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News > Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.1.12
Marcacci Communications publishes a daily roundup of energy and climate news and opinion. Inclusion of articles does not mean endorsement. Client relationships are disclosed where applicable.
GRID
India blackouts leave 700 million without power (via The Guardian)
Power is restored across India after crippling blackout (via Washington Post)
India’s massive blackout calls for smarter grid, from bottom up (via Greentech Media)
How microgrids could help India avoid power outages (via MIT Technology Review)
Experts say US risk of demand-linked blackout low (via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
FERC chairman: Feds need more cybersecurity oversight for electric grid (via The Hill)
COAL
EPA coal mine water rules struck down by federal judge (via Huffington Post/AP)
49GW of coal-fired power plant retirements projected through 2020 (via US EIA)
Environmentalists, coal miners face off at West Virginia mountaintop removal site (via Williamson Daily News)
The decline of US coal, in three charts (via Washington Post)
RENEWABLES
How much solar can China install domestically? 100GW by 2020? (via Greentech Media)
Clean energy stocks decline to nine-year low on policy uncertainty (via Renewable Energy World)
Indian state exploring 1,000MW solar power project (via Panchabuta)
Oman plans massive 200MW desert solar farm (via Inhabitat)
UK-based Lloyds Bank to invest more than $500 million in clean energy (via CleanTechnica)
Could genes keep drought from withering biofuel crops? (via Midwest Energy News)
Are vertical wind turbines a better option? (via United Press International)
FERC chairman: ending PTC wind credit could have ‘devastating effect’ (via The Hill)
Solar startups innovate around financing models (via GigaOm)
Massachusetts lawmakers advance renewable energy standard bill (via CBS News)
What about the subsidy? Solar trends higher in California (via AOL Energy)
TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL
Is dilbit oil? Congress and the IRS say no (via InsideClimate News)
US DOT blocks restart of Enbridge pipeline after oil spill (via Reuters)
Keystone XL opponents bring climate change back into the debate (via InsideClimate News)
EMISSIONS
European climate law poses problems for US airlines, policymakers (via National Journal)
What’s the long-term impact of the EU’s carbon market crisis? (via GreenBiz)
While US ponders carbon tax, it appears to be working in British Columbia (via Forbes)
Deal clears path for anti-EU emission trading bill in US Senate (via The Hill)
New England governors, Canadian premiers vow to work together reducing emissions (via Maine Public Broadcasting)
Coal-fired carbon emissions fall as clean energy transition accelerates (via Forbes)
California’s carbon caps are contentious, but coming soon (via Forbes)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Hot weather, production drop have driven natural gas prices up 69% since April (via Washington Post)
Using ozone to clean up fracking (via MIT Technology Review)
Maps: the secrets drillers can hide about fracking in your state (via Mother Jones)
Drought pits farmers against frackers (via Mongabay)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Starbucks to add shot of energy efficiency to its coffee shops (via GigaOm)
Energy efficiency as important for branding as for bottom line, Deloitte says (via Environmental Leader)
NUCLEAR
Japan nuclear usage rises to 2.9% from zero in July (via Reuters)
CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT
New England is 85 percent rainier than it was in 1948 (via Mother Jones)
NASA images reveal massive forest die-off from beetles (via Mongabay)
US drought and climate change: science points to link (via Wired Science)
Climate change threatens California power supply (via Reuters)
Young evangelicals call for climate action (via ecoAffect)
South America readies record crops amid US drought (via Bloomberg)
OIL
Shell takes key step on scaled-back Alaska drilling (via Houston Chronicle)
TRANSPORTATION
GE says WattStations not to blame for Nissan Leaf charging problems (via Autoblog Green)
Tesla might start repaying federal loan early, still has $33m to draw (via Autoblog Green)
OPINION
Low-carbon tech is climate policy (via National Journal)
The most important clean-energy vote this year is in Michigan (via Grist)
Amid a drought, does it still make sense to use corn for fuel? (via Washington Post)
Can we replace US coal power with clean energy? (via Energy Collective)
Smart grid technologies present challenges to regulatory policy (via Energy Collective)
Climate change on Congressional back burner (via Politico)
Keeping Texas lights on will be an ongoing challenge (via Austin Statesman)
How an unholy alliance of unusual weather and scarce coal nuked India’s power grid (via Smithsonian Magazine)
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