STUFF

Power generation over 40% of water use in US. Many regions under water supply stress. Water use footprints of different powgen techs must be factored in: Union of Concerned Scientists.

World Bank directors approved strict limitations on financing new coal plants. To finance mega-dams again.

Ft Lauderdale coal power plant demolished to make way for NG-powered plant.

$500M NG processing plant online near Wheeling, WV. Splits methane pipeline gas from heavier HCs to produce 39K bl stream of ethane, propane, other NG liquids.

88 accidents last year with railroad cars hauling crude oil.

$53B global clean energy investment in 2Q: Bloomberg. Up 22% from Q1, down 16% yoy. China led with $13.8B. US $9.5B.

Soitec plans to produce 50% efficient CPV solar cell by '15. Pushes NREL roadmap ahead 5-10 yrs. Using 4-junction cell. Developing with Fraunhoffer Institute. Announced 43.6% efficient cell in May. Building 1Mw plant with Saudi Aramco in Arabia.

Sapphire Energy, Linde to expand partnership to commercialize hydrothermal treatment tech to upgrade algae to crude oil process.

Coskata shelved IPO plans again. Meant to raise $100M to fund NG-to-ethanol facility.

Oil lobby pulling out all stops to end RFS in US by yearend.

Yakima-area residents facing proposed 14% power rate hike.

Asian Development Bank plans 2nd loan to upgrade state power grids in India. $100M loan in '11. Co-finance from $5.2B Clean Tech Fund.

NRG Energy new unit raised over $430M in IPO. NRG Yield to own wind, solar, NG-fired power plants.

ReneSola forecasting higher shipments, revenues. Shipments for year est. at 2.8-3Gw.

Invis Energy closed finance for 42.8Mw Irish wind farm.

Sumitomo investing over EUR100M in Belgian offshore wind farms.

Ukraine installed 18.3Mw new wind capacity in 1H.

FERC slammed Barclay's with $470M fine for energy markets trading "scheme".

USDA doling out $188M in loan guarantees for rural el projects.

Xcel Energy to boost upper Midwest wind generation 33%.

EU banned bee-killing insecticide.

UK promising cash for towns near nuke power plants.