STUFF

Italy says their solar incentive cost 6-7B Euros/yr.

CA Supreme Court tossed out 2 lawsuits that challenged the state's approval of now 663MW solar project near Barstow.

Ponds and reservoirs being considered for floating solar.

NRG abandoned their project for 2 new nukes in TX that were in doubt even before Fukushima. Heading toward NG.

Public finance: A year into Britain's austerity plan, their retail sales had the sharpest monthly plunge in 15 yrs and real household income expected to fall 2% this yr. Hope we don't get one here.

PA asking drillers to stop sending wastewater to treatment plants. So, will they have to build their own treatment plants?

2nd massive fish kill in CA. Scientists looking for connects with the 1st.

Oral argument at Supreme Court yesterday in AEP v. Connecticut, et al. Can the states sue power comps for GHG emissions. Court probably won't allow case to proceed, though lower court found for the states.

Italy intro'd amendment to indefinitely extend moratorium on new nukes. And cabinet charged with forming new E strategy. 70% of Italians now against new nukes.

T. Bone Pickens at Press Club Tuesday: 4Q11 oil demand projected to be 90mb/d and "I don't think the world can produce 90m". He also said he backed out of the 1GW TX wind farm deal because it was "too expensive", but failed to mention that he had demanded the water rights along the transmission line right-of-way which effectively killed the project. And he said the NG bill in Congress would give $60k tax credit for each new NG-fueled big rig truck. "I want $1B/yr for 5 yrs...and then kill it". "Just the money to get it started." Infrastructure will follow. "Ford didn't stop because there weren't any gas stations." Transition to NG "could reduce OPEC oil imports by half in 7 years".

A coal-laden barge struggling up the flood-stage Ohio River as I write.

US government proposed to purchase several hundred million gallons of advanced biofuels by '16. Expected demand by Navy 336M gals, AF 587M. Not enough quantity, though, to "singlehandedly drive a market". Navy also to undertake "biorefinery development analysis".

If current pace of US ethanol exports maintained all year, it could total >700M gals v. last year's 400M.

Panama to intro 2% eth mandate in '13, rises to 5% in '14, 7% in '15, 10% in '16.

Sharzenneger - Schwarzenegger - Arnie - says the tariff on Brazil's ethanol is "a crime". He's also pushing for new nukes in CA, but, like too many too often, equated that with foreign oil. Our power grid uses no oil. Once again everybody: OIL IS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. At least in the USA.

Adios, pards.