STUFF

Unmanned USAF aircraft went hypersonic in test.

Over a dozen states' attorneys general urging EPA to resist regulating methane emissions from fracking ops. Saying the push to regulate based on faulty data, new rules not necessary. T. Bone Pickens: fracking is 100% safe.

Duke scrapping plans to build 2 new reactors in NC. Cited low power demand from weak econ, increased energy efficiency.

Ottawa devoting $82M for clean energy projects.

Nissan Leaf beating Chevy Volt in EV sales.

OH comp launched NG-to-diesel test plant.

Geodynamics 1Mw enhanced geothermal system now producing power in Australia. "Most productive EGS in world." "Hottest system operating." Not yet found customer for power.

Would take 11 sq. mi. of open ponds making 14K tons of algae/day to replace 50M gal/yr of petrol diesel - ~.1% of US annual diesel demand.

Maui chose Anaergia Services (Cal) for Waste Conversion and Energy project to divert 85% of Maui's waste for power generation.

Brazil sugar crop to be up 4% this year to record 35.5M tons. Will boost biofuel production up to 18.8%. Amount of sugars in cane even up .8% from last year.

NREL researchers found free and complexed enzymes use different mechanisms to degrade biomass at nanometer scale. Mixing the 2 systems enhances catalytic performance. Could result in faster, more efficient enzyme formulations.

USDA in IL developed strain of yeast that tolerates cob-derived compounds that interfere with vast growth, fermentation rates. Can also grow rapidly in high temps. Would elim need for additional enzyme in biofuels production process.

UC San Diego scientists report new discoveries of the way plants transport proteins across biological membranes to resist toxic metals, pests, increase salt, drought tolerance. Can turn unusable, low-yielding acidic soils into productive farm land.

EPA: significant geographic regions we can no longer cover because of limitations on new hiring and furloughs from sequestration.

Obama says US likely to be NG exporter by '20.

BLM decided to cancel all new oil/gas leasing in Cal this FY.

IL governor vetoed utility rate increase bill.

Erupting volcano in Alaska.

Enviros protesting China hyrdropower plans.

GE has contracted 1Gw of wind turbines since PTC extended 1 year. (Of course, not all in US.)

Navigant Research est. world to add 220Gw distributed solar PV (projects under 1Mw) by '18 for est. $540B.

Year-to-date US coal power gen up 13%, NG powgen down 11% with higher NG prices.

Baghdad, Kurds agreed on plan to resume Kurd oil exports to the south. Iraq also started over $13B NG project in Basra run by Shell. To collect, process, deliver NG formerly flared at oil fields to supply power plants. Iraq also scaled back oil production target to 8-9Mb/d by '17-'20. Still appears unrealistic.

New safety standards expected to shut down at least 10 of Japan's 50 reactors.

Venezuela state oil comp's oil, LNG output down 3% in '12. Exports rose slightly. Rise in domestic oil demand to 650Kb/d this year expected to deplete exports 7.8% to 2.36Mb/d.

US crude imports by tanker down ~13% this year.

North Slope Alaska oil production down near 6% in April to ~546Kb/d.

Exxon started production from Alberta oil sands project. Full design capacity 345Kb/d by '20.

Trans Canada push backed expected in-service date for Keystone XL pipeline to late '15. Already $1.8B invested.

Enbridge plans to better than double capacity of pipeline from Alberta to Wisc by '15. To 880Kb/d. More than Keystone. State Dept still to review.

EPA to soon issue standard to effectively bar new coal power plants without carbon-capture tech. Won't cover existing plants. Yet.

US crude oil output up 15.3% yoy in Feb. Exceeded net imports. 38.7% of imports from Canada. OPEC imports down 22.2% yoy.

Wisc PSC approved plan to upgrade Sheboygan coal plant to cut SO2 emissions 90%. $417M of enviro controls for 28-year-old plant. Will increase rates 3-5% starting in '16. Project part of suite of pollution control upgrades for $1.4B for Wisconsin Power & Light. WPC also agreed to stop burning coal at 2 older boilers at Sheboygan and shutter coal plant on Mississippi R.

ElGen Authority of Thailand goin ahead with adding 4.3Gw new powergen cap to 37Gw grid. 2.4Gw of new NG-fired power, online '14-15. 200 Mw hydro plant. The rest coal.

CIT arranged $26M for Mass solar farms.

P2Solar (PTOS) launched India subsid ... Indian govt advising banks to not reject clean/renewable energy loans.