STUFF

US manufacturers have 2M fewer workers than in '07. Much more automation. (Robot world.)

Japan Cabinet proposing energy sector overhauls. Would require utilities to separate power generation, distribution.

Hansen leaving NASA, to intensify campaign for carbon cuts. In his '70's. A legend.

Air pollution linked to 1.2M premature deaths in China. 4th leading factor in deaths. Accounts for loss of 25M healthy years of life. (And that doesn't account for pollution that reaches Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Pacific islands, N America, Central Am, S America, Europe, Africa, Mideast, Central Asia, India, SE Asia or Australia and New Zealand. Let alone Mongolia and Russia. Oy.)

Cal utilities challenging net metering as rooftop solar expands. Cal PUC examining costs, benefits.

Researchers see link between deadly spread of diarrhea in sub-Saharan Africa and more prolonged droughts.

Romania to slash subsidies to clean/renewable energy.

UK official says wind power - onshore and off - costs consumers just 10 Sterling per year. Under 1% of avg bill.

US Ex-Im Bank approved $28.6M loan to Honduran power comp to buy 6 wind turbines from Gamesa (SP) to add to farm that now provides ~6% of Honduras elgen. New turbs will take farm to 126Mw.

French comp began building 2 wind farms in Uruguay with $205M. 92Mw.

Enel (Italy) grid connected 90Mw wind farm in Chile. Building another 90Mw. Will bring their total in Chile to 272Mw. $100M 5-yr loan to help finance. Their total Chile wind investment ~$300M.

Barefoot College in India training rural women from all over world to adopt solar lighting in remote off-grid villages.

Iberdrola (Spain), Brazil comp built 3 wind farms, total 80Mw, in Brazil. Part of planned 10-farm 288Mw collab.

Solarpack to build/op 2 PV solar plants for Chile mining comp. 25Mw total. In Peru, building 2 20Mw plants. And PPA for another 16Mw plant.

Tar sand crude in pipe that broke in Arkansas. Flooded Mayflower neighborhood. Pipe IL to TX. Built in '40's. Again, built in '40's. 95Kb/d capacity. In '09, Exxon got OK to expand from 65K. Dangerous vapors forced 22 home evacs. Over 500K gal of oil/water cleaned up so far. Crews kept crude from reaching drinking water supply lake. (Way to go crews!)

Oil spill contaminating Michigan River (all I've seen on that so far) ... no sign of spill after oil tanker hit bridge in NH.

Ap gives Houston smog data real time.

AMRS secured funding from Total, Biolding after reaching 3 major milestones. $30M from Total, $5M from Biolding. Total, AMRS plan JV by mid-year to market biofuels from AMRS' "Biofene". Their renewable famesene. AMRS JV with Cosan - Nowi - expansion to include renewable additives, lubricants plus former base oils. (I'd say you might consider buying AMRS. I don't own. Yet.)

DOE researchers "rewiring" lignin biosynthesis to boost plants' sugar production.

EU energy commission says biofuels beyond 1st gen not ready for '30 mandate yet.

Iran abandoning Chinese tech, finance help to build world's highest - over 1K feet - hydro plant alone. 1.5Gw, at least $2B. Part of 4.8Gw of hydro in construction. 12.7Gw more in planning.

Lukoil official says Russia will be able to maintain 10Mb/d for years to come as Siberia shale offsets declines in mature fields. Their shale est. ~5x Bakken. Russian comps, though, don't have horizontal drilling tech yet. (Will continue incentives for US comps.)

Israel to invest in Navy to protect their giant offshore NG fields.

2 new satellites set to be launched in next year to help prepare world for mag storms from sun that can knock out power, other tech. 1 replacing old sat, 1 an early warn system. Will give grid operators several days to prepare. 30-45 minutes today.

RES Canada started build on 270Mw wind project in Ontario. Samsung, Pattern developers. Siemens 2.3Mw turbines made in Ontario (as are towers, blades). Biggest wind farm in province. ~$700M.

FSLR bought 150MwAC Cal PV solar project from Goldman affiliate, 2 partners. Construction start this year, '14 completion. San Diego G&E 25-yr PPA. Buy included 40Mw DC of modules from other supplier. FSLR will supply balance of Mw.

Demand for renewable energy credits in India up almost 3x in March (FY end). Prices still didn't rise off floor price of $28 (1Mwh on-grid elgen). India requires 10% elgen from clean/ren.

AMSC raised revs forecast for Q4 (Mar31) to $19-20M from Feb's $18M. Positive cash flow within year.

Borrego Solar developing its 1st utility-scale solar plants in Puerto Rico. 2 projects, 3.5Mw total. To start 20Mw plant in '14. Funds from group of US banks. Puerto offers tax breaks for clean E projects. Extended net metering. Now ~70% elgen from oil. New regs extend net metering to solar plants up to 5Mw. Previously 1Mw. Can also apply for local cash grants covering up to 50% of project costs.

Onward and upward, pards. Onward and upward.