Energy and Environment News Roundup – 9.4.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
Thoughts on carbon capture and storage from the EU (via Energy Collective)
Beijing fires up new air pollution regulations (via BusinessGreen)
Black soot forced early retreat of Alpine glaciers in 1800s (via Los Angeles Times)
Why did prices crash at California’s carbon auction? (via Environmental Leader)
COAL
Pressure mounts on EU development bank to kill coal funding (via RTCC)
The untold story of western ranchers and their battle against coal (via Climate Progress)
Illinois towns pay a higher price for coal power (via Chicago Tribune)
CLIMATE
Wildfires and climate change (via New York Times)
Federal payouts of climate-related crop losses top $17.3 billion (via Sustainable Business)
“Heat days” in schools becoming more common (via Huffington Post/AP)
RENEWABLES
Renewable energy could save Germany €54 billion by 2030 (via Recharge)
Ethiopia adds 13,200 off-grid solar systems since December 2012 (via CleanTechnica)
Wind power makes hydrogen fuel on German gas grid (via EarthTechling)
The Middle East turns to solar energy (via Forbes)
Saudi Arabia, UAE lead race to deploy solar projects (via Arab News)
US leads as wind industry spends $430 million on patent protection (via Renewable Energy World)
Legislation enabling renewable energy use of master limited partnerships stalls (via Bloomberg)
Biofuels “will meet RFS mandates through 2016” (via Environmental Leader)
Deutsche Bank says US solar boom to reach 50GW by 2016 (via Renew Economy)
Solar companies and utilities clash over net metering changes (via ClimateWire)
NUCLEAR
Errors cast doubt on Japan’s cleanup of Fukushima site (via New York Times)
Japan’s Abe says Fukushima will be resolved before 2020 Olympics (via Bloomberg)
GRID
Power outage takes out 70% of Venezuela (via Christian Science Monitor)
Wind power generation growing, but transmission capacity lags (via The Oklahoman)
ComEd commences rollout of 4 million smart meters (via Renew Grid)
OIL
Bakken blitz sets up battle between oil producers, shippers (via EnergyWire)
TRANSPORTATION
UN struggling to avert carbon trade war over aviation deal (via Reuters)
Beijing plans to slash number of cars to cut smog levels (via RTCC)
US government reinstates ATVM loan program (via CleanTechnica)
App launches for EV drivers to rate charging stations (via Green Car Reports)
TAR SANDS
Enbridge crude oil pipeline across Minnesota faces fresh opposition (via Star-Tribune)
Final destination for Detroit’s pet coke pile a secret (via Columbus Dispatch)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Dallas goes big with energy efficiency (via EarthTechling)
ENVIRONMENT
Parts of Amazon on verge of forest-to-grassland shift (via Phys.org)
OPINION
China’s renewable push depressing, in context (via EarthTechling)
Wildfires pose a major threat to our clean water (via Climate Progress)
AB 327: The dark side for California solar (via Greentech Media)