STUFF

Coal industry: EPA should stop creating barriers to new coal-fired power plants, focus on efficiency.

Increasingly likely EPA to miss Apr 13 deadline to finalize CO2 rule for new power plants.

National Research Council: US needs "stringent" policy framework like carbon tax, efficiency fee to reduce passenger vehicle emissions, petrol use 80% by '50 from '05 level.

Massive wind turbines with 300' blades to cut offshore wind cost 38% or more by '20: Vestas.

Study: 1 degree Celsius warmer would lead to more Katrina-like storm surges.

Automakers found cheating on MPG testing. (Tsk tsk.)

Plankton's carbon absorption more variable than previously thought.

Study: EU fuel efficiency law to cut costs, create jobs.

Scientists unsure whether climate change affects tornado season.

Global warming blamed for Pika's disappearance. (I had to look it up too.)

Mancos Shale could spur US southwest drilling revival. (Don't know where Mancos is yet.)

Enbridge to boost pipeline capacity for oil sands crude to US. (Don't know how much yet unless I've already reported it.)

Unconventional NG development getting launched this year in Saudi Arabia.

Climate researchers back NG development in Britain.

Transphorm (Cal) - Google-backed startup - making 1st gen gallium nitride transistors, diodes on silicon carbide. Inverters reaching silicon "wall". Size, price. Gallium nitride can reduce power losses up to 50%, reduce inverter size 40%, work at 98% efficiency. ~10% of power loss occurs during each power conversion step now. Comp working on GallNi on just silicon, way cheaper than silicon carbide. They raised $104M in VC round.

VECO world efficiency record for CPV cells. (More on it later, I'm sure.)

China may cut subsidy for largest solar projects, create new subsidy for non-grid projects.

Pike Research says near 56Gw of long duration bulk energy storage for grid to be installed '12-'22. Installs of energy storage for "ancillary services" to increase up to 10x to over 3.5Gw in same period. Ancillary - scheduling, dispatch, reactive power, voltage control, system protection. Pumped hydro has been go-to storage option. Compressed air if there's cave, etc near. Then batts. (We need batt tech R&D.)

EIA: TX oil production rose 523Kb/d in '12. ND up 243. Eagle Ford (TX) production believed to be peaking next year. 6%/y decline after. Current production near 600Kb/d.

EIA: Europe's oil production peaked ~'06, has begun decline. 5 top intl oils production peaked in '04, declining 2.1%/y. Discovery rate of new reserves down for over 40 yrs.

Greenland voters feared govt surrender of country's interests to China, foreign multinationals over resources. Voted out prime minister.

Wholesale price of gasoline in US jumped 43 cents Jan to Feb. Ethanol impact .7 cents. Ethanol price last week 25 cents less than gas. NY Times hype that eth was culprit of higher pump prices. (We'll see. Ethanol does come from food so far.)

Cleantech Open helped startups raise $800M for over 700 alumni since '06. Expanding to south FL to attract entrepreneurs, researchers from FL, Carib, LatAm. Training, mentoring from biz leaders usually leads to funding. Open to biomass, biogas, biofuels, bioenergy, etc. Accelerator program to end in Nov. Finalists go to national competition.

Bloomberg found wind, bioenergy "reserves" in Brazil over 40% energy content of their proven oil/NG reserves. In US ~1/7th.

NREL's Dessicant Enhanced Evaporative system won R&D award. Works in any climate. Achieves comfy cooling saving 40-80% energy use of conventional AC system. Dessicants dry out moist air.

In '08, Fed Ex target global fleet fuel efficiency up 20% by '20 from '05. Up 22% now. Raising goal to 30%. Small, smart changes in ops, vehicles. Matching right vehic to route to cut 20M gal this yr. "Right-size" engines 70-100% more fuel efficient. Composite bodies for 35% cut. 35% more from getting rid of old diesel enegines for new. 360 hybrids, 200 EV's used in dense urban routes. Green roof at O'Hare facility. UPS has 2,500 hybrid, other alt-fuel V's.

Supreme Court to decide Horne v. USDA tomorrow. Horne (Cal) has farmed raisins near 50 yrs. Decided in '03 to no longer abide by Depression-era program requiring raisin producers to hand over percent of crop to govt every yr. USDA said "nuh-uh", hit Horne with hefty fines. Horne sued.

US infrastructure got D+ from engineers.

USDA urging farmers, ranchers to prepare for dry spring.

Fukushima radiation may help track Pacific bluefin tuna. Always the good news.

Mountaintop coal foes, Army Corps O Engineers to square off in circuit court permit case.

Judge denied BP motion to dismiss gross neglicence charge.

EPA threatens to sue Cal butane tank farm over safety.

Study: cellulosic tech must use existing cropland.

Conoco, Colorado agree to settle lawsuit over leaky tanks.

250 Hanford workers got pink slips.

MT panel OK'd renewable energy tax breaks for new coal, NG plants.

Power outage hit Fukushima cooling pools.