Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.4.14

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

EMISSIONS 

U.S. presses India for greater carbon cuts (via BusinessGreen)

California and Mexico sign agreement to reduce emissions (via Green Car Congress)

A dozen states file suit against new EPA coal rules (via New York Times)

EPA hearings put Pittsburgh in crosshairs of climate war (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)

COAL 

Shipping rates drop as China hydropower cuts coal demand (via Bloomberg)

New coal dust rules take effect (via The Hill)

RENEWABLES 

U.S.-China solar fight lurches forward (via National Geographic)

Global biodiesel market to grow 8.1% annually from 2013-2018 (via Environmental Leader)

SunPower sees energy storage commercial market in Australia in 2015 (via Renew Economy)

Non-hydro renewables now routinely surpass U.S. hydropower generation (via US EIA)

Obama’s delay on renewable fuel puts producers in bind (via Bloomberg)

As small hydropower expands, so does caution on its impacts (via Yale e360)

SunPower plans new factory to gain share as demand surges (via Bloomberg)

NYSERDA opens data on thousands of solar projects (via Environmental leader)

New York utility proposes community solar, microgrids-as-a-service (via Greentech Media)

How much money will California solar customers save with net metering? (via Greentech Media)

Solar City achieves $201.5 million securitization (via CleanTechnica)

Ohio utilities take net metering fight to state Supreme Court (via Midwest Energy News)

NUCLEAR 

Tepco set to miss target for Fukushima radioactive water cleanup (via Bloomberg)

CLIMATE 

Wildfires, “biomass burning” bigger climate threats than previously thought (via International Business Times)

As oysters die in Pacific Northwest, climate policy goes on the stump (via New York Times)

Idaho shifts policy behavior in response to climate change (via Idaho Statesman)

Sen. Murray tells Dems to push fiscal impacts of climate change (via The Hill)

World’s top PR companies rule out working with climate deniers (via The Guardian)

Will fiction influence how we react to climate change? (via New York Times)

OIL 

Mexico lower house passes final oil bills, sends them to Senate (via Houston Chronicle)

Nigeria, Shell not cleaning oil pollution, report charges (via Houston Chronicle)

Big Oil companies pay just an 11.7% tax rate, finds report (via Climate Progress)

Comment period starts for oil-train rules (via The Hill)

Oil industry works on blowout preventers for deeper depths (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Tesla selling like gangbusters in China (via Autoblog Green)

Nissan Leaf hits 3,000 sales in July, Chevy Volt climbs over 2,000 (via Autoblog Green)

Tesla announces plan to boost production in 2015 (via Los Angeles Times)

Tesla breaks ground near Reno for battery Gigafactory (via Bloomberg)

Tesla, Panasonic reach Gigafactory investment deal (via Energy Manager Today)

Tesla says it plans to have Model X prototypes next week (via GigaOm)

NATURAL GAS 

Pennsylvania AG looking into claims state willfully ignores fracking-related health complaints (via Climate Progress)

ENVIRONMENT 

Setting rivers free: As dams are torn down, nature quickly recovers (via Christian Science Monitor)

Bee-killing neonictinoids found in Midwest rivers (via Wired Science)

Gov. Brown declares state of emergency over California wildfires (via Los Angeles Times)

California drought watering restrictions may leave trees high and dry (via Sacramento Bee)

14 big wildfires scorching California (via Los Angeles Times)

Farming practices and climate change at root of Lake Erie water pollution (via The Guardian)

OPINION 

What do U.S. sanctions mean for Exxon’s close friendship with Russia in the Arctic? (via National Journal)

Six eye-catchers in 2030 picture of world energy (via Bloomberg)

EPA’s climate change plan fills void as Congress does nothing (via Washington Post)

Replant after wildfire or let nature take over? (via Bloomberg/AP)

The really scary thing about those Siberian craters (via Climate Progress)

Is Illinois becoming the third coast of clean tech? (via Midwest Energy News)

How yieldcos are changing renewables investment paradigm (via Renew Economy)