STUFF

Loss of tropical rain forests likely to reduce energy output of hydropower projects in countries like Brazil. Conclusion of group of experts. Elim of trees decreases rainfall. Belo Monte hydro project in Brazil to gen 4.4-11Gw depending on water flow.

DOE: CO2 emissions from power gen declined in majority of US states '00-'10.

Study: warm spring temps shrank Rocky Mtn snowpacks over last 30 yrs.

Ted Turner, Southern Co. partnering up to push solar.

UK govt rejected proposed '25 vehicle emissions target.

WY proposing groundwater testing for oil/gas industry.

Oil storage demand surging as Canada pipelines flow stalled.

Researchers at DOE's Joint BioEnergy Inst developed new technique for pre-treating cellulosic biomass with ionic liquids - salts that are liquids rather than crystals at room temp. Requires none of expensive enzymes used now, makes it easier to recover fuel sugars, recycle the ionic liquid.

Ecofuels (Netherlands) to invest $130K to further improve 2nd gen biodiesel production process from waste oils.

Zimbabwe study finds jatropha good for local use but not commercial scale.

Central Am ethanol headed to Europe to fill US supply gap. Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica have duty-free access to Europe market. EU put import duties on US ethanol.

Fukushima held anti-terrorism drill.

Shell Eco-Marathon - started by bet between Shell scientists in '39 - won by car that gets 3,587 MPG. (Won't see that in newspapers huh? Or network broadcasts. Definitely not in showrooms.)

Chile hopes to boost geothermal sector with New Zealand partnership. Chile has 10% of world's volcanoes.

European Bank for Reconstruction, Development may begin to invest more heavily in coal projects. '06-'12 EBRD funded near 200 energy projects. 80 for clean/renewable, sustainability, energy efficiency. 2 for coal (efficiency improvements). "Cannot be ideological."

EIA: US gasoline prices to avg $3.53/gal for summer. Expect avg $3.39/gal in '14.

CSIQ, Duke, Integrys, Community Energy Solar completed 2 1Mw AC solar projects in Mass. Co-owned by CSIQ and JV between Duke, Integrys. CSIQ modules. Same partners already bldg 3Mw AC project in Mass.

Nippon Paper, Mitsubishi to build 21Mw solar plant in Japan. To sell power to local utility. Completion 2H14.

LA Dept of Water, Power to seek bids for 250Mw of solar power to comply with Cal requirement for 25% of clean/ren powgen by '17. Property for most of it already bought, developed by LADWP. Rest to be rootop solar.

Impax - manages ~$3.5B - evaluating investing in 4 of 5 publicly-traded solar industry comps in China, Europe, US. Looking at comp that leases sites for solar parks, an inverter maker, and a couple of Chinese polysilicon, panel makers.

Efficient Energy raised EUR15M in VC round.

Evolution - biofuel producer - targeting $35M for acquisitions, NASDAQ listing.

Scatec Solar won contracts for 115Mw of solar in S Africa.

SCTY - Solar City - lost $31M in 1Q13 v. $2.76M income yoy. Sales up 21% to $30M. They invested $138M to install solar systems, up 65%. Spending now for long-term revs. Installs to climb to 250Mw this year from 156 in '12.

Parched Colorado River delta poised for comeback. (From Rockies snowmelt I presume.)

USGS finished "milestone" project to map Gulf of Mex methane hydrate deposits.

Court rejected enviros' bid for new NRC review of GA reactors.

Scientists revised recent milestone 400 PPM CO2 reading downward.

Report: pipelines spill 3x more crude than trains.

AES to shut down coal power plants in Ind, OH.

Massive new solar flare burst.