GLOBAL WARMING COULD COST US ECON $150B/YR if carbon emissions not adequately reduced: White House. ($150B/yr. Is that a lot? We spend $150B/yr on studying fish crap. Maybe the White House meant something else or more money. Maybe they missed a decimal.) ... Global warming, smoggy air will likely make it more difficult to feed growing world population: MIT-led study ... EPA released final pollution reduction plan for Navajo coal power plant, one of US's largest coal plants ... Cal to work with Mexico on carbon pricing, other climate, enviro programs ... Rising amount of heat-trapping water vapor in atmos caused by human activity: report ... China refrigeration demands with changing diet will add to global warming ... Australia think tank warns of effects of global warming on public health. Yet they dropped carbon pricing ... EPA not acting on drinking water risks: GAO ... Cal city says emails show "illicit, illegal" relationship between utility, regulator ... AEP exec calls EPA power plant carbon emissions rule "not credible" (Yea, right.) ... Canada regulator ordered work halted on Enbridge intl pipeline ... New Jersey moving forward with distributed energy resource plan. $200M allocation ... Solar panel prices expected to rise in US from new tariffs on China/Taiwan solar comps. China solar projects also to fuel higher panel prices ... Japan plans to step up support for coal power plants in developing countries. $4B/yr worth. To sell Japan coal tech. Earlier this month, Japan Bank for Intl Coop loaned $202M to Vietnam comp to help it purchase Japan coal plant equipment ... DOE has developed porous silicon that can replace graphite in lith-ion batts, hold 10x more charge ... MIT now developed spongy graphite to generate steam with solar cells. (Good for desalination, hygiene systems, sterilization, remote aps.) Layer of graphite flakes over carbon foam. Floats on water. 85% efficiency ... 2 Wisconsin utilities - once among solar proponents - now say solar industry has grown so much it's hurting their biz, customers. (Aw. Really hurts customers?) ... TransAlta to build, own, op 150Mw combined-cycle NG power plant in Australia. AUD $570M. Online '17 ... BluEarth got $77M loan for 15Mw run-of-river hydropower plant in BC Canada. Online '16 ... Sunpower (SPWR) to raise another $25M in stock sale ... Plug Power (PLUG) got another WalMart order for 286 fuel cells. 3Q delivery. (Not much backlog.) 10th WalMart site to use PLUG FCs for forklifts ... UK Green Investment Bank funding 4Mw biomass boiler at Scot distillery ... Suzlon to double India wind installs. Raised Bloomberg est. 13% to 2.6Gw wind installs this year ... Intelligent Energy (UK fuel cell maker) signed 2-yr, "multi-million" pound deal with Japan automaker ... German solar installs much weaker this year. US, UK, France more than expected: Solar World ... NextEra to start construction of $300M Ontario wind project despite local disapproval. (Um, we don't like to do anything against local people's will in clean energy industry. Hopefully, opposition is from irrational old guard.) ... SBC (UK) plans 49Mw solar project on Welsh island ... Over 39Gw solar (PV, CSP) installed globally in '13. 1/3 of all newly added clean/ren powgen cap: Worldwatch ... Another giant hole found in N Siberia permafrost. 3 now ... Keep your boots on, pards, and powder dry. Onward and upward. Happy trails and tie downs. Vaya con Dios.