US has been relatively lucky this tornado season. But forecasters predicting massive tornado outbreak this weekend. Ties to climate change will be examined ... Lower Manhattan 20x more likely to flood than in 1844: study ... Rio Grande levels headed for 40-yr low ... 3 new solar finance options for non-profits. 1, power purchase agreements. No upfront costs, tax benefits incorporated into discounted power rates. 2, Voluntary property tax assessment to use PACE. No upfront, payments up to 20 yrs to own system. 3, crowd funding. Zero down, monthly payments below normal el bills ... Exelon says it's met its climate goals 7 yrs early. But nuke fleet facing econ risk ... US solar power grew 418% in 4 yrs: EIA ... Near death of UK coal industry may benefit Russia ... EV buyers younger, wealthier than hybrid buyers ... Baker Hughes to begin disclosing all chems it uses to frack, even trade secrets ... Safe fracking "simply not possible": former Mobil exec ... GE in talks to buy Alstom (France) for $13B ... UK awarded 1st guaranteed power price contracts to biomass, offshore wind projects. 5 offshore wind awards: 3 to Dong, 1 to SSE, 1 to JV of Statoil, Statkraft. Will lead to up to $20B investment by '20. Govt trying to spur 110B Pounds of spending on power plants, grid by '20 ... US crude inventory up 3.5M bls last week to 83-yr high of 398M. US crude production up 59Kb/d last week to 8.36Mb/d: EIA. (Keep in mind EIA gives higher numbers than states' total. Why? Who knows.) ... China manufacturing fell in April 4th month in row ... EPA cut '13 cellulosic ethanol blend mandate to over 810K gallons from 6M gal originally. But there wasn't any available to blend. Fed court said last yr EPA must set target based on actual production. (What the heck, EPA?) ... India still failing to implement 5% ethanol blend. Oil comps only contracted 620M liters. Over 1B needed ... Russia, India planning $30B oil pipeline through China. May be online '20-'22 ... Operators of giant Kazakhstan oil field to replace brand new corroded pipeline with much more expensive pipe. $50B invested so far. (But it's a gusher. Going to make Kazakhstan rich.) ... DOE to work with US comps to help Ukraine develop its shale gas ... Wisconsin air pollution lowest in 30 yrs ... Green bonds could cut India clean energy cost up to 25%: study. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency raised $118M last month selling 10-, 15-, 20-yr tax-free bonds to help finance clean E projects ... White House to promote solar installs in fed-subsidized housing, more on military bases. $15M funding announced last week for Solar Market Pathways program. Designed to bolster shared community solar projects, local fund initiatives ... US admin mulling regulating mine methanol releases ... VT to become 1st state with GMO food labeling law ... Warmer, drier air from climate change could boost Calif smog: report ... NG explosion, fire forced evac of WY town ... DOE to sell Teapot Dome field ... NH latest state to raise fuel taxes ... Econ freedom leads to cleaner air: study ... US on track to become net exporter of gasoline next yr. US uses 8.5Mb/d of gas (decreasing every year). To produce est. 8.9M in '15 ... Solar thermal, biomass could save Germany Eur33B over 20 yrs in fossil fuel imports ... TGE (England) 100M Pound finance deal with Australia comp to support solar installs on UK commercial bldgs ... Yingli to issue 25M share new offering on NYSE ... RWE contracted Conergy UK to build 37Mw 1st-ever solar plant in UK.