STUFF

Overseas Private Investment Corp (US govt development finance institution) approved up to $250M for their 1st solar project in S Africa - 60Mw. ~$4/w.

Scientists announced new record low ice cover in Arctic of 24%, 5% below previous record in '07. Half the avg size recorded '79-'00. But, silver lining - more mineral deposits revealed.

Japan now backing off phase-out of nuke power by '40.

Q2 worldwide PV manufacturing equipment billings up 2% from Q1 at $706M, but just 35% of year-ago Q2. Bookings down 20% in Q2 to $235M, lowest level since 1Q10. 5th consecutive Q that book-to-bill ratio below parity. Estimate a new investment cycle may start mid-'13.

Blackstone to take > 50% stake in home automation giant Vivint for > $2B. Vivent just entered solar market last year with $75M US Bank fund to finance residential solar installs on long-term leases. Blackstone plans to expand solar efforts and other.

In '08, US oil and biofuels production was ~ 7.5Mb/d, demand just under 20M. This year, production to be close to 10M, demand close to 19M. '19 estimate US production to equal US demand - ~18M.

IEA: fuel use in new vehicles could be slashed by half next 20 years. Provided govts set up bold policies (like Obama's new rules for MPG) to boost use of available techs. Transportation uses ~1/5 of global E. Will account for nearly all future demand growth.

US Ex-Im Bank authorized credit insurance to support export of near $900M of US-made crop spraying aircraft to biofuel and soybean grower in Brazil. 20th of ~40 similar deals to benefit Air Tractor (TX) this year.

France's DEINOVE researchers isolated, optimized strain of Deinococcus bacteria able to make ethanol from wheat-based biomass. Alcohol content > 3%. (Mine's higher.)

Brazil to raise anhydrous ethanol blending in gasoline back to 25% early next year from 20% now. May raise to 30% by '20.

Soros Econ Development Fund and Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries investing near $9M in CleanStar Mozambique. Option to invest in more pan-Africa projects.

Algae.Tec, Lufthansa deal to build large-scale algae production facility for aviation biofuels. Site to be in Europe, adjacent to industrial CO2 source.

BP deal in Russia with Rosneft to give BP access to Russia's Arctic fields. Deal looks like $15B cash, maybe $10M more in stock for access.

Summer discovery of est > 1B bls oil offshore Ireland. Known about for 50 years, but today's tech now makes extraction econ viable.

Sauds have offered extra oil supply thru year-end to bring prices down. I guess that's why we went from $100 days ago to closer to $90 today.

Launch of US-Japan smart grid, clean E demo project at Los Alamos LANL.

Pakistan plans to import 1Gw of el from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan starting in '16. Nice to see the Stans getting along. $1B. Turkmen also plans to sell el to Afghan, Turkey, Central Asia in future. 3 combined-cycle NG plants - total capac 1.1Gw - to be built for Pak project.

FERC created cybersecurity office.

Dry conditions spread across US, setting record.

BP reportedly slow on spill cleanup in LA after hurricane.