geoharvey

Opinion:

¶   “Year of cracking ice: 10 reasons why clean energy will turn corner” Bloomberg New Energy Finance CEO Michael Liebreich makes ten predictions about the renewable energy sector in 2014, a year he says will be transformational. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   The investment bank Goldman Sachs is supporting renewable energy projects with around $40 billion of investment between now and 2021, with bosses expecting large profits as a direct result. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Honeywell and power management company Stor Generation Ltd. have launched a new, first-of-its-kind smart grid program in the UK. The companies provide ways to stabilize the electrical grid, and manage carbon and renewable energy commitments. [PennEnergy]

¶   One outstanding source of green energy for Latin America is the biogas potential found in the region’s highly diverse food, beverage and agribusiness industries, which produce biologically rich wastewater streams. [Impeller.net]

¶   A dozen American and international foundations, with assets of more than $1.8 billion, announced Thursday that they will divest from Big Oil and Big Coal stocks, and put their money into the clean energy economy. [eco-business.com]

¶   About 1,400 people have filed a joint lawsuit against three companies, Hitachi, Toshiba, and GE, that manufactured Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, saying they should be financially liable for damage caused by its 2011 meltdowns. [The Province]

¶   The suppression pool of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit No. 2 reactor may have a 3-centimeter hole in it, through which the highly radioactive water might be leaking out, the plant operator said. [RT]

¶   The Sellafield nuclear site in the UK is being operated with a reduced number of staff following the detection overnight of elevated levels of radioactivity. Non-essential staff are being told not to come to work, as a precautionary measure. [The Guardian]

US:

¶   The results of an environmental impact study into the Keystone XL pipeline project will be announced Friday afternoon, two senior administration officials and another source familiar with the timing told CNN. [CNN]

¶   New wind power installations in the United States suffered a dramatic decline in 2013 however record-setting construction starts point to a rebound in 2014, according to an American Wind Energy Association report. [reNews]

¶   Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to provide a stronger role for states in the process of decommissioning nuclear power plants like Vermont Yankee. [Bennington Banner]

¶   The Vermont House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to sharply expand the net metering program nearly four-fold. Current law requires utilities to accept customer-generated electricity up to 4% of their peak capacity that cap is being increased to 15%. [Product Design & Development]

¶   Energy companies were installing a record level of wind turbines as 2013 came to a close, with most of the new capacity coming in Texas, according to new figures released Thursday. [FuelFix]

¶   Bill Gates, along with a number of other venture capitalists, is investing in Aquion battery, invented by Jay Whitacre of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The Aquion battery costs the same as a lead-acid battery, but lasts twice as long. [OilPrice.com]

¶   For the second time in two days, a Republican-led effort in the Colorado Legislature has failed to modify the state’s controversial law requiring that rural cooperatives get 20 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2020. [Denver Business Journal]

¶   The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 – popularly known as the farm bill – passed in the House, paving the way for $881 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. [Solar Industry]

¶   Denton, Texas (pop. 113,000) is a leader in clean energy, boasting more wind power per capita than any other city in the nation. The result is low carbon emissions, high reliability, and a rock-bottom electric rate of 6¢/kWh. [EarthTechling]

World:

¶   Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer at UK insurance giant Aviva, acknowledged that there were widespread concerns among the institutional investor community about the fossil fuel industry’s appetite for costly new projects. [Business Green]

¶   Three Indian central ministries and six public sector undertakings signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the world’s largest solar power project, at 4,000 MW, in Rajasthan. [NDTV]

¶   Taiwan’s solar PV  makers shipped 8.3 GW of PV cells in 2013, according to TrendForce’s EnergyTrend division in Taipei. This is a 42% growth on 2012, and a new record for the nation. [solarserver.com]

¶   Poland’s top utility PGE is looking for technology and financial partners for a long-term project to build Poland’s first nuclear power plant, expected to be worth up to 60 billion zlotys ($19.5 billion), it said on Wednesday. [Reuters UK]

¶   The South Korean government approved a $7 billion project to build two nuclear plants, the first approval since a policy review sparked by a safety scandal at Korean reactors. New policy reduces the country’s goal to be 29% reliant on nuclear in 2035. [South China Morning Post]

US:

¶   Tesla Model S owner John Glenney and his daughter Jill became the first people to cross the country using the Tesla Supercharger network. The trip took a week and 1,366 kWh of electricity to complete, but cost $0 thanks to the free Supercharger refills. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Butanol, the gasoline substitute promoted by billionaire Richard Branson, is headed for its debut at US pumps as soon as next year in a challenge to ethanol’s domination of the $26 billion renewable fuels market. [San Francisco Chronicle]

¶   In his State of the Union address, President Obama was adamant that climate change was real. He wants to use natural gas as a fuel to move us off coal, but called for congress to stop giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries.” [EarthTechling]

¶   At the start of 2013, First Wind announced that it planned to increase its operating portfolio of 1000 MW of wind projects by 50%. In the course of the year, it added nearly 600 MW, exceeding expectations greatly. [PennEnergy]

¶   The EPA says tech giants Apple, Google, Intel and Microsoft, retailers Kohl’s, Whole Foods and Wal-Mart, the US Energy and Veteran Affairs Departments, and the cities of Houston and Washington, DC are the most prolific users of renewable energy in the US. [Business Green]

¶   New Hampshire’s House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a temporary ban on new wind turbine and electric transmission projects such as the 187-mile power line proposed by Northern Pass. [Seacoastonline.com]

Opinion:

¶   “A Critique of an Upbeat Assessment of Nuclear Power’s Prospects” The Union of Concerned Scientists has posted a critique of the pro-nuclear letter from four longtime analysts. [New York Times]

World:

¶   Home furnishings retailer IKEA is on track to spend about $2 billion on wind and solar programs up to 2015. The company also recently announced plans to buy its first North American wind energy project, currently under construction in Alberta. [North American Windpower]

¶   Subsidies for renewable energy are partly to blame for Europe’s electricity market “crisis,” according to a French study. It says the system of feed-in tariffs paying above-market rates for renewables should be changed to one based more on market prices. [Businessweek]

¶   An Australian industry body representing dealers in renewable energy certificates released analysis suggesting that if the Renewable Energy Target were abolished by the federal government, the solar sector would lose more than 5000 jobs 2018. [Business Spectator]

¶   Affinity Renewables Inc., a non-for-profit controlled by the Nova Scotia SPCA,  is developing a small wind system, with operating conditions including that the province be able to request noise and shadow flicker monitoring at any time. [TheChronicleHerald.ca]

¶   The provisions in the EU renewable energy directive allowing national governments to restrict their national support schemes to domestic producers break EU rules, an advocate-general of the EU Court of Justice said in a formal opinion Tuesday. [Platts]

¶   The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is erecting an underground wall of frozen soil, which would hopefully stop radioactive water from running into the sea. However, doubts remain over whether it will fix the leak problem.[RT]

¶   A bipartisan group of antinuclear Japanese lawmakers on Wednesday urged the government to revise its draft energy policy that supports atomic power, saying it should respect prevailing public opinion against nuclear power generation. [GlobalPost]

US:

¶   The Maryland Public Service Commission is conducting stakeholder consultation as it develops regulations to implement the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013. The legislation is designed to spur wind energy development. [reNews]

¶   Since 2007, electricity generation from coal has fallen 24.9% from 2.02 billion MWh to 1.51 billion MWh in 2012. Meanwhile, over the same time frame wind grew 309% to 140.8 million MWh and solar grew 607% to 4.3 million MWh. [DailyFinance]

¶   The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has released its final 2013 Energy Infrastructure Update for the United States. The new FERC report shows that solar power was the second-largest source of new US power capacity last year. [Treehugger]

¶   About 4% of Iowa’s GDP is from renewable fuels. If the US EPA lowers blending requirements in the Renewable Fuels Standard, industry observers predict that 25% to 45% of US biodiesel production will shut down, costing thousands of jobs. [Business Record]

Science and Technology:

¶   Dong Energy is to collaborate with the UK Carbon Trust to produce a full-scale demonstration of a suction bucket jacket foundation for offshore wind turbines. If the demo is successful it could feature in commercial projects from 2017. [reNews]

World:

¶   The UK’s Community Energy Strategy outlines an intention to encourage non-conventional forms of finance to fund a huge expansion in community energy projects, ranging from green electricity and heating schemes to energy-efficiency initiatives. [Business Green]

¶   First Solar has commenced construction of a 102 MW solar plant on a 250 hectare property in Nyngan, New South Wales. The cadmium telluride AGL project in NSW will be Australia’s largest utility-scale solar power plant. [Compound Semiconductor]

¶   German utility RWE AG said Tuesday its 2013 earnings would be hit by a €3.3 billion ($4.5 billion) impairment charge, reflecting the pressure that subsidized renewable energies continue to put on the company’s fleet of coal- and gas-fired power plants. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Vestas has achieved first power from its prototype V164 8-MW offshore wind turbine. The turbine was installed at the Danish National Test Centre for Large Wind Turbines in Østerild, and will be monitored over the coming months for testing. [reNews]

¶   A group of Indian parliamentarians Monday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to implement a slew of environment-friendly measures for the development of renewable energy in the country. [Authint Mail]

¶   Renewable energy investment is set to grow this year with sales of green bonds rising to a record, according to the head of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Spending on onshore wind and solar power may drive investment to about $300 billion. [eco-business.com]

¶   Kazakhstan plans to commission more than 30 renewable energy facilities with a total capacity of 1,850 MW by 2020. Several hydro, wind, solar and biogas power plants with total capacity of 16.5 MW have already been commissioned since 2011. [AzerNews]

¶   Nova Scotia’s Minister of Energy says the province is on track to exceed its renewable energy goal, passed in 2010, requiring 25% of the province’s power to come from renewables — like wind and hydro — by 2015. [Globalnews.ca]

¶   Russia aims to build 28 new nuclear power units with high safety standards before 2030. Disclosing this, Russia’s President Putin told university students at a meeting in Moscow that “in Russia’s energy mix, the share of nuclear power is not big, just 16%”. [Jagran Post]

US:

¶   Installed solar power capacity in the U.S. grew by 42.8% in 2013, with the country adding 2.9 GW of large-scale solar energy to the grid, according to the latest Energy Infrastructure Update report from FERC’s Office of Energy Projects. [pv magazine]

¶   In North Carolina, Duke Energy is attempting to reduce the amount it pays homeowners almost in half, from 10 – 11 cents (the amount households currently pay for electricity) to 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   A new analysis explores the technical, environmental, and economic implications of raising California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard from 33% by 2020 to 50% by 2030. Although the study shows challenges, it says it is technically possible. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

¶   The number of jobs in the US solar sector grew by 19.9% to 142,698 in 2013, according to a study by The Solar Foundation.  Solar employment grew 10 times faster than the national average employment growth rate of 1.9% in the same period. [reNews]

Opinion:

¶   “Community Energy Strategy: the reaction” The UK government has boosted local renewable energy projects with a fund to help communities generate their own power, saving money and cutting carbon. Here is the pick of the reaction to the news … [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

World:

¶   The UK Government has plan to kick-start a community energy revolution. It includes a £10 million scheme to provide neighbourhoods with up to £150,000 each to generate their own renewable energy from wind, solar, or hydro-electric. [Click Green]

¶   Large scale wind and solar farm developers will have to offer a “meaningful share” of their projects to UK communities, as part of a major new government strategy designed to boost public ownership of renewable energy. [Business Green]

¶   Almost half of Irish electricity demand has been met by wind and other renewables in the past 24 hours. The sector notched a 48.79% share with wind leading the charge on the back of Ireland’s sky-high levels of non-synchronous grid penetration. [reNews]

¶   Chinese PV manufacturer ReneSola is supplying 57 MW of modules to Isolux Corsan for installation at three commercial solar projects in the UK. ReneSola said deliveries began in December 2013 and the projects are expected to connect to the grid in March. [reNews]

¶   Figures released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicate that China installed 12 GW of solar panels in 2013, which sets a new world record for one country in one year and is the equivalent to the total number of panels throughout the entire United States. [Sourceable]

¶   Activists, some linked to climate change sceptic groups, say people living near wind farms suffer effects they call ‘wind turbine syndrome’. Though studies have cast doubt on the issue, the anti-renewable Australian prime minister wants to revisit it. [Farm Weekly]

¶   Clean energy facility DP Cleantech is to partner with Addis Ababa-based Cambridge Industries to facilitate the rollout of biomass and waste-to-energy projects in Africa. The first project will be a waste-to-energy plant in Ethiopia. [BioEnergy News]

¶   Supplies of natural gas were cut off early Saturday when a TransCanada pipeline caught fire and blew up near Otterburne, about 55 km south of Winnipeg. There were no injuries and RCMP said the incident was non-criminal. [Globalnews.ca]

US:

¶   Bonds backing clean-energy and environmental ventures may account for 10% to 20% of the $7 trillion-a-year market for the securities within a decade, according to Citigroup’s head of environmental finance. [Bloomberg]

¶   In an effort to meet environmental standards, Ford searched three years to find a lighter replacement for fiberglass. Working with Weyerhaeuser  and Johnson Controls, it has found a solution using  “cellulose reinforced polypropylene.” [DailyFinance]

¶   The Tennessee Valley Authority says it’s moving toward a testing phase at its Watts Bar nuclear power plant, where the new reactor could be up and running within two years. Unit 2 of the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station is about 82% complete. [Electric Co-op Today] (Watts Bar Unit 2 was 80% complete in 1988, when construction was temporarily halted. Construction resumed in 2007.  In 2012, the project was over budget and behind schedule, so projections were revised. When the article says the project is at budget and on schedule, it is referring to the revised figures.)

Opinion:

¶   “How Smart Grid Technology Can Build a Better Utility Industry Future: Part 1” Each year analysts at IDC offer their predictions for utility industry trends. Here are their first five predictions, and how they related to smart grids and smart grid technology. [Energy Collective]

¶   “Telling Sugarcane Ethanol’s Full Sustainability Story” The focus on volume targets for all biofuels loses sight of two key benefits of advanced biofuel: the potential for non-corn ethanol to cut life-cycle emissions, and the sustainability of non-corn biofuel feedstocks. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown that a one-atom thick film of molybdenum sulfide may work as an effective catalyst for creating hydrogen. The work opens a new door for the production of cheap hydrogen. [Science Daily]

World:

¶   The Blackfriars solar bridge across the River Thames is finally complete. Its 4,400 photovoltaic panels will divert 511 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, drastically reducing the station’s carbon footprint. [Inhabitat]

¶   Renewable energy and energy storage group, Gaelectric, has started construction of a 42 MW wind farm site at County Derry. Dunbeg will generate sufficient renewable power for 24,000 homes. The total investment will amount to €70 million. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

¶   More than four years after the Ontario Power Authority launched North America’s first comprehensive Feed-In Tariff Program, the energy industry, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and community organizations continue to show strong interest. [EIN News]

¶   The Scottish government approved two large renewable energy projects. One is a biomass-fueled CHP plant producing 120 MW of electricity and 30 MW of heat, costing $537 million. The second is a 50 MW wind farm of 20 turbines, at $107 million. [PennEnergy]

¶   Authorities of the Cuban province of Matanzas revealed a renewable energy strategy. The program plans two biofuel plants. Gasifiers will process waste in rice drying facilities to generate 60 kW total of power. And 140 water-pumping windmills will be built. [Prensa Latina]

¶   Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, former US Vice President Al Gore said that the “cost down-curve” for photovoltaics and, to a lesser extent, wind, is a “game-changer” in addressing climate change challenges. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Germany could be the first European country to penalize the self-consumption of solar energy, something only Arizona has done so far. Spain is also working on a similar plan to ensure small solar power generators help pay for network costs. [Bloomberg]

¶   Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, said he has been energized by his life’s mission. His grand dream is “Japan without nuclear power, using various natural energies, such as that of the sun, wind and terrestrial heat.” [The Japan Times]

US:

¶   A preliminary report suggests Wyoming wind power could save California ratepayers $750 million annually. The findings were announced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at a meeting of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

¶   M+W US has begun construction of their second, 6 MW project in the State of Massachusetts on 26 acres of privately owned land 50 miles northwest of Boston. The power generated will be delivered under contract to the town of Billerica. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

¶   First Wind has celebrated the fifth anniversary of operations at its 57 MW Stetson I Wind project.  The Stetson Wind project has produced enough energy to power an average of 18,300 Maine homes. [Windpower Engineering]

Science and Technology:

¶   Ottawa-based Iogen Corp. announced it has developed and patented a new method to make drop-in cellulosic biofuels from biogas using existing refinery assets and production operations. [Biomass Magazine]

World:

¶   The Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise, and Tourism officially opened Scotland’s first HETAS-accredited renewables training academy. Falkirk Renewables Centre will train installers to work with heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal. [H&V News]

¶   Energy initiatives created by the European Union for 2030 will permit Britain to reach its emissions goals by making even more nuclear power plants instead of investing in wind farms, and are to increase the amount of fracking. [The Voice of Russia]

¶   Worldwide, about 5.7 million people worked in the renewable energy sector in 2012 directly or indirectly, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates. Of those, nearly one in three is based in China. Another 14 percent are in Brazil. [FuelFix]

¶   Foundations have begun to be laid at a site in New South Wales in what will become the Australian state’s biggest wind project. Two foundations for the 67 wind turbines have been poured this week at Boco Rock, between Nimmitabel and Bombala. [ABC Online]

¶   Data from Mercom Capital Group showed that venture capital financing for companies in the wind energy sector went up 44.4 % to $455 million worldwide in 2013, the Business Standard reported. [Venture Capital Post]

¶   Local renewable energy practitioners believe the best solution now for electric power shortages in the Malaysian state of Sabah is to look at mini hydro, biomass and solar as renewable energy sources.[Free Malaysia Today]

¶   Global subsidies for fossil fuels have returned to levels not seen since before the financial crisis in 2008, estimated at $523 billion to $1.9 trillion, according to a new report. This is about five times what all renewable resources get, combined. [FuelFix]

US:

¶   Kansans overwhelmingly support renewable energy and the state’s law that mandates utilities to buy it, according to a poll released by wind energy proponents. The mandate is currently under attack by some lawmakers and business groups. [Kansas.com]

¶   NV Energy and Great Basin Transmission South today dedicated the 231-mile 500 kV One Nevada Transmission Line. The 800 MW cable enables renewable energy development in remote areas with 11 projects now being served by the new line. [reNews]

¶   A proposal to build a $150 million biomass wood-burning plant in East Springfield, Massachusetts remains under litigation in two courts, with one hearing scheduled in March on a developer’s fight to obtain two building permits. [MassLive.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   A team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin developed a new biofuel from genetically engineered yeast cells and table sugar. The group’s leader calls the fuel “a renewable version of sweet crude.” [BioNews Texas]

World:

¶   The European Commission’s decision to propose a binding target to reduce carbon emissions 40% by 2030 was welcomed by the UN’s and EU’s climate chiefs, but it was far lower than many in the Least Developed Countries community had hoped for. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   Environmentalists have reacted with dismay to the European Commission’s latest proposals on climate and energy targets for 2030, saying they represent a “significant roll-back” on climate change. [Irish Times]

¶   The European Union will abandon national mandates for renewable-energy use after 2020. In the new framework, which extends the effort through 2030, the EC raises the legally binding target for greenhouse gas emission cuts to 40%. [PennEnergy]

¶   The new cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and center-left Social Democrats (SPD) has endorsed key points of a planned revision of renewable energy law in a bid to limit subsidies and price hikes. [Deutsche Welle]

¶   Eolus Vind AB and Google have signed a ten-year agreement in which Google will buy all electricity generated by 29 wind turbines that Eolus establishes in four wind farms in southern Sweden. [Baltic Review]

¶   The global shift from coal and nuclear power to renewable energy in order to lower carbon dioxide emission and ensure energy security is giving a boost to the waste to energy (WTE) plant market, as WTE plants are not intermittent. [Consultant News]

¶   Volvo Construction Equipment’s site in Braås, Sweden, completed its journey towards becoming carbon dioxide neutral. It is the first construction equipment production facility in the world to be powered entirely by renewable energy. [AZoCleantech]

¶   The Middle East, spearheaded by the oil-rich Persian Gulf monarchies, could spend up to $50 billion on developing solar power over the next seven years, says the Middle East Solar Industry Association. [UPI.com]

¶   In Taiwan, former vice president Annette Lu plans to file a provisional injunction over the government’s rejection of her proposed nuclear referendum in New Taipei City in a bid to stop the fuel rods from being installed at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. [Taipei Times]

US:

¶   Late yesterday, environmental groups filed a brief asking the US Supreme Court to let carbon pollution cleanup go forward. At issue are Clean Air Act safeguards requiring major stationary source polluters to use available control technology. [InvestorIdeas.com]

¶   A group of Vermont college students wants the state to pass legislation that would divest the state pension fund of stocks in fossil fuel companies. They are holding a press conference on Thursday afternoon at the Statehouse. [Houston Chronicle]

Opinion:

¶   “Backsliding on the Climate” Pay now to reduce carbon emissions or pay much more dearly later. That’s the message from a draft United Nations report on climate change, and it’s a message the European Commission would do well to heed. [New York Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   A experts in a conference in Washington DC and London warning that continued dependence on fossil fuels puts the world at risk of an unprecedented energy crunch that could inflame financial crisis and exacerbate dangerous climate change. [Resilience]

¶   A study from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says wind energy technology can support and enhance reliability of the US power grid by controlling the active power output being placed onto the system. [North American Windpower]

World:

¶   The European Union will propose to cut the region’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 40% in 2030 to accelerate efforts to reduce global warming, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. [Bloomberg]
… According to an earlier report, EU countries are expected to disagree on mandatory national targets for renewable energy production. The European parliament would like to see a 30% goal for renewables but the figure could be lower and might not be binding. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Retail energy prices are rising dramatically across Europe even as wholesale prices and consumption are coming down. According to the European Commission, taxes and levies, set by national governments are the main culprit. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Israeli company NewCO2Fuels has developed a solar-powered carbon capture process that converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen, which are reclaimed and processed into fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Although some reports said the wind power sector in China showed minimal growth in 2013, the actual situation was not so grim. Recently released statistics pointed to a recovery in the industry, with newly installed capacity rising 24% year on year. [eco-business.com]

¶   India added just over 1 GW of solar energy to its electrical grid last year, a major milestone that nearly doubles the country’s cumulative solar energy capacity to 2.18 GW. India hopes to install 10 GW of solar by 2017 and 20 GW by 2022. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶   Wednesday, the NH House will take up a bill proposing a moratorium on wind turbines, though the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee voted 13 to 6 to recommend killing it. The politics of the issue have become volatile. [New Hampshire Public Radio]

¶   Existing wind energy production in New Hampshire is providing significant environmental benefits for the state, according to a new report released by Environment New Hampshire. [North American Windpower]

¶   Nuclear power plants won’t be coming to Indiana anytime soon. A key state senator has pulled his bill that would have provided financial incentives to utilities to build nuclear plants. He said construction of a nuclear plant is probably over a decade away. [Indianapolis Star]

Opinion:

¶   “Xcel Fiction: Four Lies My Utility Told Me” In December, Xcel Energy’s Frank Prager appeared on CPR’s Colorado Matters and spread blatant untruths about rooftop solar in Colorado. Here are four Prager fictions… [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The International Renewable Energy Agency has released a report which maps out pathways for renewable energy to meet more than 30% of global energy demand by 2030 at no additional cost, with currently available technologies. [solarserver.com]

¶   The UK Government faces criticism for failing to make people aware renewable heating systems could trim their bills by 45%. A new report released yesterday shows “widespread” lack of awareness from the public about switching to renewable heating. [Energy Live News]

¶   In Australia, a new report suggests that the improving economics of solar and battery technology mean that by 2020 it would be cost-effective for new housing projects and regional towns to employ stand-alone power systems and go off-grid. [Business Spectator]

¶   The Mexican Government goal for 2024 is that 35% of electrical power comes from renewable sources. Installed wind capacity is currently about 2 GW. Forecasts predict that installed wind capacity will grow to around 12 GW in the next six years. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   A single stretch of water off the north coast of Scotland could provide sufficient renewable tidal energy to power about half the country, engineers say. Tidal turbines placed in the Pentland Firth could generate 1.9 gigawatts of power. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Market research firm IHS estimates that only 340 MW of commercial grid-connected energy storage systems were installed across 2012 and 2013. However, the firm forecasts annual installations will reach over 6 GW in 2017, 43% of that in the US. [Renew Grid]

¶   The possibility of a binding renewable energy target for the EU is back on the table at negotiations in Brussels. PV Tech understands that the current draft of the new 2030 climate and energy plan calls for a target of either 27% or 30%. [PV-Tech]

¶   European Greens are considering a challenge to the UK’s tax breaks and incentives for shale gas under state aid rules, as the government holds out against a new renewable energy target for the EU. [The Guardian]

¶   Silvan Shalom, Israel’s National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Minister, gave a speech at the 2014 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. During Shalom’s speech, all Arab ministerial delegations remained in their seats. [Israel Hayom]

¶   A record high level of beta rays released from radioactive strontium-90 has been detected at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant beneath the No. 2 reactor’s well facing the ocean, according to the facility’s operator. [The Market Oracle]

US:

¶   The US Defense Department expects to source at least 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. Between 2010 and 2012, the number of renewable energy projects embraced by the U.S. military branches increased from 454 to 700. [GreenBiz.com]

¶   Akron, Ohio will have 100% of its biosolids processed anaerobically by the Akron Renewable Energy Facility. Anaerobic digesters will generate roughly 12,192 MWh of electricity from it in 2014, enough to provide electricity to 1,600 homes. [Water World]

Opinion:

¶   “Five Ways to Play the End of the Natural Gas Renaissance: Interview with Bill Powers” Bill Powers is an independent analyst, private investor and author of the book “Cold, Hungry and in the Dark: Exploding the Natural Gas Supply Myth.” [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Iran halted its most sensitive uranium enrichment work as part of a landmark deal struck with world powers, easing concerns over the country’s nuclear program and clearing the way for a partial lifting of sanctions, the UN said. [Ct Post]

¶   Sweden has just ordered electrical systems for 36 “next-generation” high-speed trains from ABB. “The first retrofitted train will be delivered in 2015. After successful testing and evaluation, the remainder of the trains will be built through 2019. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Kenya’s burgeoning solar power industry could potentially power more than half of the country’s energy needs by 2016, according to local experts. Nine sites have been identified, and a pot of $1.2 billion has been made available. [pv magazine]

¶   The MENA region could see more than $50 billion worth investments made in its solar power sector by 2020 as regional governments increasingly push for the adoption of clean energy, new research has found.[Gulf Business News]

¶   European Greens are considering a challenge to the UK’s tax breaks and incentives for shale gas under state aid rules, as the government holds out against a new renewable energy target for the EU. [The Guardian]

¶   Maria Damanaki and Günther Oettinger, the European commissioners for maritime affairs and energy respectively, today (20 January) presented an action plan to spur faster development of renewable Ocean Energy. [European Voice]

US:

¶   Booming levels of shale oil production will not affect the country’s commitment to cutting its carbon footprint, US energy secretary Ernest Moniz has said. Efficiency, alternative fuel use and electrification were the “three prongs” the USA would use to get off oil. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   The owner of SenecaMountain is vowing to build a wind project on the NortheastKingdom ridgeline over the objections of area property owners who rejected a proposal to build 20 industrial turbines. The site is to have 20 large turbines. [Valley News]

¶   An environmental group, two wind power company representatives and a state legislator will conduct a conference call with New Hampshire reporters on Tuesday, as the state House considers a bill for a moratorium on new wind projects. [The Union Leader]

¶   Bear Republic, a brewery, can expect to get an annual return on investment of more than 25% by switching from conventional wastewater treatment to the EcoVolt system, which will turn brewery waste into power and heat. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶   “Here’s What The New Omnibus Budget Means For Climate And Energy Policy” For environmental and climate concerns, the omnibus budget brings a variety of changes for both good and ill, starting with funding for the relevant agencies and departments. [ThinkProgress]

¶   “Clean Energy Continues to Be a Smart Investment” When frigid temperatures last week caused the unexpected shutdown of two power plants in Texas, wind energy stepped in to help keep residents warm. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change wants ‘established’ renewables to compete for funding under the upcoming contracts for difference regime. Large onshore wind, solar PV, and hydro are effected, along with some biogas. [Solar Power Portal]

¶   Ontario has reached an agreement through the Ontario Power Authority with Elementa Group Inc that will see the company build a news 9.5 MW renewable energy generating facility in Sault Ste. Marie. [LOCAL2 Sault Ste. Marie]

¶   Solar power production in Switzerland increased dramatically in 2013. During 2013, 300 MW of solar PV was installed, resulting in an overall capacity of 730 MW by the end of the year. This is enough to power 200,000 typical households. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶   Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of Connecticut analyzed more than 122,000 home sales near 26 wind facilities in densely populated Massachusetts, yet was unable to find any impacts to nearby home property values. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   Vermont lawmakers have a plan to open up the state’s so-called “net metering” program to match the growing demand. A new bill offers a fast-track solution to take advantage of federal solar tax credits before their possible expiration in 2017. [vtdigger.org]

¶   More than 50 million pounds of toxic pollutants are being pumped each year into the nation’s waterways from fossil fuel power plants, most of them coal, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. [Newser]

¶   Concentrations of tritium found in late December during groundwater monitoring at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station were the highest detected since testing began at the plant in 2007, at 69,000 picocuries per liter. [Capecodonline]

World:

¶   Global investment in renewable energy for 2013 fell 12% from 2012, the second consecutive year of decline. Much of the decline was due to technological advances that are driving down costs and making clean power more affordable. [Businessweek]

¶   Power generated by photovoltaics systems covered 4.5% of Germany’s total electricity production last year, according to estimates released by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries. [PV-Tech]

¶   Tasmania’s biggest wind farm at Musselroe was officially opened yesterday more than two years after the $394 million project started. The 168-MW wind farm generates enough power to supply 50,000 homes . [Tasmania Examiner]

¶   In 2013, wind generation provided 33.2% of Denmark’s electricity consumption. December was an especially fruitful month for wind in Denmark, as wind power provided more than half of electricity consumption (54.8%) for the first time. [EarthTechling]

¶   TEPCO has reached a minor milestone in cleaning up the mess at Fukushima Daiichi. TEPCO plant personnel completed 10% of the transfers that must be done to stabilize the fuel from reactor unit 4. [CleanTechnica]

¶   TEPCO won the support of the government and banks for a plan to rebuild its business, the latest step in the recovery from the Fukushima Disaster. The plan includes restart of two reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant as early as July. [Bloomberg]

US:

¶   The relationship between Colorado’s rooftop solar industry and the state’s principal investor owned utility, Xcel, seemed good in 2012. Problems were reported after Edison Electric Institute published a report that identified rooftop solar as a threat. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The National Research Council is calling for the development of an Abrupt Change Early Warning System, adding to the growing list of energy and climate policies the world needs to rapidly adopt, as global carbon emissions continue to rise. [Energy Collective]

¶   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published a rule requiring oil and gas companies using hydraulic fracturing off the coast of California to disclose the chemicals they discharge into the ocean. [CleanTechies]

¶   Google has announced that it had acquired Nest Labs, the maker of the innovative Nest Learning Thermostat, paying out $3.2 billion in cash. Nest has expertise in smart home technology. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   Boeing has identified “green diesel,” a renewable fuel used in ground transportation, as a significant new source of sustainable aviation biofuel that emits at least 50% less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel over its life cycle. [Crikey]

World:

¶   United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres has urged financial institutions to triple their renewable energy investments to around $1 trillion a year, the Guardian has reported. [The9Billion]

¶   A French-German joint initiative in the energy sector announced by President Francois Hollande is likely to focus on renewable energy but is not aimed at forging alliances between major utilities firms, political and industrial sources said. [GlobalPost]

¶   The Philippine Department of Energy has called on local government units in Mindanao to identify potential renewable energy projects to help shore up power supply in the region. Mindanao faces insufficient supplies and has growing demand. [InterAksyon]

¶   David Cameron last year pledged to halt the growing numbers of wind farms amid a growing backlash in rural areas. Nevertheless, the number of onshore wind farms granted planning permission has risen by two-thirds in the past three years. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶    The chairman of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest producer of renewable energy, said in an interview that vested interests were clearly campaigning against renewables to protect their own assets, and trying to demonize renewable energy. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility at the center of Japan’s worst-ever nuclear plant accident, won government approval on Wednesday for a restructuring that will help pave the way for another ¥4 trillion ($38.3 billion) in additional state funding. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   One of Germany’s highest courts has ruled that a decision to close a nuclear power plant after the Fukushima disaster was unlawful, opening the way for a substantial compensation claim by operator RWE. [Financial Times]

US:

¶   Technology colossus Google has announced it will invest $75 million in the Panhandle 2 wind project , in pursuit of its goal of using 100% renewable energy. Panhandle 2 will have a capacity of 182 MW. [Amarillo.com]

¶   If Northwest media are correct, Apple is on its way to building the largest solar power plant in the state of Oregon. The Oregonian newspaper reported that the solar-bound parcel in Prineville is 200 acres, which could be sufficient for over 20 MW. [EarthTechling]

¶   Vermont Lawmakers are considering a plan to tax the state’s natural gas pipelines to fund renewable energy projects. The new taxing scheme could raise millions for renewables as gas lines are expanded in the western side of the state. [vtdigger.org]

¶   University of California Riverside has announced that a 10.92-acre solar farm — the largest at any UC campus — will provide three megawatts of renewable energy to the campus starting in July 2014. [Highlander Newspaper]

¶   Element Power has announced it expects to begin construction in the fall on what it says will be the largest wind farm in Missouri. Power generated from the new 200 MW Mill Creek Wind Farm will be sold to Kansas City Power & Light. [PennEnergy]

¶   According to Union of Concerned Scientists analysis, 37 states were net importers of coal in 2012, paying a total of $19.4 billion to import coal from elsewhere. The money leaving those states each year could be better spent on local renewable power. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

¶   A panel of trustees at the University of Vermont unanimously rejected a proposal for fossil-fuel divestment, ending official consideration of a recommendation that the University’s endowment fund eliminates its holdings in fossil fuel companies. [Vermont Cynic]

World:

¶   The world’s 48 leading fossil fuel companies will be asked to run a ‘climate stress test’ at a summit hosted at UN Headquarters in New York. US low-carbon business group CERES, with a network of investors worth $12 trillion, is organizing the event. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   The Nepali government’s Alternative Energy Promotion Center has called private entrepreneurs to submit innovative business ideas that focuses on use of electricity generated from micro-hydro projects. [E Kantipur]

¶   A record 11,700 people were working full-time in the Scottish renewable energy sector, and more than half of companies working in the sector are looking to hire staff this year, according to a survey. [BBC News]

¶   A pattern is emerging in which Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott chooses to ignore the prominent signs that climate change is severely impacting Australia and instead focus on rapidly extracting more fossil fuels from the ground. [ThinkProgress]

¶   Turkey’s energy minister, Taner Yildiz, has announced that the country is on course to achieve its target of sourcing one-third of its power needs from renewable energy by 2023. Turkey has 25 GW of renewable capacity currently installed. [Climate Action Programme]

¶   Former Prime Minister Hosokawa, who is aiming to make Japan a nuclear-free country, says he has the backing of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, another anti-nuclear advocate, as he runs in next month’s Tokyo gubernatorial election. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   In April 2011, one month after the onset of the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi, demonstrators staged a sit-in outside the head office of Kyushu Electric Power Co. On Jan. 14, the activists marked the 1,000th day of their sit-down protest. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   In the race to fix the widening shortfall of power in India, experts say that alternative sources like solar and even wind are becoming cheaper by the day, especially when measured up against the prime minister’s pet project, nuclear plants. [ZDNet]

¶   South Korea said on Tuesday it has revised down its future reliance on nuclear power to 29% of the country’s total power supply by 2035, from a planned 41% by 2030. The country’s nuclear power reliance stood at 26% as of the end of 2012. [Straits Times]

US:

¶   There are early signs of a consensus, as discussions are under way in Vermont’s House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. The committee is considering lifting limits on the amount of power connected consumers may contribute to the grid. [BurlingtonFreePress.com]

¶   First Wind and  the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company have signed an agreement that will bring clean energy from First Wind’s planned Hancock Wind project near Ellsworth, Maine to 17 Massachusetts municipal utilities. [Marblehead Reporter]

¶   Under New York Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative, Signal Transformer, a division of Bel Fuse Inc., completed the installation of a 129-kW rooftop solar PV system at their Inwood, NY facility. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Governor Cuomo is now set to launch K-Solar, a new scheme aimed at helping schools tackle the “soft costs” of installing solar, such as securing planning consent and grid connection agreements. [Business Green]

¶   ConEdison Solutions has secured a $56 million contract with the US Army Reserve’s 99th Regional Support Command to provide energy efficiency services and operations and maintenance support at 90 sites in 11 states. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Independence Power and Light, in Independence, Missouri, unveiled its plan Saturday to move from coal to a more diversified power supply due to EPA regulations and the age of its two coal plants. [Blue Springs Examiner]

¶   Alstom Power is to supply Tri Global Energy with 29 turbines for the 80-MW Fiber Winds Energy project near Lorenzo and Ralls in Texas. Alstom will also provide 10 years of service and maintenance for the wind farm. [reNews]

World:

¶   Edge Renewables, a UK-based producer of woodchips for use in biomass heating systems, has called for greater clarity on restrictions in place for use of infected timber. Increasing numbers of British trees are being felled to counter the threats by diseases. [BioEnergy News]

¶   A high-level meeting of nine European Commissioners on January 10 exposed deep divisions within the Commission on the issue of 2030 climate targets. Commissioners of Energy and Industry want a 40% reduction, but others want no more than 35%. [European Voice]

¶   Renewable energy in the typhoon-battered Philippine archipelago received a boost as the government issued a green light for several proposed wind and hydro power plants as part of efforts to become 100% powered by renewables within a decade. [eco-business.com]

¶   Australian Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has thrown his support behind the Renewables Energy Target in the wake of comments by the prime minister and other Coalition figures which suggest the government may seek to water down the policy. [Business Spectator]

¶   Prices of wholesale oil, gas, coal and electricity fell in December in Ireland. The fall in wholesale electricity prices was the principal driver of the decline, largely driven by wind energy. Wind-generated electricity met a record 24% of the total demand. [Irish Independent]

¶   Former Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa is running for Governor of Tokyo on a platform of opposition to Japan’s dependence on nuclear power generation. Current Prime Minister Abe believes this is inappropriate. [GlobalPost]

US:

¶   New York governor Andrew Cuomo has put $40 million in prize money behind his push to bolster the state’s post-Hurricane Sandy storm resilience with community microgrids. [Energy Collective]

¶   California has made public details of the first expenditure relating to the state’s cap-and-trade program. The plan proposes to spend $850 million next year to expand clean energy and benefit California communities hardest hit by air pollution. [Energy Collective]

¶   Massachusetts’ electricity producers over the years have weaned the state from coal-generated power to a more eco-friendly mix of natural gas, hydropower and a growing list of alternative sources from wind to solar power. Challenges remain, however. [MetroWest Daily News]

¶   With the growing interest in alternative energy in Massachusetts, solar power fields are popping up in several Attleboro area locations, including at Norfolk’s old dump and at Mount St. Mary’s Abbey in West Wrentham. [Attleboro Sun Chronicle]

¶   A recent chemical spill in West Virginia got into the water system of nine counties, with the result is that 300,000 people have tap water that can be used for no purpose at all, other than flushing toilets. The chemical was there to clean coal. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶   “‘We’ve been lied to,’ said ex-Prime Minister Koizumi” Former Prime Minister Koizumi changed from supporting nuclear power to opposing it when he discovered the nuclear industry was lying about safety, low costs, and reducing dependence on coal. [Asahi Shimbun]

Science and Technology:

¶   With its potentially high biomass yield and its suitability to fit into existing crop rotations, hemp could not only complement but exceed other available energy crops for manufacture of biofuels. [CleanTechies]

¶   Wind energy company Ogin Inc is seeking approval to install 40 of its “shrouded” turbines in Altamont Wind Resource Area, a wind farm with unusually high numbers of avian deaths, to test its theoretically more bird-friendly turbine design. [Go Lackawanna]

World:

¶   Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, called EMPA as an acronym for its German name, has had some success working on “power to gas,” a process that converts short-term excess electricity from renewables to hydrogen. [ScienceDaily]

¶   Passage of a new UK energy bill took 54 weeks. Though clean energy producers have been guaranteed a minimum price for their electricity industry sources say uncertainty over ambiguities is continuing to hold up investment decisions. [Scotland on Sunday]

¶   A man in central Newfoundland had power this past week while there were outages all across Newfoundland because he powered his home using wind and solar energy. The system cost around $30,000, but he says it will pay for itself in four years. [CBC.ca]

¶   A report identifying 9,300 megawatts of potential new sites of hydro-generated electricity in Northern Ontario says water-power expansion will help remote First Nations get rid of their outdated diesel-powered stations. [The Chronicle Journal]

US:

¶   EPA’s proposed standards to limit dangerous carbon pollution from new power plants will be published here in the government’s official newspaper, the Federal Register, kicking off a 60-day period for public comment. An online version is already available. [Energy Collective]

¶   With bipartisan support, legislation is moving through both houses to tweak the tax code to let clean energy developers form a master limited partnership, or MLP, a type of publicly traded company structure not subject to corporate taxes. [Kitsap Sun]

¶   In Wisconsin, renewable energy credits are only available for facilities that went on line after June of 2010. A proposed change would allow renewable sources like hydropower or biomass to earn credits at facilities were operating before 2010. [Sawyer County Record]

Opinion:

¶   “Deceiving EIA Forecasts  (Letter From CleanTechnica Readers)” The Energy Information Administration forecast that we would reach 0.45 GW of Solar PV on the grid by 2035, but in November 2013 we reached 7.11 GW according to the FERC. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   A look at peer-reviewed articles on climate change in scientific journals, from Nov. 12, 2012 through December 31, 2013, found 2,258 articles written by a total of 9,136 authors. Only one article, by a single author, rejected man-made global warming. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   A new report from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator confirms that the annual production of wind energy in Ontario has risen from 2.3 TWh to 5.2 TWh between 2009 and 2013. [North American Windpower]

¶   Leading investment house Deutsche Bank has dramatically lifted its demand forecasts for the global solar industry – predicting that 46 GW of solar PV will be installed across the world in 2014, before jumping by another 25% to 56 GW in 2015. [CleanTechnica]

¶   2013 US sales of the Tesla Model S, a bit below 20,000, have led cumulative global sales of the Model S passed the 25,000 marker, according to reports. Tesla does not release monthly sales figures, so the total comes from analysis estimates. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Nuclear radiation at the boundaries of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant has now reached 8 times government safety guidelines, TEPCO has said. The levels of nuclear radiation have risen to 8 millisieverts per year. [RT]

US:

¶   As 2013 came to a close, California announced its total rooftop solar capacity had doubled in just one year. The state boasted 1,000 MW of accrued rooftop solar capacity, demonstrating that solar energy is not only in demand, but also affordable. [inhabitat]

¶   According to the NPD analysts, new PV installations in the United States throughout 2013 reached a record 4.2 GW. This figure is a 15% growth on 2012 figures, and places the country as the leading solar market outside of the Asia-Pacific region. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Renewable power companies MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp said they have connected the first 57 megawatts to the power grid from California’s 579-MW Solar Star solar power plant, one of the biggest in the United States. [Yahoo News]

¶   Ormat Technologies says the Don A. Campbell Geothermal Plant in Mineral County, California fired up in December, putting out 16 MW of power. A large portion of that is going to Los Angeles, a round-the-clock renewable power source. [EarthTechling]

¶   Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa announced the signing of an agreement this week to build an Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project on Maui. The facility should be fully operational in 2017, using 85% of the county’s municipal solid waste. [Maui Now]

¶   Through a deal with Connecticut-based renewable energy firm Viridian Power Co., The Storm King School, a New York-based boarding school, has begun consuming electricity that is entirely generated by local wind farms. [North American Windpower]

¶   Dow Chemical and other big industrial users of natural gas are imploring the Obama administration to stop approving export licenses pending review of economic, demand and production data. [FuelFix]

Opinion:

¶   “60 Minutes Ignores The Facts In Clean Energy Segment” Clean technology is booming by every key indicator — but you would never know that from Sunday’s absurd 60 Minutes piece touting an imaginary “Cleantech Crash.” [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   A research group at the University of Tsukuba found seventeen microalgae, aquatic plants and algae that are able to remove radioactive cesium, iodine and strontium from the environment efficiently, as they look at ways to deal with nuclear pollution. [Science Codex]

World:

¶   India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is planning to set up a National Offshore Wind Energy Agency to explore wind generation potential in the offshore areas, according to a Ministry’s press release. [IT Business Net]

¶   Members of the European Parliament on the energy and industry, and environment committees backed plans for binding 2030 renewable energy targets in a 66 to 50 vote on  a trio of targets covering renewables, emissions reduction and energy efficiency. [Recharge]

¶   Abengoa has been selected by the Ministry of Energy of the Chilean Government to develop a 110 MW solar plant using tower technology with 17.5 hours of thermal energy storage using molten salts. It will be the first such project for South America. [Your Renewable News]

¶   The European Union’s nuclear generating capacity in 2050 will at about the same level as in 2010, according to European Commission analysis. They project that new nuclear capacity will be at existing plants, with extended reactor lifetimes. [World Nuclear News]

US:

¶   The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued an unprecedented safety alert on the transport of hydraulically fractured oil from North Dakota’s booming Bakken oil fields that could also cool Canada’s unconventional oil rush. [Resilience]

¶   A total of 311 U.S. and international environmental and clean energy groups said today that, while they respect the climate change work of Dr. James Hansen and three of his academic colleagues, they take strong exception to their advocating nuclear. [InvestorIdeas.com]

¶   Honda will begin operating two wind turbines next week at a transmission manufacturing plant in Ohio. The plant will be the first major automotive manufacturing facility in the US to get a use wind for a substantial amount of its electricity. [IT Business Net]

¶   Chapel Hill, NC could not take advantage of state or federal tax credits for new solar development projects, so officials are gauging community investors, who could use them, to help pay the initial $350,000 cost of a 100-kW solar array on a town building. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   New York agenda for renewables for 2014 includes plans to launch a biomass heating initiative in the state. In its first year, the program will aim to develop the larger-scale anchor customers and suppliers for the transition from oil to bulk biomass. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   EDP Renewables signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Kansas City Power & Light Company to sell power from its 200 MW Waverly wind farm project. The project will be installed in Kansas and is expected to start selling electricity in 2016. [4-traders]

Opinion:

¶   “Reasons for Optimism on Climate Action” There have been a series of very positive developments over the past few years. Climate changing gas emissions are down 12% since 2005, and are going down each year. [Huffington Post]

¶   “Are EV Battery Prices Much Lower Than We Think? Under $200/kWh?” A look at the EV battery market shows GM is selling batteries in the range of $131 to $187 per kWh. McKinsey had predicted a drop to $200 by 2020. Could the current numbers be true? [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   A team of Harvard scientists and engineers has reported development of a metal-free flow battery that relies on the electro-chemistry of naturally abundant, inexpensive, small organic molecules called quinones. [TG Daily]

¶   A team of nuclear scientists in Japan said today they plan to create a controlled reactor meltdown in a bid to learn how to deal with future disasters like that at Fukushima. [The Malay Mail Online]

World:

¶   The UK broke a series of wind energy records in December 2013 – including the record for most wind power produced in a single month. In December, Britain generated a total of 2,841,080 MWh – about 10% of the country’s total power demand. [inhabitat]

¶   Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator has said the country has almost reached 2 million small-scale solar systems installed, just 8 months after Australia reached the milestone of having 1 million rooftop solar systems installed. [The9Billion]

¶   The Australian government’s main economic advisor has significantly revised its cost estimates for leading energy technologies. The latest report makes clear that the cheapest avenue forward for Australia is renewables, and solar in particular. [RenewEconomy]

¶   The European Commission has dismissed reports it has ordered the UK to end wind farm subsidies by the end of the decade, as part of a review of renewable energy support schemes. [Business Green]

US:

¶   Sales of 100% electric cars in the US increased 228.9% in 2013 compared to 2012, with the number of sales, 46148, almost catching up with the 48951 sales of plug-n hybrids. Plug-in hybrid sales increased by 26.9% in the same time. [CleanTechnica]

¶   After reports from October exposed the utility for lying about funding anti-solar ad campaigns and phony grassroots organizations, a web of dark money surfaced. A new report says dark money accounts for about 75% of funds for anti-renewable campaigns. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Complaints of water contamination in two states have been tied to oil or gas drilling, according to an Associated Press investigation. Fracking has been tied to other instances of water contamination as well, such as from waste pits. [ThinkProgress]

¶   The Shumlin administration has proposed several changes to allow expansion of the state’s popular net metering program for three more years while a more permanent solution is crafted before solar tax credits expire at the end of 2016. [Rutland Herald]

¶   Developers of a renewable biogas project in sparsely populated north-central Missouri are hoping to turn hog manure into energy. Plans, announced Wednesday, call for construction of the $100 million project to begin in April. [KSDK]

¶   The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association announced that Iowa biodiesel production was up 25 percent in 2013, setting a new record with production topping 230 million gallons of biodiesel. [Biodiesel Magazine]

¶   Renewable energy critics harp on the variability of wind and solar but ignore that conventional power sources are no sure things themselves. In an extraordinary cold snap, with conventional generators struggling, wind power capacity helped a lot. [EarthTechling]

¶   The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will soon downgrade the Pilgrim nuclear power station’s performance, placing the 685-megawatt plant on a list with seven others deemed as degraded. [The Patriot Ledger]

Opinion:

¶   “Are Wind Power Subsidies Still the Answer?” The EPA estimates that the social costs of carbon dioxide emissions are $12 to $116 per ton. (That is $0.12 to $1.16 in health and other costs per gallon of gasoline, and the victims, all of us, are uncompensated.) [EarthTechling]

Science and Technology:

¶   Trident Energy had a successful trial of a real-time control system designed to optimise linear wave generators. The demonstration took place at the company’s wave technology test facility. An offshore demonstration is the next target. [reNews]

World:

¶   In their call for a goal for carbon emissions cuts for 2030, the EU’s top four economies – Germany, France, Britain and Italy – are calling for a reduction of at least 40%. Current targets foresee a 20% reduction on 1990 emissions by 2020. [London South East]

¶   China, already the world’s largest producer of wind power, has embarked on the greatest push for renewable energy the world has ever seen. From a current installed capacity of 75 GW, the aim is to achieve a staggering 200 GW by 2020. [BBC News]

¶   Nordex has won a contract from WPD to supply turbines for the 33 MW Mäkikangas wind farm on the west coast of Finland. The German manufacturer will deliver and install 11 machines of 3 MW each from its Generation Delta platform. [reNews]

¶   Germany’s will risk losing its big industries unless they are sheltered from the cost burden of renewable energy, its economy minister said while restating his commitment to a shift to low-carbon fuel. [EurActiv]

¶   Azerbaijan plans to build three wind power plants by 2015. The project is part of a  renewable energy policy to improve non-traditional energy sector and reduce dependence of Azerbaijan’s economy on oil and gas reserves. [News.Az]

¶   Corporate and project funding for the solar power sector increased in 2013, according to consultancy Mercom Capital. The group’s annual funding report claims that large-scale project funding shot from $8.7 billion in 2012 to $13.6 billion last year. [PV-Tech]

¶   A recent order by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has listed 134 solar panel companies eligible to receive credit support from financial institutions. This withdraws credit from about 75% of solar manufacturers. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   The New York state Energy Planning Board approved an long-delayed plan calling for reduction of carbon emissions from the energy sector of 50% by 2030. The state will expand solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal and hydrokinetic energy sources. [Capital New York]

¶   Renewable energy development at the Salton Sea could generate up to $4 billion in revenue over 30 years. Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors are backing renewables projects as a way to provide with $2 billion for environmental restoration. [Imperial Valley Press]

¶   Five schools in the US state of South Carolina will soon begin generating electricity using roof-top solar panels as a result of being provided financial assistance from Palmetto Clean Energy, a nonprofit that promotes renewable energy resources.[Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   As wind energy’s costs have fallen precipitously over the last several years, a growing number of utilities in traditionally conservative states without Renewable Portfolio Standard requirements have made sizeable investments in clean energy. [Clean Energy News]

¶   A frigid arctic air mass that brought record low temperatures to Pennsylvania, closing schools, courts and even some ski slopes is also being investigated as the possible cause of a nuclear reactor shutdown. [Youngstown Vindicator]

Opinion:

¶   “60 Minutes Show On Cleantech Looks Like Its Going To Be ‘Dumb & Dumber Part 3’ (+13 Charts)” The show’s title is “The Cleantech Crash.” Oy, someone hasn’t been reading CleanTechnica, or keeping up to date at all. [CleanTechnica]

Not Energy, but Interesting:

¶   Under pressure from consumers and activist groups, General Mills says it has stop using genetically modified ingredients to make its original Cheerios cereal. The change was made many weeks ago, according to a company spokesman. [USA Today]

World:

¶   Ministers from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Portugal called for the European Union to adopt a 2030 goal for renewable energy use. The UK opposes this and wants a sole greenhouse gas emissions target. [Power Engineering International]

¶   Hydrotec Renewables Inc has bagged several renewable energy service contracts from the Philippine Department of Energy for the development of small hydro power projects along the Marikina River. [InterAksyon]

¶   Wind power generated 21.1% of Spain’s energy needs in 2013, becoming the top source of electrical power in the country. New renewable energy is predicted to have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions by 23.1% from 2012 levels. [EconomyWatch.com]

¶   The Chinese firm behind inverter technology which converts both solar power and wind so it can be used on the grid believes it is “perfect” for Britain. The inverter converts DC electricity from both solar PV panels or wind turbines to AC. [Energy Live News]

US:

¶   Vestas has received another 220 MW order for V100-2.0 MW turbines from EDF Renewable Energy for two wind-energy projects in the US. Both projects, Hereford 1 and Longhorn North, are in the Texas Panhandle. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   When it fired up Dec. 20, a fuel cell power plant manufactured and built by Connecticut-based Fuel Cell Energy became the first such plant in North America. And at 15 MW, it is the second largest in the world. [The Connecticut Mirror]

¶   EPC contractor Leidos has completed the 37.5 MW Plainfield renewable energy project in Plainfield, Connecticut. The project will be fueled by a variety of sources including waste wood from construction, demolition, industry, and land clearing. [Energy Business Review]

¶   Council members in Grand Junction City, Colorado voted unanimously to move forward with a project that would take the methane already produced at the city’s wastewater treatment facility, clean it up, and transfer it to the city’s slow-fill station. [KJCT8.com]

¶   Controversy flared in Colorado after Glen Vaad, a nominee for the state’s Utility Commission, was shown to have close ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization that has been lobbying against renewable power. [EIN News]

¶   Enbridge has inked a $200 million deal with Renewable Energy Systems Americas for construction of the 110 MW Keechi Wind Project in Texas. Construction has already commenced, and the facility expected to be completed early next year. [Energy Matters]

¶   Duke Energy officially has the green light from the North Carolina Utilities Commission to launch a new renewable energy program in North Carolina, enabling select large customers to secure up to 100% of new electricity needs from renewables. [EarthTechling]

¶   Over the weekend, the New York Times noted that the solar power “craze” is partly responsible for Wall Street’s recent good times. The Times used the example of SolarCity, with a sevenfold increase in its share price to $59.27 since it went public. [Energy Collective]

¶   Workers at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant say they’re ready to go on strike if bargaining talks break down. Officials from the Utility Workers Union of America say they’ve authorized a strike against the plant’s owner, Entergy. [NY1]

Science and Technology:

¶   Ford announced its vision to build out new charging infrastructure for its plug-in hybrid vehicles based exclusively on off-grid solar. If rolled out as planned, the automaker says it could cut grid charging of its C-MAX hybrid by up to 75%. [Energy Collective]

¶   Researchers at North Carolina State University and Johns Hopkins University say the variability of wind power might actually worsen instability when there are disturbances on the grid. The problem can be reduced with storage and computers. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   UBS analysts say utilities in Europe need to shut down 30% of their gas, coal, and oil-fed power capacity by 2017, not to fight global warming, cut pollution, or cut fuel imports, but because renewable energy is pushing fossil fuels off the grid. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Chinese manufacturer ReneSola won a contract to supply 420 MW of PV panels to a developer in Japan. The company will provide its Virtus 2 300 W units to be installed at more than 10 ground-mounted solar projects in the mountain regions of Japan. [reNews]

¶   In India The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) says in a study that a 100% renewable energy supply by 2050 in India is possible. In 2010, fossil fuels accounted for 74 per cent of the total energy consumed in India. [EE Herald]

¶   In Kuwait, a specialized economic report has asserted that the time has come to exploit renewable energy sources efficiently in the Gulf states especially as the establishment of strategic projects depends on the energy availability. [Kuwait News Agency]

¶   China WindPower, an operator of renewable-energy projects with a market value of$725 million, said it will get as much as 5.7 billion yuan ($942 million) in loans from the China Development Bank Corp.’s Qinghai Branch for solar farms. [Businessweek]

¶   Danish turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems has received its highest ever monthly total of orders in December, 1346 MW, as wind farm developers in the United States rushed to meet a year-end deadline to qualify for a tax credit. [Business Spectator]

¶   A former employee at Fukushima Daiichi has come out saying that one of the reasons for leaks may be the cost-cutting measures being applied by TEPCO, such as using duct tape and wire nets to mend the leaking tanks. [The Japan Daily Press]

US:

¶   Secretary of State John Kerry’s aggressive pursuit of a new global climate agreement, has some clear implications for approval of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. In a nutshell, things ain’t looking so good for Keystone XL. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Vermont Public Service Board has approved an application to construct a 149.5-kilowatt solar array at a former landfill off Grafton Road in Townshend. The project will be funded by private investors and constructed by Westminster-based Soveren Solar. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Opinion:

¶   “Time to stop investing in carbon capture and storage” Government investment in carbon capture and storage is a large and expensive fossil-fuel subsidy with a low probability of eventual societal benefit. [Resilience]

¶   “Fukushima Meltdowns: A Global Conspiracy of Denial” If any government or non-government authority in the world is addressing the disaster at Fukushima openly, directly, honestly, and effectively, it is not apparent what entity that might be. [Center for Research on Globalization]

Science and Technology:

¶   NewLight Technologies is promoting a new set of plastics it calls AirCarbon. AirCarbon plastic is not only biodegradable and recyclable, but because it is made from carbon dioxide and methane, it sequesters carbon and so is carbon-negative. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Ford is planning to unveil a solar-powered concept car at this month’s International CES gadget show that offers the same performance as a plug-in hybrid but without the need for a plug. [Associated News]

World:

¶   UK wind farms generated a record amount of electricity in December as well as hitting weekly and daily highs after installed capacity rose 45% in one year, according to a lobby group. [Business Mirror]

¶   The Spanish company Gamesa will be responsible for building a wind farm of 50 MW in the province of Guanacaste, which will be owned by the company Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy. [The Costa Rica News]

¶   In Sri Lanka, the National Electricity Consumer Movement is alleging that the Ceylon Electricity Board delaying action on the Non-Conventional Renewable Energy Tariff to deter local developers and hand over the renewable energy sector to foreign investors. [Sunday Leader]

US:

¶   Siemens and Cape Wind have signed a contract in which Siemens will supply its industry leading 3.6-MW offshore wind turbines, an offshore Electric Service Platform and a service agreement for 15 years of commercial operations to Cape Wind. [4-traders]

¶   The rise of SolarCity, America’s largest provider of rooftop solar systems with more than 80,000 customers, is either a sign that solar power is finally having its day or yet another mania is gripping the markets. [Financial Express]

¶   More than 40 sisters live at Mount Saint Mary’s Abbey in Franklin, Massachusetts, and many of them are too old to milk cows or garden, so they are having more than 20,000 solar panels installed in a field on the Trappistine order’s property. [Boston Globe]

¶   It’s now officially a requirement in Lancaster, California, a first for the US and possibly for the world. Each new single-family residential unit must include at least 1 kW of solar power capacity at its development site. [CleanTechnica]

¶   FirstEnergy has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to gather information from the US Army Corps of Engineers on several federally owned dams upstream of the Shippingport plant. [Timesonline.com]

World:

¶   The International Desalination Association announced a Desalination Academy course, “Integration of Hybrid Technologies with Renewable Energy to Improve the Sustainability of Water Desalination,” at that the International Water Summit. [Pollution Solutions]

¶   China has become a powerhouse for renewable energy. China’s electric capacity additions of hydro, wind and solar PVs have totalled 33.8 GW so far this year, while capacity powered by fossil fuels amounts to 27.0 GW and by nuclear is just 2.2 GW [The Ecologist]

¶   Bolivia has inaugurated its first wind farm after Hydrochina Corporation completed construction and commissioning work. The $7.6 million scheme features two 1.5 MW machines by Chinese manufacturer Goldwind, and may be expanded to 15 MW. [reNews]

¶   UK wind turbines, many in world-leading offshore arrays, sent 2,841,000 MWh of electricity to grid operator National Grid – 10 percent of Britain’s total electricity demand during the month, according to the industry group RenewableUK. [EarthTechling]

¶   TEPCO, the utility that owns the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, has confirmed the presence of a steam plume coming from what looks like the fifth floor of the building [Unit 3], but the source of the plume is unknown. [WND.com]

US:

¶   New York City’s climate change pollution is down 19% since 2005. As he leaves office, May Bloomberg announced a new initiative focused on large buildings, and ten of the city’s leading residential property management firms say they are accepting the challenge. [Energy Collective]

¶   In December, the wind power industry in the United States was in the middle of what seems to have become a holiday season tradition: the mad dash to get wind projects in the ground before the impending expiration of a federal production tax credit. [Energy Collective]

¶   For the first time, California’s utility-scale solar power production has topped 3 GW. The California ISO, which oversees the grid for much of the state, tweeted that solar generation hit a record 3,048 MW at 12:02 p.m. January 3. [EarthTechling]

¶   Arizona added about 410 MW of solar capacity to its generating portfolio in 2013. This represents the company’s largest annual increase in solar capacity and nearly triples the total brought online in 2012, when it added nearly 150 MW of capacity. [reNews]

¶   Back in 2010 Colorado saw efforts to legalize solar gardens, and that effort appears to have paid off. Now Business Green reports that Fort Collins is actively encouraging the development of solar gardens, starting with a 300 kW array. [Treehugger]

¶   According to a new consumer survey from Navigant Research, favorable attitudes toward a number of clean and renewable energy concepts, particularly solar, wind, hybrids and electric cars, have rebounded significantly from their 2012 levels. [Domestic Fuel]

Opinion:

¶   “Science Smackdown: Key Points On Renewable & EV Revolution From Mark Z Jacobson” Wind, Water, & Sun: Best Overall Solution To Global Warming, Deadly Pollution, Reliable Energy Needs, and Disaster Protection. (Old points, but good.) [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   Researchers at the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered that an enzyme from a microorganism in 1990 can digest cellulose almost twice as fast as the current leading component cellulase enzyme on the market. [4-traders]

World:

¶   Renewable energy firm Enel Green Power announced it has successfully completed and grid connected its new Valle de los Vientos wind farm in Antofagasta, Chile. The wind farm has 45 wind turbines, for a total installed capacity of 90 MW. [PennEnergy]

¶   Sugar mills in Pakistan are currently using bagasse – a renewable fuel produced as a by-product in the sugar manufacturing process – inefficiently. The Economic Co-ordination Committee of the Cabinet is set to change regulations. [Business Recorder]

¶   The European Commission is to order Britain to end wind farm subsidies. The commission is preparing to argue that the onshore wind and solar power industries are “mature” and should be allowed to operate without support from taxpayers. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶   Trina Solar has signed an investment framework agreement to develop a 1-GW solar project in western China’s Xinjiang region. The local government authority of Turpan Prefecture agreed to back the phased development. [reNews]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power is planning to erect 400 turbines across seven Irish counties as part of a 1,200-MW first phase of an overall 5,000-MW plan to export wind energy to the UK. [Westmeath Independent]

¶   The solar industry will be the main focus of investment in the renewable energy market of Russia and the CIS region, according to a forecast by the international group IBCentre, which tracks renewable energy development in Eastern Europe. [pv magazine]

¶   Three new nuclear reactors were connected to the grid in 2013 and four were permanently shut down, dropping the total number of reactors in operation around the world to 436 with an installed capacity of 372 GW. [Nuclear Engineering]

¶   Beijing has agreed to lend $6.5 billion to Islamabad to help Pakistan build nuclear power plants. The loans are to be provided by China’s state-owned Exim Bank and will be repaid at a concessional rate over 20 years, according to reports. [Newsweek Pakistan]

US:

¶   Massachusetts has joined a growing list of states demanding that its investor-owned utilities invest in the smart grid — and find new models for how those investments should be valued. [Energy Collective]

¶   A report from the Edison Electric Institute paints a bleak picture for the future of investor-owned utilities.  It essentially says their business model, in the current regulatory environment, is not sustainable, given expected growth in rooftop PVs. [energycentral]

¶   Overall, utility-scale renewable energy including hydropower meet 21.3% of California’s demand during 2013. Utility-scale solar power peaks at 2.83 GW, providing 2.36%. The figures do not include an estimated 2 GW of unmetered private PVs. [solarserver.com]

¶   California already leads the United States in most measures of the clean energy economy, but two new initiatives by the state’s grid operator could ensure its electricity system can handle far more renewables, electric vehicles, and power demand. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has unveiled a new wind turbine test facility capable of simulating thousands of hours of real-world operations on the largest on-shore turbines currently commercially available. [Energy Matters]

¶   Last year saw many of changes for coal as solar and wind generation hit record highs and prices declined. Installation of renewable energy capacity outpaced coal, oil, and nuclear growth combined. Nationwide, 30% of existing coal plants is set to retire. [Fierce Energy]

¶   The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided not to accept Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power’s application for certification of its APR-1400 reactor design, as it contains insufficient information in some areas. [Nuclear Engineering]

¶   The deal between the state and the owners of Vermont Yankee offers a useful model for decommissioning as it tackles some of the key areas of conflict between the industry and the areas in which it operates.  [OilPrice.com]

World:

¶   Legislation enacted by the Manitoba government to ban petroleum coke and coal heating came into effect January 1, 2014. The move is a first for any jurisdiction in North America. [CTV News]

¶   Almost one year after air pollution in Beijing went off the charts, the country’s top research agency, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has released a study clearly identifying fossil fuel combustion as the biggest contributor to the deadly smog. [ThinkProgress]

¶   Yingli Energy China, a photovoltaic module manufacturer, is forming a joint venture with Shuozhou Coal Power to develop and construct solar plants in Shuozhou in Shanxi province. The companies have previously built a 20-MW solar project together. [reNews]

¶   A £1 million hydro-electric scheme will generate more than 1,100 MWh of renewable energy each year on the Allt Achadh na Moine watercourse on the east coast of the Scottish island of Mull with profits benefitting local island non-profit projects. [The Guardian]

¶   South Korea’s nuclear regulator approved on Thursday the restart of three reactors that were shut in late May to replace cables supplied using fake certificates. South Korea has 23 nuclear reactors, which generate about a third of its electricity. [Reuters UK]

¶   Fifty-one American sailors and marines, many of whom served on the USS Ronald Reagan, are suing TEPCO over a variety of cancers and other severe health ailments they say were caused by the Fukushima meltdown. [American Free Press]

US:

¶   The Texas Clean Energy Coalition, in conjunction with other organizations, conducted a study to test energy models and concluded that Texas grid power systems are likely to combine renewable energy and gas-fired power for all new generation. [Energy Collective]

¶   The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to increase its solar energy capacity to 126 MW by the end of 2014. By the end of 2014, the utility is expected to have increased its solar capacity by 7% over what it had been in 2013. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   The University of Delaware’s Atmosphere and Energy Research Group found that staggering and spacing out turbines in an offshore wind farm can improve performance by as much as 33%. [YottaFire]

¶   Credit Suisse estimates that approximately 85% of US future demand growth for power through 2025 (including the impact of coal plant retirements) could be met by renewable generation with compliance to existing RPS programs. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Northern Pass, a proposed transmission line carrying low-cost renewable hydroelectric power to New England, cleared a major regulatory milestone by securing “I.3.9 approval” by ISO New England, the operators of the region’s power grid. [AZoCleantech]

Opinion:

¶   “The #1 Reason Why Electric Cars Will Dominate The Car Market” Logic does not often prevail in the marketplace — love, enthusiasm, and emotional desires do. And that’s actually why I think electric cars will quickly come to dominate the market…. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   Climate change may be far worse than scientists thought, causing global temperatures to rise by at least 4 degrees Celsius by 2100, or about 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a new study, published in the journal Nature. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶   The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association national conference in London last month heard the UK cannot afford not to recycle nutrients and organic matter. Experts urged the Government to increase its focus on the wider benefits of AD. [Salisbury Journal]

¶   The Indian state of Kerala can meet over 95% of its energy demand using renewable energy sources by the year 2050, according to a report  prepared by WWF-India and the World Institute of Sustainable Energy Pune. [The New Indian Express]

¶   Nicaragua has logged a record 50.51% of power generation from renewable sources and voiced ambitions to hit 90% by the end of the decade. The new goal was set in a five-year expansion plan unveiled by Minister of Energy and Mines Emilio Rapacciolli. [reNews]

¶   Irish developer Gaelectric is set to kick off a third round of consultation on a 268-MW energy storage facility in Larne, Northern Ireland. The intent is to build a combined storage and generation facility operated with compressed air. [reNews]

¶   ReneSola Ltd announced its collaboration with Solar Power Systems of Mexico in implementing a 192-KW project for glass manufacturer Vidrio Formas in Lerma, Edo, Mexico. [CIOL]

US:

¶   Rising natural gas prices and – to a lesser extent – California’s drive to use more renewable power will add $3.38 to the average homeowner’s monthly Pacific Gas and Electric Co. bill in the new year, the utility reported Tuesday. [San Francisco Chronicle]

¶   The wind industry faces uncertainty again as a key federal incentive for wind farms expired, almost one year after getting a reprieve. Unlike last year, there’s no “fiscal cliff” deal to get Congress to act at the last minute to renew the wind production tax credit. [Tulsa World]

¶   Network transmission lines from Dallas to San Antonio are now fully operational, running 3,000 miles. The power lines have the potential produce 18,500 MW of electricity and is designed to bring wind generated power to customers. [PennEnergy]

¶   Minnesota soon could see at least a sevenfold expansion of solar power. In an unprecedented ruling, a judge reviewing whether Xcel Energy should invest in natural gas generators vs. large solar power arrays concluded that solar is a better deal. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

¶   2013 was not a banner year for the 40-year old Pilgrim nuclear power plant. The plant’s profitability was threatened by a number of factors, from the abundance and lower cost of shale gas to a surprisingly large number of outages and days offline. [Wicked Local Plymouth]