STUFF ... Putin warning 18 European countries Ukraine's debt at "critical" level. Could threaten NG transit to Europe. Ukraine missed deadline on $2.2B for el, heating fuel ... Researchers combing TX oil/gas drilling logs trying to locate more groundwater to counter drought, fracking water use ... Japan Cabinet approved energy policy with return to nuke power ... Without PTC subsidy, US wind industry will struggle at ~3Gw installs/yr ... Brazil to hold auction for solar, wind, solid waste including biogas. In Aug or Sept ... Suzlon seeking to divest $166M of assets to lessen debt ... Yingli 30% drop in 1Q shipments. Weak China demand ... Maine regulators asking First Wind to prove ability to finance $1B for 433Mw wind development in state ... Peabody pitching coal as cure for 3rd world poverty ... Fighting climate change, fighting poverty are linked: World Bank chief ... Monster cyclone heading for NE Australia ... UK opening finance "lab" to help meet UN's $100B climate protection goal ... Southern teaming with China coal giant to expand gasification tech ... TX est. crude reserves just grew 3B bls ... OPEC's crude output plummeted in March ... 11% of wind power potential unused in China last year. Grid can't handle it yet. Limiting how much planners can cut incentives to developers. At least 8B yuan lost revenues for wind operators last yr ... Swiss plane built for 1st around-the-world solar flight unveiled. ~20 flying days to get around the globe at ~85 MPH. If plane's various techs were deployed by world, energy use could be cut in half ... UK launched Renewable Heat Initiative. Pays households that gen heat, hot water with clean/ren energy. Energy efficiency test first (insulation, etc.) ... EIA: US will be able to meet its own NG demand by '17. (So why are we thinking of exporting LNG yet?) ... Ethanol production seen hitting record high in Brazil despite drought ... EU may support 1st gen biofuels after all. Draft proposal ... Russia to build $22B pipeline to get NG to China, East coast. '18 completion. Gazprom could send 38BCM/yr to China. ~24% of what Russia sells to Europe. Deal may be signed in May. Price the sticking point. Russia may have to take a loss at first, China wants prices lower than Europe's ... Iran produced 2.79Mb/d in March. Up 3.5% from '13 avg. Production could reach 4.2M next 12 mo. They want to get to 5M ... Com Ed partnering with Nest to offer up to $140 rebate to customers who buy Nest thermostat, participate in demand response program ... $700M project at Tampa El plant to redirect waste steam from 4 NG units into 450Mw powgen. Online '17. Also $110M for reclaimed wastewater project ... Power utilities seek Supreme Court review of EPA ozone standards ... Bat-killing fungus now in 1/2 of US. (Bats eat insects like mosquitos, of course.) ... TSLA US sales showing signs of slowing. Hopes for foreign sales ... Westinghouse nuke fuel deal with Ukraine ... By next week, no more "yoga mat" substance in Subway bread ... What a world. Happy weekend, pards. Bill Gates for POTUS?