STUFF

Switch Lighting LED bulbs have "LQD" cooling system. Bathes LED with liquid silicone. Liquid also diffuses light over bulb surface. Much harder to break than incandescent, fluorescent (don't want to get liquid into socket). 60w equivalent $50.

EU may ease embargo on Syrian oil exports to enable govt opposition-held areas with oil resources to develop econ base.

10 states, DC, NYC threaten to sue EPA for blowing deadline for new emission rules for new power plants.

IEA: coal-fired elgen worldwide rose 45% '00-'10. Non-fossil elgen grew 25%.

World Bank chief: Kosovo has right to coal-fired power plant.

Study: fossil fuel phase out won't impede US grid reliability.

EIA: US energy independence could be reached by '35 by fuel switching, mileage efficiency improvements, new batt techs and a lot more domestic oil, gas, biofuels production.

GE rolled out "LNG in a box" for gas stations.

India PM vows to double clean/renewable energy to 55Gw next 4 yrs. Also called for intl solar R&D center.

Louisiana PSC decided not to dismantle net metering. But decision may be back up for vote in May.

Global hydropower up 30GW in '12. Pumped storage added 2-3Gw. Global wind power cap up 45Gw in '12, 10% increase from '11.

Bio Gasol delivered 1st commercial "Carbofrac" biomass pretreatment system to Sweetwater Energy. Cost efficient, highly controlled conversion of lignocellulosic materials - ag waste, wood, etc. - into highly fermentable sugars for production of biofuels, plastics, chems. Processes 100kg dry biomass/hour.

LS9 expanding ops at FL fermentation demo plant. Initial run at 135K liter scale for biodiesel in 3Q12.

Lignol Energy (Can) investing over $1M in restart of Territory Biofuels (Australia) 150M liter/yr biodiesel, glycerine refinery in Darwin. Lignol could get 20-40% stake in TB.

Argentina to boost blend mandate to B10 June 1. Now B7.

NM petrol marketers to seek 3rd 6-month waiver of B5 blend mandate before May 1.

Deal to sell Heron Lake Bioenergy (MN) to Guardian Energy fell through. Comp has to go back to investors - many local farmers - to bail out $37M debt. Comp lost $33M last yr.

N Sea drilling revival this year. $7B investment by Statoil in largest single offshore N Sea project in over 10 yrs. Oil&Gas UK expecting 470M bls HC production in '13, 5x that of last 3 yrs. 2Mb/d should be pumped from N Sea by '17. Fracking ops also eyed for Sea. Trap Oil to begin drilling. '12 investment in UK oil/gas 11.4B Pounds. This year already 13B. BP, Shell, Chevron, Conoco JV also starting $500M appraisal drilling in Atlantic of est. 8B bls.

Rosneft, Exxon considering $15B investment in LNG plant, infra near Vladivostok. 15M tons/yr. Onstream in '18. Exxon JV has NG resource offshore Pacific Russia. Rosneft has Siberian gas, may go into Pacific.

Researchers at U of IL Urbana announced breakthrough microbatt tech. Charges 1Kx faster than current tech. Driver could use cellphone powered by it to jump start dead car batt, then instantly recharge phone. Lith-ion. Power density 2Kx higher than other microbatts. $32 for copy of paper assures the tech has already left the US.

Exxon's Pegasus pipeline ruptured 2 weeks ago. Contaminated water leaked into lake (local drinking water source). Local residents fell ill from fumes. Lawsuits filed. Severe thunderstorm complicated clean-up. Exxon has tried to intimidate local media to block coverage. Now say they will buy the worst affected houses.

China raised $65B in '12 for clean energy projects, ~20% better than '11. US down 37% in '12 to $35B. Germany $22.8B. Globally $269B, down 11%.

Chevron Energy Solutions broke ground on >500Kw solar PV project at Hartnell College (Cal). Online July. Expected to reduce el use from grid over 90%, save $11M over project life. To be used in school's engineering program.

Advanced energy CEOs say US could spur faster industry growth if policy was designed to maintain market stability, create level playing field, support broad innovation portfolio, limit duration of incentives, solve broad problems instead of prescribe narrow solutions. Advanced energy a $1T global mart. US revs up 19% in '12.

Kenya Power plans to spend over $1.19B next 5 yrs to boost el supply. Power outages have surged since start of unusual heavy rains, winds 2 wks ago. They want to take many overhead lines underground around capitol. Want to go with smart grid. 33% of population has el access.

RES (UK) started construction on 250Mw Kansas wind farm owned by GE, Enel (Italy). 135 GE turbines. Alabama Power to buy "most" of power for 20 yrs. $370M project. December completion.

LDK Solar (China) slashed workforce by over 1/4, reduced manufacturing cap 89%. $3B debt. Close to getting $320M credit line. Cash reserves $98M. $240M debt due June 3.

German solar, wind generation record 36Gw combined cap exceeded fossil fuel elgen today.

National Trust (UK) to spend $5.3M in next year to build 5 clean/ren test plants. Wants 1/2 clean/ren power by '20. They spend over 6M Pounds/yr on power, HVAC.

8 solar projects using FSLR modules already built on former Soviet military base in Germany got $200M bank finance. 128.4Mw total. Grid connect "near term".

Enlighted (Cal), provider of lighting control systems for bldgs, got $20M from 3rd round VC funds. Lighting uses ~19% of global elgen. Demand expected to increase 80% by '30. Enlighted systems can reduce costs up to 75%. Their systems in ~10M sq ft of comm real estate already, ~2x gain last 5 months.

San Diego GE to buy 62Mw cap from 5 wind, solar projects in Cal.

Unilever's sustainability program saved $395M since '08. Cut over 1M tons CO2 emiss. Widespread combined heat, power systems. Biomass boilers. Regional transport hubs.

Testimony wrapped up in BP Gulf spill trial.

Fire at TX refinery injured 12. At least 5 dead, almost 200 injured in TX fertilizer plant explosion.

GM: new Chev diesel more efficient than some hybrids.

Solar World (Germany) expects more losses.