RUSSIA, KAZAKHSTAN, BELARUS formed limited economic union. Armenia, Kyrgyzstan interested in joining ... Southern CEO: energy storage the real "disruptive" tech to utilities ... Missouri U of Science, Tech transitioning from 69-yr-old coal plant to geothermal system. Will cut U's grid energy use 50%, reduce GHG emissions 25K metric tons/yr. (Thousands of cars worth.) Reduces water use 10M gal/yr. Saves over $1M /yr energy costs, expected to grow to $2.8M/yr. Financed with bonds ... $44T cost to decarb energy system by '50 offset by $115T of fuel savings: IEA. (It's economics, folks. Forget about politics of clean energy, clean air. Think your pockets.) ... Just 5-10% of England's Weald Shale Basin likely extractable. 2-8.5B bls in basin ... China '15 goal to frack 480MCF/d of NG. By '17, aiming for NG providing 9% of total powergen. Was 5.2% in '13. Avg cost to drill China shale well this year $11-13M. (US costs $9.3M/well in Haynesville, $6M in Marcellus, $3,3M in Barnett, $2.6M in Fayetteville.) China trying to reach $10M/well this year. (Their deal with Russia will get them NG for ~$10/MBTU.) ... 32 net zero energy buildings in US so far. 110 more in various stages of development/construction ... Canada new law makes it cheaper to prevent oil sands pipeline leaks than clean them up. Pipeline operators now liable for all costs/damages from pipeline spills. Advanced clean-up funds required. Tar sands oil more corrosive, transported at higher pressures. Spills significantly more toxic, harder to clean up. Alberta has seen avg. of 2 spills/day since '75 ... Europe's energy status better than it's been in 10 yrs: Statoil exec ... New survey shows 74% of Americans support modernizing country's el power/heating system ... Honda Accord hybrid doesn't get EPA mileage: testers. 47MPG on sticker ... Duke Energy proposing Indiana energy efficiency programs ... Calif, 7 other states plan to put 3.3M EVs, FCVs on US roads by '25. (I sure hope so. Should be more powered by clean energy, though.) ... Molxa (UK) to raise $3.4M to bring energy storage systems to market. UK needs at least 2Gw new energy storage by '20 ... Japan wind lobby boosted wind cap target 50%. 75Gw by '50. Onshore 38Gw. Rest offshore ... Calif fracking moratorium died on Senate floor ... Thousands in Sacramento Valley ordered to stop pumping water from streams because of drought ... Species disappearing 1K x faster than in pre-human times: study ... Siemens' energy services biz driving their profit ... Drop in Europe solar installs "stabilisation": EPIA ... Brazil could contract 1Gw solar at reserve energy auction later this year ... Nelja Energia (Estonia) MOU to build country's 1st offshore wind farm ... India's Kavnataka State to install 1Gw solar next 15 months.