STUFF

Utilities want more freedom to trim line rights-of-way. Not a bad idea until we can get more lines underground.

Healthy rainfall in TX in much of Nov. Hopefully the Fed is more right than wrong that it's time for the drought to end.

Barnett shale gas reserves (TX) produced ~1.8TCF NG last year.

PEMEX plans to spend $1B/y to drill to evaluate Mexico's shale gas potential. Country uses ~56BCF/d now. Also already investing >$10B building almost 3K miles of NG pipeline. Big snag, though, is that there's no water where the shale gas deposits likely are. Fracking takes millions of gallons/well.

China may have 50% more recoverable shale gas than US, >1.2QCF.

Shell will double N Am NG production next 3 years to 400kb/d oil equivalent as shale deposit output rises. May channel it into chem production or using it to power trucks. Also looking at possible gas-to-liquids plant. Shell N Am NG reserves ~40TCF, ~12% of US total at end of '10.

Boeing switched on 2.6MW rooftop PV solar system at 787 Final Assembly Building in Charleston SC. Covers 10 acres of 14-acre roof. 1 of largest single rooftop installs in US. SCE&G will own and maintain the system.

Gingrich: "evidence on both sides of climate change argument". Huntsman says "more debate needed". Hansen says world's leaders have "run out of time" to save the traditional climate. I guess he means the one we used to have.

Radiation found in baby formula in Japan.

Sweden's utility Vattenfall cancelled plans to build 1.5B Euro carb capture coal plant in E Germany.