STUFF

EU launching anti-dumping probe into China solars. Probable punitive tariffs by yearend.

~ 1.5% of el worldwide goes to power data centers. GHG emissions equivalent to 33M cars. Google, Facebook moving to Nordic countries. Intel submerging servers in mineral oil for cooling.

Curbing methane emissions from coal mines a key component in fighting global warming.

New Zealand denied a Kiribati man climate refugee status.

Warming climate benefits Kenyan fruit, veg growers. Challenges corn growers.

New South Wales pledged streamlined clean E planning and improved grid connects. Goal 20% clean by '20. State also to contribute $67M for large-scale solar projects. Clean installed capacity of 5.4Gw to > double to ~12Gw with projects under construction or approved. Also measures for E efficiency, smart meters. "Renewables" accounted for < 10% of elgen in Australia in '11. (Most folks are loose with their "clean" and "renewable" distinctions. To me renewables are biomass, biofuels; clean is zero emission energy, including nuke. They may mean renewables as well as clean in their definition here.) For New South Wales the elgen was 7.8% clean ( I presume they mean clean - no biomass), most from hydropower.

Wind power in S Australia provided > 1/2 of state's power on Sept 5-6. More than coal. During peak at 80% they were exporting el to Victoria. Record 85% last Sept. Over year, ~1/4 of elgen from wind. S AU's power sector emissions down 27% last 5 years. Wind power putting S AU well ahead of curve for 20% by '20.

Do you think wind power could take enough energy out of the wind to reduce hurricanes, typhoons, tornados? Or reduce their strength?

Brazil wind capacity could rocket from 2.7Gw now to 19Gw by '20. And solar will soar from much smaller base. 31Mw to 1.2Gw. Total installed elgen capac 120Gw in '11, 70% hydro. Biomass, wind, solar, small hydro another 10%. Excluding large hydro, their clean/renew capac expected to grow from now 13Gw to 38Gw by '20. Compound annual growth 14%.

Kiverdi (Cal) got $747K grant from Cal E Commission to accel development of CO2 conversion to fuels, chems tech.

Polyera Corp (Cal) achieved world record 5.2% efficient fully-polymeric organic solar cell (in inverted bulk hetero junction architecture). Almost double previous record. Potential of eliminating fullerene-based materials that are costly, hard to scale and have morphology instabilities, poor light absorption.

Germany last year used 2.2M hectares - 18% of their arable land - for renewables. Still potential for further production expansion.

Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (Canada) forecasting global ethanol production to reduce GHG emissions by 100M tons in '12. An increase of 3K tons/d over '11. Eth production to grow 1% in '12 v. '11 to > 85B liters.

Mississippi Power's 582Mw integrated gasification combined cycle plant 40% complete, 2 years from operation.

Poll: most Oklahomans favor switch to clean power.

FERC accusing Deutsche Bank traders of gaming Calif power prices.

Chevron exec may leave Brazil if he posts bail.

Asia-Pacific Econ Coop forum to cut import duties to 5% or less in '15 for 54 green techs. I assume all clean energy included.

As govts work to phase out HCFC-22 (AC coolant), a black market has sprung up for it.