STUFF

TOP STUFF

Transocean to pay $1.4B for role in BP's GOM oil spill of '10. $1B for Clean Water Act violation, $400M for criminal claims. Transocean owned, operated the rig.

Top countries to be born in. Economist Intelligence Unit started index in '88. USA then was on top. Now 16th with Germany. 11 indicators. Being rich helps the most. US debt grown from $2.9T to $16.4T hasn't helped. And real wages for majority have declined. Huh. Switzerland now tops. Worst is Nigeria, Kenya, Ukraine, Angola, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Syria, Russia.

Geothermal projects also included in the clean energy PTC extension in fiscal deal.

Value of global carbon market transactions down 36% in '12. EU prices fell. UN emission credits had record drop. Market down to $80B in '11. UN offset trading down 64% to 6B Euros. Trade volume up 26% to 10.7B metric tons (1/3 of world's total CO2 emissions). Forecast bounce back of over 30% this year and average global price jump of 15% to 6.60 Euros/ton.

OTHER STUFF

Iceland to collab with World Bank in Global Goethermal Development Plan Initiative. Could grow to $500M. Iceland, Nordic Development Fund each to contribute $5M Euro/yr to GGDPI over 5 yrs. To advance geothermal use in 13 E African countries. Great Rift Valley could offer 14Gw of geotherm power.

GE, MetLife, Mitsubishi, Citigroup backing 143Mw EDF (France) solar project in Cal Mojave. 25-yr PPA from San Diego G&E (Sempra). FSLR, Solar Frontier supplying thin-film panels.

Demand for PV solar poised for explosive growth across Latin Am and Carib thru '17. 45% compound annual growth rate predicted. Chile, Brazil to lead. 6Gw in applications currently across region.

Enel Green Power (Italy) began work on 90Mw wind farm in Chile. 2Mw turbines. $140M. Enel ops wind farms in Mex, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Chile, Brazil for total 900Mw. 3 Brazil projects under construction for 90Mw. Looking at over 100Mw more development in Chile.

EDF (France) started on 48Mw wind farm in Poland. Vestas 2Mw turbines. Poland goal 15% clean elgen by '20. 2% now. Target includes 6Gw wind power. End of '11, they had over 1.6Gw.

Nordex (Germany) got 2 contracts for total 15Mw of wind power from UK customers.

Progress E (Duke) seeks 14% rate increase for NC residential customers but wants to slash payments up to 29% for el it buys from clean energy providers. If approved, they would reduce rates they pay for clean E to levels not seen since '84. Think that'll happen?

Coalition of enviro groups, private citizens, donors raised near $9M to protect WY river basin from oil/gas drilling.

Cal, Quebec beginning joint effort to enforce cap-and-trade rules.

Fracking trade secrets would get no protection under draft Alaska rule.

Nebraska judge refused to block challenge to Keystone XL pipeline siting law.

Report: Chesapeake estuary health improving, But long way to go.

Calif AG sued Conoco, Phillips over gas station leaks.

Report: NY can frack safely.

Utah officials preparing Cal-style air pollution rules. Pollution worsening.

Oregon may impose per-mile tax on fuel-efficient vehicles. There we go. Penalize people spending their own bucks to lessen pollution.

China officials expanding release of air pollution data for 74 cities.

NC law now treats cooking oil theft like any other theft. Boy, moving too fast?

Crystal Flash Energy named exclusive autogas dealer for Mich. Autogas is liquified propane OK'd for modified engines. (Also 25% energy loss in conversion to liquified as LNG?). Autogas cheaper than ethanol, biodiesel, easier to supply.

Tergopower (Norway) planning 40Mw combined heat/power (CHP) biomass-fueled plant in Poland.

BP Biofuels to build $345M flex ethanol/sugar facility in Brazil. 500M liters/yr. Cogen el from waste/bagasse. Est. 340Gwh to be sold to grid.

Overall industry mercury emissions down in US, but progress uneven at 10 worst power plants. TX has 5 of worst, 4 owned by Luminent Generation. Then AL, MI, MO, ND and OK. Biggest carcinogenic metal polluters in OH, KY, MI, PA and WY. Let alone the arsenic, cobalt chromium, lead and nickel from coal-fired power plants. 10 worst account for ~18% of merc emissions from all US coal-fired power plants. Merc emissions increased in TX in last decade. Merc also deposited in rivers, streams besides air.

24 groups: NRC rushing nuke "waste confidence" process. Not satisfying court-ordered requirements. NRC envisions 2-yr process. Should trigger continued suspension of all reactor licensing or re-licensing.