STUFF

Study: carbon price of $50/metric ton would let Australia forego fossil fuels.

GE opened $110M Oklahoma facility to study oil/gas development.

Spain set to enact fracking ban.

NV Energy plans to shutter its 4 coal plants in south NV. 3 down in '14, 4th in '17. 553Mw total. To be replaced by 40% clean/renewable E, 60% NG. They have to build or buy 1Gw of NG power next 5 yrs.

George Mason/Yale poll found majority of Republican, Republican-leaning voters believe climate change is happening. 77% believe US should transition to clean energy. 51% "much more", 26% "somewhat more" than today. 69% we should take "immediate" action. 33% agreed with Republican Party's stance on climate change. 50% agree with party's position on energy (disconnect there).

Ark may ask Exxon to move 13 miles of Pegasus pipeline out of watershed for 400K folks. Pipe rusted through. Over 60 yrs old.

Increasing US exports of gasoline, diesel keeping pump prices high despite oil supplies highest in 22 yrs. US has too much light sweet crude that Europe needs, not enough heavy sour crude US refineries set up to use. (They can say or do anything to keep prices up. Their revs greater than US govt spending. But they do keep us rolling, warm, cool et al .)

Most of US west of Mississippi in some sort of drought condition.

IEA: global cellulosic biofuels capacity tripled since '10. ~140K metric tons/yr production cap from lignocellulosic feedstock now. Biochem techs clearly dominating thermochem, chem pathways. End of '12, 9 projects in construction or commissioned, 14 more planned. Largest in construction Abengoa's 75K tons/y US plant, Poet-DSW's 75K US plant, Neta Renewable's 40K in Italy, INEOS Bio's 24K in US.

DOE to fund 3 bioenergy research centers for another 5 yrs. Subject to Congress.

Canada launched Growing Forward 2. Ag, energy program. $3B over 5 yrs. $2B cost-shared 60/40 for programs delivered by provinces, territories. $1B for fed-delivered strategic initiatives.

Sustainable Tech Development Canada Fund accepting proposals until April 17th for assistance in bringing clean techs to mart. Supports comps through critical juncture when capital and scaling costs are challenging and risk profile deters investors. (Didn't give $ figs.)

SG Biofuels seeking partner in SE Asia or Africa to expand jatropha production. 350 gal/acre "suitable" target. Soybean produces 60 gal oil/acre.

USDA accepting aps for blending pump grants. REAP helps gas stations install blender pumps. 3rd yr. Plans to install 10K pumps next 5 yrs.

USDA Biopreferred Program  to add 9 new categories in May. Aircraft, boat cleaners; auto care products; engine crankcase oil; gasoline additives; metal cleaners; corrosion removers; microbial cleaning products; paint removers; water turbine bearing oils. Countertops added to composite panels category.

Major spending going into Tunisia basins to find oil/gas 1st time ever. Shell in.

Finance Canada: their oil export pricing costing country $4B/y. They need new pipelines, export terminals. US their only buyer. Long been $15-20/bl discount to world price. Recent months, $30-40.

Lukoil - Russia's largest non-govt driller - has no interest in Arctic drilling. Cheaper, less risky to pursue onshore shale reserves. Last yr, Total (FR) backed out on Arctic. Accident = "disaster". Statoil (Norway)  considering walk away.

Physicist (Larsen) discovering harmless low-energy nuke reactions may be taking place in CFL bulbs. Could be prospect of cheap energy. Study of used bulbs found isotopes of mercury that more conventional theories can't explain.

New EV does 0-100km/h in 2.8s. Range 500km. Rimac Automobili (Croatia). Each wheel powered by separate liquid-cooled permanent magnet el motor of 1,088bhp. 91Kwh lith-ion batt. Only $980K.

Saud prince: govt 92% dependent on oil revs. "If price declines to $78 ... (Hm. Telegraphing?)

AZ Pub Svc chose Black & Veatch to build 32Mw Gila Bend solar plant. Oct start, done June '14. 400 acres. Single-axis tracking.

TXU Energy Aid Program to continue 30-yr tradition. To donate $5M across TX next yr in energy assistance to poor. $5 for every $1. Works through non-profits.

Carnegie Mellon U announced $30M gift from King Mellon Foundation for energy research, ed, innovation. Largest private foundation grant in CMU history. After KMF's previous record-setting $25M grant in '07 for life sciences initiatives.

Fed judge sided with Xcel Energy in '10 decision to cancel $400M ND wind farm that posed potential risk to 2 protected birds.

If 850Mw GA coal-fired power plant not "under construction" by April 13 it won't be exempt from new pollution limits. If EPA rules finalized on 13th. Often delayed. $2.1B project.

Standard Bank (Africa), Industrial & Commercial Bank of China underwriting $1.8B of clean energy projects in S Africa. 6 wind, 11 solar plants. 1st 2 rounds of 5-round program. Almost 30% of funds needed for 1st 2 rounds. ICBC to lend up to 80% of senior debt requirement when there's China content (equipment, staff, etc.). ICBC holds 20% stake in Standard (Africa's largest lender).

India to auction projects to set up grid-connected rooftop solar across 7 cities in next 2 weeks. Planned 10Mw. Country plans to raise solar cap 9Gw by '17, 8x now.

Armstrong (MD) more than doubled IPO to $250M. Biggest deal in US focused on clean/ren, energy efficiency since '10. Plans to qualify as REIT. "1st comp we know of to get IRS stamp of approval."

IRS increasing PTC for wind, geothermal, solar, closed-loop biomass for inflation. 2.2 cents/Kwh to 2.3 for calendar '13.

EIA: shift to NG driving energy-related CO2 emissions to '94 levels.

Power returned to Fukushima cooling system. (Great, let's restart that sucker.)

Onward and upward, pards. Merry Passover.