STUFF

TOP STUFF

BP to pay $4B to resolve criminal claims from Gulf spill. Pleading guilty of charges including 11 counts of felony manslaughter.

Exxon says tax on CO2 emissions may be good idea after all. Could raise est. $100B in 1st year @ $20/ton for carbon. But they want tax cuts in other areas to offset the $100B. (Who cares about the deficit, A? Let alone the debt.)

House passed bill ordering admin to prohibit US airlines from taking part in EU emissions program. Goes to President.

Sea barriers to protect NYC, parts of NJ shore could run as high as $23B. (You know costs always overrun. Of course, Sandy alone cost over $50B.)

IEA report: had we neglected energy efficiency from '80 to '10, world energy use would be 35% higher, ~ energy use of US, China combined. By '35, we can save equivalent of near 20% of '10's global demand. We can halve growth in primary energy worldwide just by using existing cost-effective tech. Staying with planned policies, energy efficiency will account for 68% of global CO2 savings. 80% of  potential untapped so far in buildings, ~1/2 in industry. World would need ~$12T in E efficiency installs. That would save ~$24T.

IEA also says global energy demand to grow 1/3 by '35. China, India, Mideast 60% of increase.

OTHER STUFF

Japan's domestic shipments of solar cells/modules up 80% in Q3 over last year to 627Mw. Imports up 3x to 203Mw. Exports down 57% to 153Mw. Solar power now sold to utilities for 52 cents/Kwh for 20 years, ~3x what industrial users paid in year ended March.

NAS report: terrorist attack on power grid could black out large segments of US for weeks to months. US has 4 major grids. Considering connecting them up in NM.

GM aims to build 500K EV's/year within 5 years.

Brit Columbia scientists argue proposed tidal energy project could imperil already-threatened whales.

Pollutants from Alberta oil sands operations traveling up to 60 miles.

ACORE published state-by-state survey of clean/renewable energy resources. Will be regularly updated, new work added, policies section.

Hard-hit US high plains finally got some drought relief.

FERC halted JP Morgan's trading in energy markets for misleading commission.

Solazyme (SZYM) expanding Bunge JV production capacity at Brazil plant from 100K metric tons to 300K by '16. ADM deal for expansion of 20K metric tons by '14 to 100K in later years.

Biofuels (BIOF) reported 29% drop in revenues in "another challenging Q".

Researchers from DOE's Joint BioEnergy Inst ID'd gene in rice plants whose suppression improves both extraction of xylan and overall release of the sugars needed to make biofuels.

VIASPACE (VSPC) growing Giant King Grass on Virgin Islands (US). 1K acres to supply 6Mw power plant.

Betz Law caps amount of kinetic energy that a turbine can harvest at 59.3% of wind's total energy. Saphon Energy (Tunisia) claim their turbine exceeds Betz. Blades and rotor replaced with concave disk. Wind kinetic E 1st converted to mech E via pistons, then to hydraulic E, then to el. Results show 2.3x more efficiency than bladed turbine. Quiter than turbines, no threat to birds. Costs expected to be 30-45% below turbines. (If they can just prove those costs, it's a big winner.)

Nanosolar completed 10.6Mw solar PV install in Spain. Comp's largest project to date. Nano uses thin-film CIGS tech - inked onto aluminum foil.