STUFF ... Syria signed 1st-ever offshore oil deal with Russian comp. $90M project ... Canada banks stepping up deal making in energy commodities after US invoked tougher trading regs earlier this month ... China (CNNC) to loan up to $6.5B toward $9.6B 2.2Gw nuke power plant in Pakistan. Pakistan generates ~11Gw, demand ~15Gw. "Every Gw of nuke power saves $1B in oil imports: minister of energy ... Vikram Solar (India) to supply 2.45Mw of modules to German PV for solar park in Germany ... Plug pulled on 116Mw wind project in MN. 3rd major wind project pulled recently in S East MN ... Japan planning smart meters in every residence, factory by early '20s, 5.3M fuel cells in homes by '30 ... Canada seized records of country's largest refiner over investigation into oil train disaster in July ... Prices for most rare earth materials have declined ~60% from mid-'11 peaks: Pentagon. Supplies up from outside China. In '14, US will be able to produce 6 rare earths on scale with demand. Last week US, EU, Japan filed WTO complaints against China's rare earth export restrictions ... Last of US new lighting standards take effect Jan 1. Phase out of old style 40w, 60w bulbs. Now CFLs, LEDs, halogen bulbs ... Maruti Suzuki India to complete by March 2nd project generating power (steam turbine) from hot air emitted by its factories. $24M for 17.5Mw install last year in 1st project ... Development Bank of Japan to buy half of Marubeni stake in 172Mw offshore wind project in UK. Marubeni paid $329M in '11 ... NY Green Bank to launch early '14 with $210M. Eventual capitalization $1B.