STUFF

Beijing's air pollution a "suffocating siege": People's Daily.

Historic drought in Brazil has left hydro dams short of water for elgen.

Officials cited PG&E for high chromium levels in Hinkley bottled water.

U of Vermont banned bottled water.

EPA says Shell violated air permits for 2 Arctic drill ships. Excess N oxides escaped during drilling. DOI still to investigate the entire ops.

Cal GHG emissions fell in '11 for 3rd straight year.

DOA: US corn inventory to be at lowest point in 17 yrs by Sept. Current inventory 17% below last yr at this time.

Study: planting corn acres with biofuel crops reduces nutrient runoff.

Ohio PUCO nixed AEP's 50Mw solar project. Denied permission to assess ratepayers for it.

2 German banks lending $107M for 24Mw of solar plants in France. Development by Aquila Capital (Germany).

Kedco (Ireland)  to build 25Mw biomass heat and power plant in N Ireland. Plans 5 biomass plants in UK for 59M Pounds.

Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) partnering with Edeniq to expand production.

AlgaeTec (ALGXY) approved for $12.8M refund on development of algae bioreactor facilities.

Global clean/renewable energy investment down 11% in '12 because govts cut subsidies. $268.7B invested. Down 32% in US, 51% in Italy, 68% in Spain, 44% in India. 20% gain in China to $67B. US was $44B. All energy segments dropped except small hydro - up 17% to $7.6B. Solar got $142B, wind $78B, EVs and E efficiency $18.8B. Biomass, waste-to-E down 27% to $9.7B. VC, private equity investment down 34% to $5.8B

Ameren (IL) getting out of power gen biz (~15% of their revs). "Market price for power has dropped significantly in past few years." More efficient appliances, drop in manufacturing, more efficient manufacturing. El demand from manufacturing down 18% from '98-'10. To focus on state utility biz and el transmission.

El use over TX's largest grid (over 80% of state) down 2.7% in '12 after 5% jump in '11.

Greece energy regulator approved 2nd clean/renewable energy tax increase in 5 months. Levy to avg 9.30 Euros/Mwh from 7.50. Valid for 6 mo. Households to pay 9.53 Euros/Mwh, up from 8.74.

Saud sovereign wealth fund and public pension agency bought 19% of ACWA Power Intl (Saud) as part of plan to build solar capacity. ACWA ops 5 power plants in Saud, 13Gw capacity, and desalinates 2.37M cubic meters/day of seawater. Developing 2 concentrated solar plants in Morocco and S Africa. Saud $727B econ grew 6.8% in '12.

Qatar Airways making 1st commercial flights fueled by NG-to-liquid tech.

Lebanon, Cyprus agreed to increase cooperation in offshore NG development.

Utah challenging admin's scaled-back oil sands development plan.

Ecuador's avg crude oil output up ~1% in '12 to 504Kb/d. Below 510K target. Expects 525-530K this yr, ~550K in '14.

Norway oil production (world's 8th biggest exporter) to fall to 25-yr low this yr. Slow recovery in future threatened by rising costs, bottlenecks.

UAE plans to raise oil production to 3Mb/d from 2.8M now.

China's crude oil imports up 6.8% in '12. Up 6.1% in '11. Up 17.5% in '10.

Coal ash dump leaking into WV neighborhood.