STUFF

Plague of locusts descending on Egypt. (I know.)

Buffett scolding CEO's for not deploying stockpiles of cash. (That's the problem with growth and jobs, isn't it? They still don't want Obama to succeed?)

UK NG storage may be empty in 2 weeks. (Hope for warmer weather.)

Eni resumed ops at Libya NG plant that was attacked.

Anadarko (US), Videocon (India) to sell 20% of Mozambique NG stakes. Could get up to $4.5B. Moz has potential to become a world leading LNG exporter.

Study: Gulf of Maine likely to be more sensitive to ocean acidification than elsewhere. (Didn't catch why.)

Spending rising to prepare US power grids for more clean energy.

Report: carbon trading effective in reducing airline emissions.

Combining aquaculture with rice farming in Bangladesh helps econ, climate.

DOE nominee Moniz sees global NG/LNG trade curbing carbon emissions. (Signals more LNG exporting approvals?)

Shell to build 2 LNG plants. (Didn't see where or if importing or exporting.)

Hess shedding "integrated" model, gas stations to focus on shale development.

China passed US as world's #1 oil importer. Again, China passed US as world's #1 oil importer. Again ...

"Teapot Dome" site readied for sale. (Which President was that hung on? I should know this. Coolidge?)

Myanmar to auction offshore oil/gas blocks by April.

New large polysilicon plants to come online next several years. Global polysi capacity forecast to exceed the most likely PV solar demand by over 100% for next few yrs.

China boosting energy efficiency, emission reduction targets after record air pollution. Will trial carbon trading. Carbon intensity fell 5%, energy use per unit of GDP down 3.6% last yr. They're targeting better this yr. May spend $380B on energy conservation, emissions reduction in 5 yrs through '15. Plans for refinery upgrades to make cleaner fuel. Fine particles in air - greatest health risk - rose to record 993 micrograms/cubic meter in Jan in Beijing. WHO guidelines no higher than 25. Hydropower capacity to climb 21Gw this year, wind 18Gw, solar 10Gw, nuclear 3.2Gw.

In '07, global GHG emissions from el consumed by IT 2.5-3% of total. Comparable with aviation.

Shell considering closing Nigeria oil pipeline. Theft reaching unprecedented level. 150Kb/d pipe.

WalMart and Sam's Clubs installed rooftop solar on 12 Ohio stores in '12, 9 in SW OH. Increased state's total solar power gen 10%. WalMart/Sam's now state's largest solar power user. Installed by Solar City who will own, op systems and sell the power to Wal/Sam. Total 4.5Mw. Provides 10-15% of stores' el use. WalMart now has 240 clean energy projects underway worldwide. Costco, Kohl's, Walgreens, IKEA all installing solar.

GA Power's "Learning Power" program hit 100K students mark.

Japan's nuke plants restart unlikely this year. New safety checks can't be completed by yearend.

Laing (UK) raised money needed for 20Mw Sweden wind farm, comp's 1st outside Britain. 2Mw turbines. Online next year. In Dec, Laing bought 3 UK solar projects.

WindVision Ops (Holland/Belgium) expects 174Mw of windpower online in Serbia in '15. 2 farms - 99 and 75Mw. $377M. Includes power line, substation. 3Mw turbines.

Gulf spill testimony: BP drilled well in rock prone to earthquakes. (I guess we all have to learn something sometime.)

US scaling back Afghan dam project.

Urenco researching micro nuke reactors to compete with wind, solar.