STUFF

Northwest Africa up for grabs. Mali, Algeria, et al. The new Afghanistan? And France leading the West?

EIA '13 Annual Energy Outlook early release forecasts US GHG emissions in '40 well above '90 levels. Climate experts call for '50 emissions 80% below '90 to avoid catastrophe. US elgen system responsible for 40% of emissions.

Pew report: increased competition abroad, uncertain policies at home putting ability of US to compete in global energy marketplace at risk. Private investment, manufacturing, deployment of clean energy held back by lack of long term consistent US policy. To say it twice. Also tight credit markets hurt.

NRC found nuke plant in Conn had no gauge in place before Sandy to determine critical flood water level. Also reactor fission level probe out of service over 31 days. (7-day limit.) Storm surge reached 8 ft above normal high tide. 19 ft critical level. But point made. Painted lines on intake pipes.

Salazar approved major new clean energy development plan for AZ.

DOE goal 2.5K gal/acre algae biomass demo by '18. Funding up to $10M.

Tree seeds could be abundant biofuel feedstock: India research.

Study: US land could provide 25% of advanced biofuels requirement without carbon debt.

Dyadic (Neth) to commercialize powerful new enzymes from EU-funded DISCO project.

Report: enviro impacts of Keystone XL pipe worse than previously estimated. Petroleum coke wasn't included in emissions calculus. Also, pipeline would bring rapid expansion of tar sands production, greatly increasing emissions.

NOAA: drought conditions could worsen in Midwest. (These things run many years at a time.)

3/4 of Chesapeake Bay "impaired" by chems: report.

Thousands of dead fish washed onshore SC beach.

Tug carrying 4K gallons of diesel sank in Mississippi.

EPA finalized haze rules for iron facilites, proposed Navajo compromise on 4 Corners coal plant emissions.

Report: $8.2B invested globally on watersheds rather than infrastructure (in '12?).

NJ fracking moratorium expired.

NJ residents sue over toxins released from train crash.

Mass bill would punish seafood mislabels.

WY bill would legalize road kill as meat. Deer?

Vietnam, Cambodia blasting Laos' Mekong River dam plan.

India's southern states planning wind farms on wastelands, forming "green energy corridor". Kamatka potential 50Gw, Andhra Pradesh 88Gw.

Army dedicated 4.1Mw PV solar install at White Sands Missile Range. 42 acres. Army's largest system. Est. $930K savings/yr. But Siemens charging same as utility for the power. And who paid? Go figure savings. Also a 375Kw solar carport. Solaria single-axis tracking 30% more efficient than no tracking. $16.8M cost close to $4/w. Not bad for solar. No boondoggle. But no reduction in el costs?! I don't get it. Unless Siemens paid for it.

Teams from Navy Research Lab, Imperial College London and others developed new triple junction solar cell with potential 50% efficiency. Can absorb energy from 3 different wavelength bands. Group awarded ARPA-E grant for 3-yr development program.

FERC proposing rule to speed up, lower cost of solar grid connects for projects from 5-20Mw.

Cushing OK oil inventory at 52M bls. Last year 28M bls at same time.

Enviro groups filed suit against NC Enviro Mgmt Commission. Appealing decision to not fine or stringently monitor potential groundwater contamination from coal ash ponds at 14 power plants.

African lion endangered?