STUFF

Wisc utility to shut down several coal-fired units, pay $2.4M penalty for Clean Air Act violations in settlement with EPA, DOJ.

Dozen states, led by TX, charge EPA regs to address climate change overstep authority in Clean Air Act.

NYC launching electric taxi pilot program this week.

Harvard study says FracFocus.org has "serious flaws" as means of disclosure of fracking chems. State govts shouldn't rely on it. Doesn't account for different state requirements. Prevents many kinds of searches. Gives drillers too much leeway to miss deadlines, withhold info as trade secrets.

Over 1/2 of states with RPS looking at paring back the clean/renewable energy mandates for utilities because of NG prices.

Kinder Morgan taking advantage of high RIN prices. To start blending biodiesel at 2 reconfigured facilities. Together can produce ~700K gal worth of excess RINs/mo.

DOE announced up to $17.7M in grants to 4 pilot-scale biorefinery projects aimed at military-spec fuels. Cobalt Tech, Mercurius Biofuels, BioProcess Algae, Frontline BioEnergy selected for negotiation. Recipients required to contribute minimum 50% match funds.

U of Washington researchers show H sulfide in low doses can greatly enhance plant growth. Significantly more biomass produced.

Indonesia officials seeking bilateral deal with EU on biodiesel dumping claims. EU alleges Indo paid producers 21-31 cents/liter subsidy. Indo says it was 10 cents to boost domestic consumption.

Europe ethanol industry expected to boost production after anti-dumping measures levied on ethanol imports from US. Brazil imports expected to rise. US ethanol imports reached 30% of total imports in '11. Now ~5%.

Kenana, Nile Petroleum to intro E10 in N Sudan Sunday. Kenana production capacity 65M liters/yr. Has been exporting to Europe.

Tamil Nadu govt (India) to invest in 450K liter/yr ethanol distillery at co-op sugar mill. Also boosted sugarcane prices to boost production.

MIT researchers created solar cells that beat Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit (34%). Performed "proof of principle" of idea from '60s. Singlet exciton fission. Each photon can knock 2 electrons loose instead of normal 1. Using organic compound - "pentacene" - in organic cell to "coat" optical trapping scheme.

Carlos Slim looking to invest in Saud petrochem projects. (That's all he can think of?!)

Rising costs forcing BP to re-eval $10B "Mad Dog 2" project in Gulf of Mex. Was expected to start this year, oil flow before '20. Field est. 4B bls oil equiv.

Zinc Air ready to release their batt tech. Zinc-iron redox flow batt. ~6 months from 1st commercial project. Est. sales $16M this yr. $165M in follow-on projects. To market to micro-grid projects.

Greenbriar Capital (Canada) (GEBRF) to buy 80Mw Utah wind project. To incur at least 5% of total project cost by yearend to pick up fed subsidy.

Monarch Power (US) offering to buy AZ solar manufacturing plant Suntech (China) says it will close (43 jobs). Good fit to make Monarch's "flower power" Lotus Mobile solar units. 1.1Kw and 2.4Kw.

U of MD Med System, Constellation, BITHENERGY completed 3.66Mw solar project in MD. Constellation to own, sell power to UMMS.

Foxconn unit to make solar panels in Mexico for MEMC's Sun Ed. Up to 350Mw/yr production capacity. Sun Ed has 2.6Gw in projects pipe.

Showa Shell (Japan) unit, Development Bank of Japan to build 11.6Mw solar plant at Osaka airport. Solar Frontier panels.

Brazil plans to lower taxes, extend low-cost credit lines for ethanol producers to boost output, lower prices. Eth output to rise to 6.8B gal in current crop year just begun. Govt also raising eth blend next month to E25 from E20 now.

India to fund almost 1/3 of solar plant construction costs in next tranche. Seeking bids next month on 750Mw capacity. Offering grants of up to $46K/Mw.

BYD (China) (BYDDF) plans to issue ~20% of new shares to raise ~$500M. Up to 159M new shares. Buffett owns 10% now. BYD plans to abandon gasoline-powered vehicle lines next 2 yrs to go all electric.

UPS to buy 700 new LNG vehicles. Also to build 4 refueling stations by end of '14 for $18M. Worldwide they have over 1K NGVs and total alt fuel fleet of over 2.6K vehicles. EVs, hybrids, propane, CNG, biomethane.

Kyocera supplying solar modules to Provision Solar for rooftop installs at 8 auto dealers on Hawaii. 234Kw installed at 4 since Dec. Producing up to 100% of dealers' el needs.

Fed appeals court ruled EPA's retro veto of WV mountain top removal coal project under Clean Water Act was legal.

States, cities asking Supreme Court to review cross-state air pollution ruling.

Monsanto holding pond leaked millions of gallons in ID.

Breathing has become childhood health risk in China.

Bulgaria will back pesticide ban to protect bees.