STUFF

EDF Renewable Energy turned on 140Mw wind project in Cal. REpower turbines. EDF wind installs in US now total 1.47Gw.

New 100-meter high wind towers increase wind energy ~14% over 80-meter. Blades longer, but turn same 160mph. Juwi Wind (Germany) installing 30Mw, $55M project in Colorado with 100-meter towers.

Westinghouse deal in Czech Republic with comp in support to get contract for 2 nuke reactors for up to $10B to expand current plant. Competing with Areva (France) and consortium led by Russia's Atomstroyexport. Decision expected end of next year.

Canada to stop opposing listing asbestos as hazardous. Only a little behind the times, A?

Shell shutting down Arctic offshore ops for the year after spill response dome aboard a vessel was damaged.

EPA to require 1.28B gallons of biodiesel production in '13, 28% over '12. Now we see why stocks of ethanols have been going gangbusters. A little bit of inside information days early. Same old game.

Enviro group sueing Interior over proposed 300-mile water pipeline from central NV to Vegas.

India planning 100 more coal power plants than China - 455 for 519Gw. Oy.

France president calling for 40% cut in carbon emissions by '30.

Russia rejected "ineffective" extension of Kyoto Protocol.

Turkey's state-run oil comp plans to start offshore oil exploration on its own in '13 in E Mediterranean.

Over 40% of Pakistan textile industry has moved to Bangladesh last 5 years due to Pak energy crisis, better incentives in Bang.

Global production of light-duty passenger vehicles 76.8M in '11. May hit 80M in '12. Hybrids under 2% of total.

Pemex beginning 3-year, $200M program to find shale gas, including in extension of Texas' Eagle Ford formation.

New Asian, Mideast oil refineries coming online outstripping closures in Europe, US. OPEC estimates surplus global refining capacity likely to reach 4Mb/d next year. Growing by 1.3M - 1.7M this year.

China increased gas/diesel prices for 2nd time in about a month to keep adequate profits at refineries.

Joule partnered up with Audi as they head for $1.28/gal cost biofuels from waste CO2, sunlight, saline water. Commercialization by mid-decade target.

U Cal Berkeley researchers found strain of switchgrass 250x starchier than normal. Partial funding from USDA.

DOE awarded $14.3M grant to U of NV Reno team to redesign bioenergy crops for arid, hot climes with night CO2 absorption process.

Qatargas, world's largest NG producer (prod capac 42M tons/yr LNG), has increased short-term supply of LNG to Japan to over 20M tons from 9M last year.

FERC approved 800-mile 7Gw high volt transmission line to connect wind farms - to be built - to mid south, S east US.

UN chief says ozone layer on road to full recovery. This year's Antarctic hole shrunk from last year.