EARLY STUFF

White House taking steps to ensure all fed agencies consider climate change uniformly for enviro reviews before issuing permits for major projects. (Keystone signal?)

House Repub's intro'd bill to force approval of Keystone.

Senate bill intro'd to allow states to compete for funds for clean energy, energy efficiency in bldgs.

GAO update on DOE loan guarantees. (Nothing more on that yet.)

US crop insurance payments for drought/heat/failed irrigation damage in '12 over $12B.

Biz schools pondering how to prepare future CEOs to deal with climate change. (Teach the facts, choices, solutions. Case studies. Duh.)

Experts calling for geoengineering research guidelines.

DOE: petrol use could drop 80% while transport sector grows. (Again, nothing else seen on that yet.)

Climate change may have contributed to Somalia famine. (Besides maybe biofuels programs? Let alone effort to feed them while in crisis.)

Marcellus Shale headed toward 10BCF/d later this year despite lower rig count, transport bottlenecks, enviro holdups.

Frustrated drillers pulling out of central Montana shale. (My guess it's not fruitful enough.)

Indonesia's 230M folks live on 17K islands. Only 3 islands on national grid tied to baseload power. Total 1.6Gw (corporate private plants) of biomass energy elgen operating of 50Gw potential for rest of country. Country exploring FIT, tax incentives, transmission linkups.

Goldman Sachs forecast current $16 spread between WTI, Brent crude to shrink to $7.50 in 2Q13. New pipe from Permian to Gulf coast refineries to bypass Cushing.

IEA: global oil demand to increase 820Kb/d this yr, 200K less than last forecast. Demand increased by avg 1.4Mb/d in non-recession yrs in past. Increased production in US, Iraq (maybe, see below), return of Sudan's 200K later this year seen covering the increase despite declining production elsewhere, possible further sanctions on Iran.

US NG inventories 11% above 5-yr avg for time of year. Price $3.87/M Friday. Above $3.50, coal cheaper than gas for utilities that can switch. NG drillers still losing money at $4, takes even $6 for some to break even.

With financial, military support from some Gulf Arab states, Sunni preparing uprising against Baghdad. Kurds deciding this week whether to secede/protest govt or not. (Folks, look see what's coming.)

US NG rig count jumped most in over 3 yrs. New drilling in LA, OK.

ENN Group, 1 of China's largest private comps, planning network of NG fueling stations for trucks on US highways. On US highways. (Why not China highways?) 50 going up this year.

Cummins/Peterbilt demo "Super Truck" getting 54% increased fuel econ. Avg near 10mpg. 61% increase in freight efficiency. (Didn't say how long we have to wait. Maybe until those NG fuel stations get put in? And comps will pay 50% - ?- more for SuperTrux.)

Spain imports 99% of its NG but has est. reserves to meet current demand for 70 yrs if shale developed.

Iraq says 7 oil comps qualified to bid for developing promising oil field, build refinery in south. 2 Russian, 1 Chinese, 1 US (you're welcome for getting your country free of Hussein), 1 Indian, 1 French, 2 Japanese. US - Brown Energy.

India needs to double water gen capacity by '30 to meet demand.

Falkland residents overwhelmingly voted to stay with UK. (As Argentina got Pope. What a world.)

GM, Chrysler taking 2nd looks at making smaller pickups.

China awarded 16 comps exploration rights in latest auction into world's biggest shale gas reserves. Not 1 has drilled a gas well before. Ever.

China's auto sales up 19% in Jan-Feb over '12. Good news, bad news. (Seen that pollution?)

Largest hydropower project in Tibet should start elgen this year. Pondo. $728M. '16 completion.

Greece GDP down 6.4% in '12.