Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.26.13

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

OBAMA CLIMATE PLAN 

Obama outlines ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gases (via New York Times)

Obama invites court fight with aggressive climate rules (via The Hill)

Obama’s climate plan spares oil and gas from big changes (via Houston Chronicle)

Obama plan offers help to US cities on climate’s front lines (via Reuters)

Utilities react cautiously to Obama climate plan (via Wall Street Journal)

Republicans face limited options on Obama climate plan (via Politico)

GRID 

Snapshots of China’s smart grid (via Greentech Media)

Energy storage for solar and wind integration will total 22GW installed capacity from 2013 to 2023 (via Navigant Research)

US smart meter installations to hit 61.7 million units by end of 2013 (via Renew Grid)

Breakthrough NREL lab could solve renewables-grid integration problems (via CleanTechnica)

RENEWABLES 

China top country in world for renewables investment (via Renewable Energy World)

UK Green Investment Bank spends £635 million in first year (via BusinessGreen)

Study: wind and solar plant benefits vary by location (via Phys.org)

DNV-KEMA releases floating offshore wind turbine standards (via North American Windpower)

How can the solar industry better assess financial risk? (via Breaking Energy)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Obama offers Keystone surprise in climate change speech (via The Hill)

Canada says it sees no net increase in emissions from Keystone (via Reuters)

Federal report: diluted oil sands crude poses no higher pipeline risk (via Houston Chronicle)

Narrow and flawed, federal pipeline safety study fails to settle controversy (via InsideClimate News)

Tar sands mining to begin this summer in Kentucky (via Louisville Public Radio)

GREEN BUILDING 

Green infrastructure promises GDP boost to UK by 2015 (via BusinessGreen)

Green building taking off in hospitality, retail industries (via Sustainable Business)

OIL 

Oil prices to fall as much as 30% by 2016, says forecaster (via Houston Chronicle)

BP challenges settlements in Gulf oil spill (via New York Times)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Recovering wasted energy expenses is a $750 billion opportunity (via Energy Manager Today)

5 leading-edge efficiency programs in the US (via Greentech Media)

EMISSIONS 

UK “could miss carbon emissions targets in 2020s” (via The Guardian)

Is a carbon tax more effective than EPA rules? You might be surprised. (via Washington Post)

CLIMATE 

Climate change becoming a top shareholder concern (via Houston Chronicle)

Maine governor vetoes climate change study (via Portland Press Herald)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Mixed results in study of water, fracking (via Philadelphia Inquirer)

OPINION 

How Tesla pulled ahead of the electric car pack (via Council on Foreign Relations)

Obama and climate change: fresh air (via The Guardian)

Obama may have left himself wiggle room to approve Keystone XL (via Washington Post)

The 5 most interesting pieces of Obama’s new climate plan (via Greentech Media)

10 takeaways from Obama’s climate speech (via Politico)