STUFF

BSNF to test NG-powered locomotives.

Americans more concerned about climate change in '12 than at any time since '08: Yale and George Mason. (Presidential election year politics? Or weather events?)

Study: most insurers unprepared for climate change risks. Some denying climbing temps could affect their business. Others neglecting to account for likely govt carbon regs.

Study: climate change will make Arctic coastal regions increasingly hostile environment.

Report: clean energy techs could cut S Asia's GHG emissions 20% by '20 at little cost.

Biotech researchers offering hope for adapting crops to climate change.

China carbon tax plans postponed for a year.

W Australia wheat farmers struggling with unprecendented drought.

Philly looking at building LNG export facility.

New Halliburton tech enables reuse of fracking solution ... NY Assembly OK'd longer fracking moratorium . . . Industry likely to challenge Colo city's fracking ban.

Mexico expects installed solar capacity surge to 1.5Gw by '20 for ~$2.46B. 10Mw now. Wind power capacity seen increasing 10x in same period to ~12Gw. (Really. Solar 1.5Gw. Really.)

Brazil to require wind energy developers to shoulder costs for transmission lines. Could add 10% to costs.

Ecuador commissioned 1Mw solar plant.

Chile launched tender to build their 1st concentrated solar power project. Offering $20M subsidy, up to $350M in "soft loans" from banks, Europe, US. At least 10Mw.

Intl Finance Corp and their ALAC Fund investing $100M in InterEnergy Holdings to develop clean energy in Caribbean, LatinAm. Initial targets in Dominican Rep, Haiti, Hispaniola. Also issued $1B "green bonds" to support projects in developing countries.

Guatemala about to get construction start on 50Mw solar project by Grupo Ortiz. Est. $140M.

Welspun Group (India) got $161M from lenders led by Central Bank of India for 130Mw solar project in India.

India revived subsidy for wind power. Allocating $147M.

TEPCO (JP) approved solar surcharge to start in April. Also a renewable energy surcharge almost 4x solar surcharge to be added to el bills.

Deutsche Bank: global solar market will no longer need subsidies by '15. Unsubsidized grid parity already reached in India, Italy. Increased forecast for '13 solar demand to 30Gw, 20% increase over '12. India tenders in 12 cents/Kwh range. Cost of making solar panels in China expected to drop to 42 cents/w in '15.

Disturbing numbers of dolphins, turtles still being found dead on Gulf of Mex beaches. (BP spill.)

Statoil may abandon US Arctic drilling leases.

Brent pipeline in N Sea that collects ~100Kb/d from 2 dozen oil fields remains closed due to leak.

BG Products (Kansas) intro'd additive to add at oil changes to keep engines, fuel systems clean and restore power, efficiency lost from ethanol in gasoline. (Scam or no? If no, how much damage is ethanol doing to vehicles?)

Trenton Agri-Products (Neb) among local ethanol plants pushing for more sorghum planting this spring to help compensate for high corn prices. Poor snow pack this winter may help. Sorghum needs less moisture. Eth plants can easily switch between corn, sorghum.

PNE Wind (Germany) targeting Scotland for 591Mw onshore wind power development. Acquiring permits there can be swifter than elsewhere. Scotland wants all clean power by '20. 35% now.

Euxis UK got $28M loan from ING to finance 2 solar parks in Italy. Total 9.5Mw. Bought last year. Solar provides ~5% of Italy's el demand.

Ecotality (ECTY), Charge Point to link their EV charging networks. 15K locations, ~90% of public chargers in US. ECTY 4K, Charge Point 11K. Charge Point in 14 countries.

States looking at funding microgrids after weathering severe storms.

GM working on 200 mile range EVs.

TEPCO: Fukushima cleanup ahead of schedule.

Jordan close to commissioning nuke reactors.