STUFF

U of GA researchers have found way to TURN CO2 IN ATMOS INTO BIOFUELS. Created a microorganism. (GO, RESEARCH!)

Mercedes unveiled Tesla-powered EV.

IMF: countries should rein in energy subsidies - $1.9T in '11 - to ease budget probs, free more for ed, health, infra. 8% of all govt spending in '11, 2.5% of world GDP. Top 3: US $502B, China $279B, Russia $116B. IMF also called for carbon tax, said subsidy cuts would make large CO2 cuts.

Researchers analyzing monsoon patterns around N Hemisphere since '70's conclude there's substantial intensification of summer monsoon rainfall, circulation. Natural variations in Pacific, Atlantic appear main force behind shift. Current theory, though, predicts monsoon circulation should weaken with global warming.

In '11, 18 Bangladesh textile makers invested over $1M to upgrade factories with help of intl agencies. In 1 year, they saved 1.2M cubic meters of water, 16M cubic meters of NG, 10M Kwh of el. Intl Finance Corp est. if half of Bangladesh textiles did so they could save $75M plus water, NG, el. 2nd largest textile industry in world behind China. Dhaka water table dropping 6 ft/yr.

Cal unveiled $23B plan to revamp Sacramento/San Joaquin River delta to restore natural water flows, improve 100K acres for over 50 species. $23B.

LA County suberb approved 1st-in-nation mandate requiring rooftop solar on most new homes.

New research points to ocean circulation, not winds, as driver of CO2 release after each ice age. (How many dang ice ages have we had?)

EU started planning for '30 climate, energy targets.

NM drought spurring water rights feud.

Ethiopia venturing into waste-to-energy project.

GAO: overlapping fed subsidies let some wind projects get multiple grants, credits. (Hate the waste, love the cause.)

Train derailed, spilled 30K gal of crude in MN.

Suncor canceled oil sands refining project.

Delays at OR wave energy project.

Netherlands homeowners near NG drilling ops getting earthquakes.

Greenland set moratorium on offshore drilling permits.

Citigroup: "tipping point" for global oil demand growth "on horizon".

Energy development fragmenting Marcellus forests, threatening some species.

DOD justifies using oil sands crude.

Oil group bashing NG on pricing, "clean" claims. (And NG production isn't holding up very well. Besides needing $6-8 to make profit with fracking. Or it's all just jawboning for more profit.)

Ladakh, India largest off-grid clean/renewable energy project in world. $88.8M for solar, hydro. 28.3Mw. India wants to get el to every household by '17. (So they can sell them refrigerators and big screen TVs. They want their MTV too.)

UK clean/ren elgen up 20% in '12 to 41Twh. 11.3% of total elgen. Biggest increase from offshore wind. Target 30% clean/ren by '20. EU target of 15% of all energy, including heating and transport, from clean/ren. By '20.

UK started FIT for hydro of 100-500Kw. 12-16 pence/Kwh.

Mount Pleasant Solar Co-op, started by 2 teens, has helped get rooftop solar on 10% of homes in that DC neighborhood.

Germany to launch 50M Euro solar storage incentive. Systems with storage to get low interest loans from state bank, repayment allowance to cover 30% of batt cost. For systems under 30Kw.

Rwanda to drill 3 exploratory geothermal wells near volcano. $27M venture for exploring. 10Mw potential.

FSLR nabbed top spot in world solar development in '12. Completed over 500Mw. Chinese firms took 4 of top 10 spots.

Exxon says it can increase production at Iraq field from current 496Kb/d to 530K by July, 600K by yearend. Iraq officials say "nuh-unh", not realistic, year's production to be close to 2.9Mb/d. They're starting to sell 4M bls/month to Egypt (broke). Jordan already getting Iraq oil at preferential prices.

China oil demand up 4% yoy in 1st 2 months of '13.

BIOF asking Piper Jaffray to help sell 1 or both of Colo ethanol plants. BIOF in default on loans.

Bangkok buses to trial 3 months on B7 fuel.

Argentina's biodiesel exports down so much from trade disputes with EU that they are switching to exporting soy oil.

Grassley blames speculation for RIN spike. Wants CFTC to step in.

GA Tech research making recyclable solar cells from trees. 2.7% efficiency. Cellulose nanocrystal substrate. Water immersion at room temps for minutes to recycle. Next step 10% efficient by optimizing optical properties of cell's electrode. Funded by several govt offices. (Go, Rambling Wrecks!)

Chinese supertanker filling up at Iran export terminal. (Thanks, China. Um, have you herd there's sanctions? And why?)

Petrobras hopes to raise $5B from Nigeria sale. Redirecting investment to higher-return assets - explore, produce. 5-yr $236B capital spending plan. Largest ever corp investment plan in world in history. (Um, was "in history" redundancy?) (What's the emoticon for tongue-in-cheek?)

1st time in near 50 years Santee Cooper (SC-owned) generated less el from coal. In '12. (Had a flying company in the area way back and when. Monck's Corner. Goat Island. Summerville. Kind of know the culture.)

Bangor paper mill to pay over $3M to settle with FERC on manipulating New England energy market. (You go, FERC.)

Wheb Venture (London) bought majority stake in German low-energy lighting comp. Lighting 20% of global energy use. Energy-saving lights now ~7% of global mart. May rise to 64% by '20, as much as $70B/y.

Scotland wind power gen surged 19% in '12. Clean energy 39% of total el needs, up 7% in '12 to over 14Gwh. They want ALL their elgen clean by '20. Half by '15.

Kandenko - 46% owned by TEP - to build 19Mw of solar in 2 plants. $71M. Online '16.

Toshiba entering solar power development. 6.5Mw of projects.

Sorry it's so late, pards. Hay. Happens. I do truly appreciate your reading. Happy trailers.