STUFF

Fed Chicago index came in minus .45 in April v. positive .32 in March. Lower auto production after quakenami cited.

Billy Ford, Ford chair, says by '20 25% of Ford products will be EVs. EV infra/svs market $997M this yr to be $4.4B by '16.

Word: it's been the large pension funds moving their money into the commodity index funds that have artificially drivved up price of oil. OK, how about moving your big pension funds into clean E, alt fuels investments.

Dodd-Frank Bill requires regulations be in place by July to govern how commodity price hedging swaps will be traded. They haven't even defined "swap". But almost all NG and el will have to be traded through clearinghouses which will cost cash flow 9% or thereabouts (hundreds of millions). So the utilities will either absorb that cost or pass on volatility to ratepayers. Um. Which do you think?

Well, somebody hast to be last. WV ranked worst in clean E development. Aw. The first shall be last. Or something.

Gamesa launched $50M fund for tech development. 1st move was 28% buy of SkyBuilt Power, integrator for rapid deploy of clean E.

Actis acquired majority stake in Guatemala's largest el/NG network. 1.4M customers. $345M plus assumed debt.

First Wind issued $200M in notes due in '18.

Symbion Power (Washington DC) signed agreement to buy 120MW power plant in Tanzania sitting idle almost 3 yrs while the country has faced and still faces shortage of elgen.

TVA added a 200kw solar project in Memphis and 1.6MW landfill gas project in Miss to their portfolio. Go TVA, A? Don't go too fast to fast now.

Japan studying spinning off power distribution from elgen to put end to power comps' regional monopolies. Hm.

Siemens claimed new world record in power plant efficiency w/ their new gas turbine. 60.75% net efficiency @ 518MW. Designed for 400MW in simple cycle, 600MW in combined cycle. Helps manage variable power from wind, solar. 500MW online in 30 minutes. 35MW/minute peak gain. Consumes 1/3 less NG/kwh generated than avg combined cycle plant installed worldwide. 500M Euro invested.

ABB won $22M order from Kuwait. El equipment, power systems for power plant upgrades.

LDK, YGE also missed Q targets. O those Chinese solars.

NRC found design flaws in Westinghouse AP 1000 reactors, 2 being installed right, um, now in China. NRC asking what the hell is up with that.

Half of plastic produced is used once and discarded. Most ends up in landfills, but way too much in oceans.

Chevron allegations about Ecuador's judicial system getting "SI's" from local folks. $18B on line for Chevron. That's what 9/11 cost insurance companies.

After December record freeze, UK bracing for hot dry spring. Remember the late summer and fall drought here in US last year? Tornados in US this year twice the normal amount, twice the usual deaths.

"Climate bonds" coming on to market to help launch low-carb projects. Yea. keep an eye on that.

Wildfires racing now across Siberia. 5k acres so far. Last year 2M hectares of Russia burned up.

Bahrain halted plan to import Iran NG because of "blatent" interference in domestic affairs. 1BCF/d at stake. Sunni minority ruling Shi'ite majority. Why can't people just get along. Oy.

And that is the stuff, pards.