STUFF

German Enviro Minister: German transition to clean energy from nuke (clean E) may cost up to $1.34T next 2 decades. (Why be so stupid. Nukes have no GHG emissions. Overreaction to Fukushima. Earthquakes and tsunamis in Germany? Oy.)

Fed judge approved Transocean's $1B in civil penalties for '10's BP GOM "spill".

WV Gov proposing ending creds for plug-in cars. (And the stupidity rolls on. The blow back on common sense.)

UPS completed a 1.2Mw rooftop solar PV project at distribution facility in NJ late last year. Putting up another one now. Spring completion. To increase their total US solar capacity to over 2.7Mw. They do entire process in house. Own it.

DTE Energy selected 70 solar projects in 500Kw 1st round of expanded customer-owned pilot program. 2Mw over next 2 yrs. Near $2M in incentives through next yr. 377Kw residential, 127Kw comm.

NREL says Silicon Energy (WA) solar panels most reliable in high humidity, high temps and temps to 40 below. 40-yr durability rating. No exposed metal to rust or plastic to crack.

Lake Erie Energy Development (non-profit) ready to begin demo of 5-9 wind turbines in Lake Erie near Cleveland. $4M from DOE through early '14. $1M from private invest. Initial 20-30Mw planned. 1Gw '20 target. Could get $46M more from DOE over 4 yrs after demo eval.

JASO (JA Solar) boosted 4Q shipment guidance.

Fed appeals court stayed decision to keep 50K tons of low-level radioactive waste in NJ instead of shipping to UT. (Why would UT want it?)

US spent more on energy efficiency than conventional (fossil) energy in '10: study.

Jakarta fighting floods by inducing rain.

Kansas bill would require schools to teach evidence against climate change. (Stupid is as stupid does. But objective education the best.)

Study: oil/gas drilling primary cause of ozone in Utah (Salt Lake).

Brit's 2 biggest publicly traded water comps feeding sewage waste into bacteria tanks (anearobic digestion). The methane emissions gens el. Comps in Europe, China turning more to this tech. Biogas. 2,250 facilities in Europe now using. MSFT uses AD to help power WY data center. US' 2 largest water comps have no plants and no plans for any. (The US should be leading the world on all new tech a good political soundbite, A? Falling way short. "Shit for energy.")

Solar City (SCTY) partnering with Honda to finance $65M of rooftop solar for carbuyers, dealers in 14 states. $400 discount for homeowners. Systems for up to 20 dealers.

Wind, solar, biomass provided all new US elgen capacity in Jan. 1.23Gw. Near 3x yoy. Wind 958Mw, solar 267, bio 6. Clean/ren now 15.66% of total installed US elgen cap (not including nuke).

BMW to install 4 wind turbines at Leipzig plant. To supply almost 1/4 of el use. German manufacturers switching to own power as power costs rise due to $740B shift from nukes to clean energy. (Again, nuke power is clean. No emissions. Why, Germany, why? And Merkel a nuke scientist! Insane. Germany's gone insane again.) 47% hike in clean energy surcharges this year.

Global Partners completed $95M buy of crude/ethanol facility in OR.

Cal Energy Commission gave Eslinger Biodiesel $6M toward $20M plant of 5M gal/y. Algae, seedoils, waste veg oils, animal fats feedstock. All 3 phases of plant to cost $32M for 45M gal/y.

Brown U unlocking genetic, molecular mechanisms behind how genes underlying lignin degradation are regulated. May lead to engineering bacteria to convert lignin into biofuels, hi-val chems.

S Africa university student found new method to ID best varieties of sugarcane for eth production based on fiber content. Found 90% of carbs could be extracted from new cane varieties v. 72% from current varieties.

Zimbabwe announced E5 blend mandate. Country now imports $45M/mo of fuel. Mandate should decrease that drain plus help local econ (making fuel from food. Ug.)

RFA slammed EU over $83/met ton import tariff on US ethanol.

Poland to ease enviro regs, tax regs for shale gas development. Chevron, Conoco there.

Output decline for world's conventional oil fields avg 5%/y. Peak oil.

Gazprom Neft signed new oil production agreement with Kurd Iraq. Will Baghdad react? How?

Bloomberg est. China to never reach shale gas goals of 80B cubic meters by '20. More like 18. Unless China pours mega money into it and eases up on price controls.

Nigeria asking UK help on 2Mb/d oil pipeline theft. Shell lobbying London.

More on "solar sponge". Aussie research. The photosensitive metal organic framework can absorb large amounts of carbon - up to 1 liter of gas in 1 gram of material. Released instantly with exposure to sunlight.

MN mercury rules have reduced merc emissions from coal plants from 1,850 lbs/y in mid-'90's to 870 lbs today. By '16, ~200 lbs. ERCC: EPA merc rules to cost $300B. GAO: "activated carbon injections" could cut merc emiss 90% @ avg of $3.6M/plant. DOE: cost of removing merc $60K/lb in '99, $10K today.

Flumill (Norway) raising $10M to install 2Mw tidal power generator unit off Norway coast 1Q14. Anticipates comm orders after. Unit weighs under 200 metric tons v. up to 1,500 tons for some competitors. Marine energy in England, Scotland some of highest subsidies in world. ~$317/Mwh. Energy from tides now cost ~$440/Mwh. Coal $128. Flumill interested in US, FR, JP, China. And S Korea "very interesting".

Acal Energy (UK) - backed by Sumitomo - to raise $23M to expand fuel cell tech. They have chems to curb need for platinum.

CEZ plans 760Mw of wind farms in Poland, 167 by next year. Looking for "stable, investment friendly" govt policy.

Japan installing 2.4Mw of wind turbines offshore in project with TEP. 2Mw planned off Kyushu next month with El Power Development (J-Power).

UK has 51% of global installed offshore wind capacity. Denmark 21%. The lead.

MSFT charges its divisions for emissions. Uses those funds on green projects.

Admin keeps delaying stronger appliance, el equip energy efficiency standards. Adding them would shave another 7% off el use by '35. (Maybe it's not low-hanging fruit?) 8 standards now held up. 40M metric tons carbon emissions. Every month delay adds $300M, 4.4M metric tons of carbon emiss (19K rail cars of coal). Standards delayed: microwave ovens, external power supplies, ER, BR, small diameter reflector lamps, walk-in coolers, freezers, metal halide lamps, el distribution transformers, el motors and comm refrig equip.

Dominion CEO: nuke expansion key to Obama emission goals.

WH unveiled $50B infrastructure improvement plan. (Anything from him, of course, is dead on arrival in Congress. Why doesn't he just give everything to Senate Dems? '14 election politics?)

Hundreds of arrests on intl crackdown on illegal logging.

Quinoa's popularity depleting land.

Mad cow disease found in moose.

Cal ratepayers owed $1.6B with FERC ruling on Enron-era manipulation. (Good ruck collecting.)

WV court struck down EPA-based guidance for strip mining permits. (Duh.)

Bulgaria PM resigned amid protests over high el costs.