match fossil fuels (via BusinessGreen)
Renewable energy standards target of multi-pronged attack (via InsideClimate News)
$4.8 billion in loans weighed by US for post-Solyndra projects (via Renewable Energy World/Bloomberg)
Next-gen biofuels making slow progress in 2013 (GigaOm)
Eagle death prompts wind farm investigation (via AOL Energy)
Fourth-graders crowdfund their own solar-powered classroom (via Treehugger)
California Green Innovation Index released (via San Jose Mercury News)
Iowa bill would support farmer-owned wind installations (via Midwest Energy News)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Saudi Arabia to drill seven shale gas test wells (via Bloomberg)
Shale gas “no competitor” outside US (via Recharge)
Marcellus Shale now most productive in US (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)
US natural gas prices rise as cold snap extends to April (via Reuters)
Chesapeake sued for fixing prices, underpaying landowners (via Houston Chronicle)
GRID
Grid integration of wind and solar is cheap (via Greentech Media)
Infrastructure boom drives wire and cable materials market (via Renew Grid)
OIL
Russia adopts fracking to revive Soviet oil fields (via Bloomberg)
California fracking fight has $24 billion in taxes at stake (via Bloomberg)
In Texas, recycling oilfield water has far to go (via Texas Tribune)
TRANSPORTATION
India launches a $15,000 EV with no government help (via Forbes)
European car-efficiency rule would cut fuel bill by 25% (via Bloomberg)
Two airlines may have to buy EU carbon to give back to UK (via Bloomberg)
Toyota targets 2020 for 600-mile solid state electric car battery (via Plugin Cars)
One-third of electric car buyers might not buy another (via Green Car Reports)
Ford COO: electrified vehicles could be up to 25% of sales by 2020 (via Autoblog Green)
Automakers tell EPA it’s highly unlikely they can hit California ZEV mandate (via Autoblog Green)
TAR SANDS
German research institute pulls out of Canadian tar sands project (via EurActiv)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Top ten US cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings (via Renew Grid)
White roofs, green myth? (via Huffington Post)
The green in green building (via Sustainable Industries)
ENVIRONMENT
China’s top six environmental problems (via Live Science)
Wildfires rage in Colorado as fears grow over drought (via The Guardian/Reuters)
Scientists puzzled by manatee deaths off Florida’s coast (via Tampa Bay Times)