STUFF

Pemex needs to boost spending near 50% to near $40B this year to develop shale resources, deepwater Gulf of Mex resources. Their oil exports to US lowest in 23 yrs. EIA says Mex shale holds 545TCF NG, 13B bls oil.

Globally, urban residents produce 2x more waste than 10 yrs ago. 1.3B tons/yr. Expect 2.2B tons in '25 with no change. Costs $200B this year to manage. '25 est. $375B. Waste-to-energy industry $7.5B this year. To grow 6.8%/yr.

Obama: Keystone pipeline must not add to GHG emissions. (That's a lot to analyze. Pipelines are cheaper than rail. But plenty of emissions digging out the bitumen, processing it, refining it v. light crude.)

National Academy of Sciences: larger pipelines carrying heavy tar sands at no greater risk of spill than those running conventional crude. (Maybe. But the bitumen et thinners a much worse batch of gunk than light crude if leached into ground or, God forbid, dumped into rivers.)

New industry standard won't mandate baseline groundwater testing for fracking. (What the hell? Who cares about our water?)

Beacon Power came out of bankruptcy (private now) with new 20Mw energy storage project in PA for PJM grid. Flywheel (kinetic energy) tech. 1st 4Mw online Sept, all online 2Q14. Their 1st 20Mw plant in NY already online.

Europe failed to approve Syngenta GMO corn for ethanol.

Norway overtook Russia as Europe's top NG supplier in '12. Russian NG prices still tied to oil prices. Norway's not, so lower prices. Their NG exports up 12%, Russia's down 10%.

Halliburton adapting US submarine tech to improve fracking efficiency. Acoustic tech records slightest of sounds made deep in Earth. Over $30B to be spent this year on fracking wells that produce less than optimal results. Halliburton still cataloguing different sounds. 15 fracking stages in each well, each cost $100K. 80% of US production from wells where oil/gas flow from only avg. of 3 stages.

Canada researchers found process to turn CO2 into methanol (fuel) that's twice as effective as current best method. They use hydroborane (process needs H). Costly to make. But produces little waste with no damage to it so it can be reused. Process still too expensive. Working on tweaking method or finding cheaper H source.

EU trade tariffs on solar making China PV solar makers turn to Africa. China panel makers in line to supply most of $140M to build 1 of largest solar plants in Africa in Kenya.

Rise in radioactive tritium in seawater in Fukushima port. Doubled in past 10 days. Contaminated groundwater the suspect. Just over 2% of legally permitted level. Analysis now of strontium-90. That gets into food chain. 3-eyed fish and all that. Help us Lord.

Serbia expecting record hydropower output this year from high water levels after all that rain. They'll be able to export at least 2Twh, double 5-yr avg. Cheaper to use than burning coal or NG. Last year they were dealing with drought.

Wave power comps need subsidized prices almost 6x tariffs for coal in UK. Wave power now costs almost $500/Mwh.

Wells Fargo to invest $100M in Sun Edison solar projects.

Aruba plans 2nd wind farm. Their target 100% clean/renewable power.

Houston, Palo Alto announced big clean energy purchases. Will make Houston largest buyer of clean energy of US cities. 140Mw more. Wind to supply half its power. $6.8B investment in new transmission lines will enable TX cities to double their wind power use. Austin also made big wind buy at prices that beat NG power. Palo Alto solar purchase to provide 18% of its power at 6.9 cents/Kwh. Their muni utility to buy 80Mw from 3 plants online in '17 for 30 yrs. They will then get half their power from clean sources.

Avg. American can save ~$2.50/gal driving an EV. In some states (with hydropower) up to $3/gal.

Solar City (SCTY) intro'd lightweight roof mounting to max out solar capacity on commercial bldg rooftops. Reduces 3-4lb/sq.ft. for conventional panels to 2.3.

USGS: US geological potential to store CO2 underground 2,400-3,700 metric gigatons. (Wouldn't that raise the US thousands of feet? Just kidding. But at what cost? We need total cost in dollars and emissions from cradle to grave of all energy sources to get this right. Whatever, Jesus is due back anytime anyway.)

NRC finding that spent nuke fuel pools safe drawing scientist's ire.

National Grid won't pay for PCB cleanup in Hudson. (I'm OK with their stance. But SOMEbody's got to get it out of the river basin. It's more on manufacturers for making it; Washington, Albany, other Hudson state govts for allowing it, in my umble opine.)

L.A. banned plastic bags. (YAY! But. What about the old retired guy who has to carry his groceries for mile and half back to home? Does he get free carrying bags? Will they put handles on paper bags? Details.)

Louisiana factory blast released over 62K lbs of toxic chems into the air ... Hazardous materials in cargo containers caught on fire in NJ port.

Happy trails, pards.