STUFF

LED version of 60 watt bulb now going for under $13. Subsidies from Xcel Energy. 75, 100 watt incandescents no longer made. 40, 60 watt to be eliminated next year. 60 watt LED pays for itself in ~2 yrs. Last 10-20 yrs. 40W and 60W 80% of N Am residential bulbs. Wattage giving way to lumens, kelvins. Dimmability big. LEDs rugged v. incandescents, don't have to be recycled, don't burn out (they get dimmer).

EPA's new sulfur standards will save $23B in health-related costs and cost refining industry $3.4B by '17. Industry est. another $10B in infra investment, $2.4B more annual operating costs. Auto industry says will take gasoline prices in US to same price as in Europe.

Strata Solar has invested ~$200M in 10 N Carolina solar farms. Planning $500M more for ~30 projects. But say funding will be hard to get if state repeals RES. Lawmakers working on that. RES so far has landed state $1.4B in investments since '07 and 21K job-yrs.

NG rig count down in US to levels not seen since late '90s. Stockpiles again below 5-yr avg for time of year. (It was a long cold winter, and too many wells losing money at current NG prices.)

China crude imports from Iran up 81% in Feb.

El Paso Electric, Fort Bliss in solar energy pact. 20Mw. Army's largest clean energy project. Also 1st time partnership with major local utility. Army goal 25% clean/renewable energy by '25. Ft Bliss goal total clean energy by '19.

More on "game change". Scientists say their method of extracting large quantities of hydrogen from any plant could create low-cost fuel source. VA Tech researchers using xyclose, most abundant simple plant sugar. No GHGs, no costly or heavy metals.

Largest wind power battery backup in world operating since begin of year in TX. 153Mw Duke wind farm. 36Mw batt storage installed by Xtreme Power for $44M. $22M DOE grant.

India's wind power capacity est. to grow from 18Gw now to 27Gw in next 2 yrs.

EPA updated mercury, air toxics standards for new power plants based on new info, analysis available after rule finalized. Also to propose updates to oil/NG storage tank standards.

Hybrid car sales up 32% 1st 2 months of '13 year on year. Market share up to 4% from 3%.