Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Taxes on Steel Pipe Trade to Increase

Trade tensions between the US and China are heating up. Today, the U.S. International Trade Commission voted to impose new duties on imports of steel pipes mostly used in the oil and natural gas industry.

Ranging between 10 and 16 percent, the duties are intended to offset low price government...

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NY Environmentalists Against Marcellus Drilling

Environmentalists in New York want Gov. David Patterson to hold off on new regulations that would allow horizontal drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus shale.

Fearing that slant drilling could harm ecosystems and New York's drinking water, activists want drilling put on hold to allow more time for people...

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Virginia Governor Campaigns for Offshore Drilling

If Virginia's new governor gets his way, Virginia could see offshore drilling.

Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell wants the federal government to move forward with offshore energy exploration off the state's coast.

McDonnell sent a letter this week to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to argue against any...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/30/09



Companies proposing to build a power transmission line through northern Virginia are asking state regulators to withdraw their application. Oil reacts to latest inventory report. The Japanese Prime Minister takes a spin in a new electric car. And street cars make a comeback.

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Virginia Governor Campaigns for Offshore Drilling

If Virginia's new governor gets his way, Virginia could see offshore drilling.

Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell wants the federal government to move forward with offshore energy exploration off the state's coast.

McDonnell sent a letter this week to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to argue against any...

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Smart Grid Investments Continue To Grow

Spending on smart grid technology will reach an all-time high in the next few years, according to a new report.

Energy consulting firm Pike Research says investment will reach $200 billion worldwide by...

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Russia, Ukraine Reach EU Pipeline Agreement

After a year of disputes between Russia and the Ukraine over shipping oil supplies to Europe, the two countries have finally reached agreement.

Russia will pay 30 percent more to transport oil to Europe via Ukraine next year, according to the...

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More Natural Gas Headed for New York City

Natural gas from the Marcellus shale play could soon be heating homes in New York City, now that a 16-mile pipeline will connect Staten Island to the city.

Spectra Energy says an expansion of the Texas Eastern Transmission and Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline will boost the city's use of...

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Nuclear Power Plant Planned for Central California

Areva, one of the biggest builders of nuclear plants in the world, has signed on with Fresno Nuclear Energy Group to plan and build a nuclear power plant in the San Joaquin Valley.

The French engineering company Areva signed a letter of intent, but there's no guarantee the plan...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/29/09



Mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants is up in three states; we'll tell you which ones. Dominion Power says it will move forward with carbon capture and sequestration even without federal stimulus funds. And we'll show you an engine that can run on almost any type of fuel, including 100 percent ethanol.

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Monday, December 28, 2009

New York Settles $7.7 Million Natural Gas Lawsuit

New York State has settled a major lawsuit with three natural gas companies who argued the state could not auction carbon allowances under a major Northeast initiative to cut emissions.

Under the deal, the state will pay $7.7 million to cover the cost of carbon allowances for Indeck...

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UAE, S. Korea Strike $20 Billion Nuclear Deal

A South Korean consortium just won a $20 billion deal to build the first nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates.

UAE's state-run nuclear energy company says the group - led by Korea Electric Power Corp. - won the contract to build four 1,400-megawatts...

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New Studies Show China Coal Demand to Rise

Amid all the talk about nations turning to renewable energy, a new forecast says China's demand for coal is set to rise four to six percent next year.

China is already the world's biggest producer and consumer of coal, using it to operate about 80...

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DOE Announces Energy Innovation Hub Project

The Department of Energy is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into Energy Innovation Hubs, a mission of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to bring new energy technologies out of the labs and into the market.

Chu says DOE will pour $366 million over four years into its three new research and...

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Tugboat Leaks Fuel into Alaskan Waters

It was a messy Christmas for rescuers trying to free a tugboat stuck and leaking fuel into Prince William Sound.

The Alaska tugboat got caught on the same reef that damaged the Exxon Valdez 20 years ago.

The Coast Guard has been working to transfer over 33,000 gallons of diesel fuel from the...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/28/09



The nation's largest group of cattlemen files suit to halt the EPA's endangerment finding. We'll tell you what their 'beef' is with the proposed greenhouse gas regulations coming up at 4pm on The Energy Report. And from Christmas lights to the crystal ball dropped in times square on New Year's eve... LED lights are replacing incandescent ones, but some experts say they could pose some health problems. Dee Bhambhani will tell us why. And steamships headed to the great lakes will be allowed to continue despite the EPA's effort to only allow ships that burn low-sulfur fuels. We'll have details.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

More Details Emerge on Prudhoe Bay Spill

New details are emerging about a nasty oil spill in Alaska's Prudhoe Bay.

The state's Department of Environmental Conservation says the leak came from a 6-inch...

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Pachauri: Emergence of New Group Was Key to Copenhagen

The chairman of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is disputing claims that the Copenhagen talks were a failure.

In his first public comments since the Copenhagen talks ended, Rajendra Pachauri,...

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Feinstein Introduces Mojave Bill

Solar and wind development plans in the Mojave Desert are now facing a challenge in Congress.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced her plan to halt those projects on...

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Indiana To Train Prisoners as Coal Miners

Some prison inmates in Indiana now have a new career option to consider when they finish serving their time: coal mining.

The state's Department of Correction and Vincennes University are teaming up to offer coal mining classes for up to 15-students at the...

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Hundreds Beat Deadline for TVA Spill Lawsuits

Hundreds of people have beaten the one-year deadline to file lawsuits over last year's TVA coal ash spill in Kingston, Tenn.

More than 20 cases were filed Tuesday, joining several hundred others who have already sued...

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UN Climate Chief Urges Avoiding Blame over Copenhagen

The top U.N. climate official says finger pointing over what went wrong at the Copenhagen conference won't do any good.

Yvo de Boer says he's hopeful of a better worldwide deal next year, even though the..

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/23/09



Elliott Gue of the Energy Strategist and the Energy Letter is live on the Energy Report to talk current oil inventory report and upcoming natural gas inventory report. More on how Rajendra Pachauri sees a new faction emerging in terms of international climate talks.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Study: Erosion in Alaska Could Cause Double Whammy

Climate change is having a dramatic impact on Alaska's North Slope coastline, and that impact will threaten both wildlife and oil produciton.

A new report by scientists at the University of Colorado says North Slope erosion is happening...

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EU Pressures US For Stronger Climate Accord

European governments are pressuring the United States to make deeper greenhouse gas emissions cuts in the wake of last week's climate talks.

The EU environment ministers' met in Brussels today, the first chance for EU nations to take stock of last week's climate accord in...

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Montana Board Approves Coal Lease Sale

Montana's Land Board has voted to lease 572 million tons of state-owned coal in Otter Creek Valley, in the southeastern part of the state.

The move could net the state $1 billion in royalties -- money lawmakers say would go...

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Groups Petition EPA For GHG Regulations

Dozens of environmental groups are urging the EPA to go ahead and regulate greenhouse gas emissions without waiting for congressional action.

More than 100 groups joined climate scientist James Hanson in signing a petition filed this...

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China Downplays British Complaints on Copenhagen

China is dismissing British Climate Minister Ed Miliband's complaints that it "hijacked" the Copenhagen climate talks.

Miliband singled out the Chinese in a Monday op-ed piece in the Guardian newspaper, saying the Chinese vetoed attempts to set hard carbon...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/22/09



Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Andrew Light gives his take on the Copenhagen Accord. Starting January 1st, owners of commercial buildings in D.C. will be under a new energy efficiency law. Dan Goldstein will have details.

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Monday, December 21, 2009

First Solar Negotiating for French Plant; Opens New Calif. Facility

First Solar and EDF-EN say they are in exclusive negotiations with the town of Blanquefort, France, to build a new solar panel manufacturing plant.

The agreement calls for the plant to sell its its entire production of thin-film photovoltaic panels...

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Palin Tweets Blast Climate Deal

Add Sarah Palin to the list of people complaining about the Copenhagen Accord.

The former Alaska governor -- and potential 2012 Republican Presidential candidate -- shared her...

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Brown to Call for New U.N. Climate Body

One of the countries included in the European Union carbon market is now complaining of exclusion from the final negotiations.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says a climate agreement was held hostage by "a handful of countries" and he's calling for United...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/21/09



Analysis of Copenhagen with Jonathan Lash, President WRI, and Chris Flavin of the Worldwatch Institute give analysis of the agreement among leading countries in Copenhagen. OPEC leaders decide to keep projection quotas steady.

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EU Carbon Markets Dip in First Post-Copenhagen Session

We now have market reaction to the Copenhagen Accord.

European Union carbon markets dropped this morning, losing about 8 percent of their value in the first trading session since the climate...

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Obama Announces Copenhagen Agreement

After scrapping his schedule and remaining in Copenhagen to finalize an international climate agreement, President Barack Obama said the United States and four other countries reached a "meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough" late Friday. The President says the agreement...

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Iran Siezes Iraqi Oil Well

Iraqi officials say Iranian troops have seized an oil well in a disputed area along the two countries' southern border.

Iraq's deputy foreign minister, Mohammed Haj Mahmoud, said Iranian troops seized oil well No....

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NASA, Google Team Up to Track Emissions, Deforestation

If nations like China refuse to allow international tracking of their CO2 emissions, under a possible world climate deal, NASA and Google may have some answers.

Google unveiled unveiled its Earth Engine this week in Copenhagen. It's essentially a massive...

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Chinese Environmental Group Wins Groundbreaking Lawsuits

As China continues to push back against any international monitoring within its borders, the country's environmental movement is claiming a groundbreaking victory.

The head of the government-backed All China Environment Federation says it not only filed...

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Obama Works to Salvage Copenhagen Talks

President Obama and other world leaders are working feverishly behind the scenes in Copenhagen to salvage a world climate treaty.

Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao each addressed the United Nations conference, urging delegates to compromise on demands. But...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/18/09



Obama speaks on the final day of negotiations in Copenhagen; and a Johns Hopkins professor discusses the role of the China-U.S. relationship.

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

CBO: Kerry-Boxer Would Reduce Deficit

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the Kerry-Boxer climate bill, which passed the Senate Environment and Public Works committee last month, would reduce the budget deficit by $21 billion over the next decade.

A CBO report on the cap-and-trade legislation issued Tuesday finds that it would increase...

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Clinton Offers US Participation in $100B Climate Aid Fund

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States is prepared to join other wealthy nations in a bid to raise $100 billion in yearly climate financing
for poor countries by 2020.

Clinton's declaration at the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen could give a boost to the deadlocked talks. They have been in disarray...

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Obama Heads to Copenhagen, Hoping to Break Deadlock

President Obama heads for Copenhagen today as he and other world leaders hope to salvage the stalled climate talks.

The president is due to arrive tomorrow morning, joining about 130 other heads of...

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Shell Beaufort Drilling Plan Challenged in Lawsuit

Several groups are challenging Royal Dutch Shell's permit to drill for oil in Alaska's Beaufort Sea.

The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, Alaska natives and environmental groups say the the Minerals Management Service improperly approved Shell's drilling plan and did not properly evaluate the possible effects, including the risk of...

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Markey Calls for Hearings on Exxon-XTO Merger

How will Exxon Mobil's acquisition of XTO Energy affect competition in the natural gas industry?

That's what Congressman Ed Markey wants to know.

The chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee says he plans to hold...

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EPA Plans to Monitor Emissions From Enhanced Oil Recovery

The EPA wants to expand its greenhouse gas reporting rules to include emissions from enhanced oil recovery and sequestration projects.

In a draft proposal sent to the White House this week, the agency is asking to to include carbon dioxide used for enhanced oil recovery... As well...

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New York Announces New Energy Plan

New York has new plans for incorporating renewables.

Governor David Patterson accepted a plan from the State Energy Planning Board on Tuesday that calls for more conservation, more use of solar...

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Climate Conference President Hedegaard Resigns

United Nations climate conference President Connie Hedegaard has resigned and will be replaced by the Danish prime minister as head of the historic talks.

The announcement came today in Copenhagen, as world leaders arrive and the 193-nation...

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What's Happening on Clean Skies News - 12/16/09



Change in leadership at the conference in Copenhagen. Clean Skies News reports as more heads of state arrive for the final 3 days of negotiations. Also, a closer look at Better Place, the company that is building vehicle battery charging stations. And what one group says are major setbacks in the growth of nuclear power.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Construction Begins on World's Largest Wind Farm

London is often thought of for its rain, but soon it will be known for its wind.

By 2012, the city expects to get power from the world's largest offshore wind farm.

Seimens Energy will build the 630 megawatt farm and is expected to supply the 175 turbines and...

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Senate Panel Pushes for Smaller, Modular Reactors to Boost Nuclear Industry

Experts told a Senate panel today that smaller reactors of 300 megawatts or less may hold the key to sparking a nuclear revival in the U.S., just as the country may depend on more nuclear power to offset coal-fired power plants in an era of cap and trade.

"Smaller reactors may prove advantageous compared to the Generation III+ nuclear plants in terms of economics, performance and security,"...

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DOE Proceeds with Yucca Mountain Repository Plans

Despite growing concerns within the nuclear community about the future of the Yucca Mountain Repository, the Department of Energy says it is still moving ahead on the project.

The plans would turn the mountain - located 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas - into a burial site...

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Murkowski Seeks to Veto Endangerment Finding

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is still looking for a way to stop the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

The Senate Energy and Commerce Committee's ranking member calls the agency's recent "endangerment finding" a danger to the U.S....

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Polls: Public Supports Copenhagen Goals

The American public apparently supports the goal of the Copenhagen talks but has some concerns about the economy, according to two national polls.

A USA Today-Gallup poll shows that 55 percent of those asked endorse a binding agreement to...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/15/09



Day 9 in Copenhagen. Todd Stern confirms the U.S. will not sign the Kyoto Protocol. Closer look at a carbon neutral island in Denmark.World shale development, an issue that could be a game changer at the climate talks.And the Senate holds a hearing on nuclear development.

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Exxon Mobil to Buy XTO for $31 Million

Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, will buy XTO Energy, the top producer of U.S. natural gas, in a deal worth $31 billion.

Exxon will assume $10 billion in debt in the all-stock deal as it moves aggressively to...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/14/09



Clean Skies News follows the latest from Copenhagen as negotiations continue in Copenhagen, with the U.S. and E.U. cancelling their scheduled press conferences for today. Also, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announces he has a major international clean energy announcement. We hear more on energy forecasts out to 2035, and updates from the electric vehicle industry.

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Congress Approves Largest NOAA Budget Ever

A massive federal spending package that includes a hard look at a National Climate Service is now on its way to President Obama.

The Senate voted 53-37 on Sunday to approve the omnibus spending bill, which encompasses most of the federal budget measures for the...

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China Opens Central Asian Nat Gas Pipeline

China has now opened up a new natural gas pipeline to receive fuel from Turkmenistan, in central Asia.

President Hu Jintao says the 1,120-mile link will help China meet half of its energy demand.

China's National Petroleum Corporation developed the gas field. The pipeline will supply...

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Senators Say Bill Will 'Ensure Future of Coal'

Three key senators leading development of a new climate bill say legislation will ensure a future for coal.

In a framework they released late last week, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Joseph Leiberman, I-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said coal...

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Turkmenistan-China Natural Gas Pipeline Nearly Completed

A 1,139-mile natural gas pipeline linking Turkmenistan and China is nearly operational, eventually bringing 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually from gas-rich Turkmenistan - undercutting Russia's near-lock on gas supplies in that former Soviet region

The pipeline cuts through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan into China's far western Xinjiang...

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Obama Announces TVA Board Nominee

President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he will nominate Nobel Laureate Marilyn A. Brown for one of the two open seats on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors.

Brown, a professor of energy policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology, shared the 2007...

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Cantwell, Collins Introduce 'Cap and Rebate' Bill

Two Senators are taking what they call an innovative approach to emissions legislation in a bipartisan plan unveiled today.

The plan from Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, would auction carbon credits to the roughly 2,000 coal, natural gas and oil companies that supply the nation's power...

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Swiss Halt Geothermal Project

Switzerland is halting a pioneering geothermal project, three years after the deep drilling into the ground caused earthquakes.

The Swiss company Geopower Basel was trying to become the first to generate commercial power by boiling water on rocks buried three miles underground. Engineers wanted to to shoot...

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India to Supply Low-Cost Nuclear Parts for U.S., EU

India will eventually supply nuclear power plant components for export to the U.S. and Europe.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Westinghouse Electric say after they use Indian-built parts to complete new reactors in that country, they will...

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EU nations to commit $3 billion to climate fund

European Union nations have agreed on a plan to contribute $3 billion a year to help poorer countries fight the effects of climate change.

Speaking at the conclusion of an EU summit in Belgium, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said their...

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Senators Offer New Climate Bill Framework

CAPITOL HILL: Stalled climate legislation in the Senate got a jump-start today after three key senators introduced what they called a "legislative framework" for a new cap-and-trade bill that backers hope can get 60 votes. Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), along with Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut introduced the "framework" today at a press conference at the Capitol.

In a letter to Present Obama describing what elements around which they plan to wrap the eventual bill, the lawmakers said a 17 percent reduction in pollution levels below 2005 emissions "is achievable and reasonable." The letter also admitted that allowing the EPA to use the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon...

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Climate Scientists Defend Research

The scientists whose e-mails are becoming fodder for climate skeptics say the messages do nothing to undermine the evidence for human-caused climate change.

More than 1,700 scientists signed a statement today, saying they have no doubt humans are to...

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NY Officials Give Go-Ahead for Offshore Wind Farm

New York politicians and energy officials have given the go ahead for what they say could be the the nation's largest offshore wind farm.

The New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative said it will request proposals next year from developers for a 350 megawatt wind farm 13...

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Skeptic Set to Sue NASA Over Climate Data

The scientists working with the University of East Anglia aren't the only ones being accused of fudging data.

A senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute plans to sue NASA for the release of its...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/10/09



Stay tuned for all the news from climate talks in Copenhagen on day 4. Interviews include: Phillipe Joubert, Micheal Zammit Cutajar, George Soros and Ken Salazar.

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Solar Power Coming to a Store Near You

Wondering how to work clean energy into your holiday gift list? How about a do-it-yourself solar panel kit.

Lowes stores in California are now selling them for about $900.

Akeena Solar says the kit has everything you...

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Judge Halts Construction on WV Wind Farm

Opponents of a West Virginia wind farm are claiming victory after a federal judge ordered a halt to construction work.

U.S. District Judge Roger Titus in Greenbelt, Md., agreed with the Animal Welfare Institute and the Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy that the turbines could cause harm to the...

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GE Wins Contract for World's Largest Wind Farm

General Electric has won a $1.4 billion contract to supply turbines and services for an Oregon wind farm that when complete will be the largest in the world.

Under the agreement with Caithness Energy, GE will build and install 338 turbines as well as...

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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

TVA to House Panel: Coal Ash Cleanup Under Control

The Tennessee Valley Authority told lawmakers on a House subcommittee Wednesday that clean-up from a devastating coal ash spill last December in Kingston, Tennessee is well underway.

“We are on track to have the ash removed from the river by the spring of 2010,” Tom Kilgore, TVA’s president and chief executive told the...

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"Cash for Caulkers" Could be Newest Economic Boost

First there was Cash for Clunkers, then cash for appliances, which depended on your state.

Now, the Obama Administration wants to expand that program in "cash for caulkers."

It would reimburse homeowners for installing energy-efficient appliances. The proposal suggests a homeowner could get up to...

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Drilling Pollution Standards to be Reevaluated

Federal officials will begin reviewing air pollution standards for U.S. oil and gas development starting in January 2011.

That follows a complaint filed in January against the Environmental Protection Agency by...

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Arctic Pipeline Construction Halted

New discoveries of natural gas in U.S. shale formations have sparked a drilling boom in some areas, but aren't seen as good news for everyone.

An increasing U.S. supply and lower prices are putting a chill on two pipelines planned to carry...

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Hacked E-Mail Scientists Report Death Threats

Two of the scientists involved in the release of e-mails from the University of East Anglia have received death threats since the contents of their private e-mails were leaked to the world.

A number of other scientists at the Climatic Research Unit have received...

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Kerry Says Climate Bill Up Next Year

Leading Democrats and the President support bringing a sweeping climate bill to the Senate floor next year.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., met with Majority Leader Harry Reid and other members Tuesday for a strategy session on climate change...

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IEA: Climate Deal Would Cost Trillions

If President Obama and other world leaders hammer out a comprehensive climate deal in Copenhagen, what would it cost to implement it?

The International Energy Agency says trillions over the next 20 years.

IEA officials tell the New York Times that new energy infrastructure alone is expected to cost...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/9/09



Copenhagen day 3- our Clean Skies team is following remarks by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson today in Copenhagen. Our Tyler Suiters asked her about whether the recent endangerment finding strengthens the U.S. as position in Denmark.The role solar energy will play in the climate negotiations- that's what we'll be talking about with Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Also, about events SEIA is holding in Copenhagen... as Resch prepares to head over there. Check out our site for updates from Copenhagen all day long.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Company Says New LED Bulb Reduces Eye Risks

A small British light company that says the new energy efficient LED bulbs are harmful to the human eye also says it has found a solution.

Luminanz says the popular LED bulbs use less energy and last longer, but they also can cause...

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DOE Revises Loan Guarantee Program

The Energy Department is revising its loan-guarantee program to make it easier for large-scale energy projects to get financing.

Secretary Steven Chu announced changes on Monday that will now allow overseas financiers...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/8/09



Day 2 of climate talks in Copenhagen.... our Clean Skies team continues to bring you the latest- including what UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer, says about the role of NGO's in reaching a global climate treaty. As the world meets to hammer out ways to combat climate change -- could cutting deforestation be the best hope? Dee Bhambhani takes a look at REDD -- the United Nations program on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. And new incentives for those of you who invest in energy efficient retrofits in their homes -- that's an announcement coming from President Obama at the Brookings Institution this afternoon.

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Wind Industry Cuts Jobs in Denmark

As President Obama tries to spur clean energy jobs here at home, hundreds of people in Denmark are losing their jobs in the wind industry -- a technology that country helped pioneer.

Vestas said it will layoff off more than 12-hundred Danish workers, and the biggest maker of turbine...

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Obama Pitches Infrastructure to Create Jobs

President Obama takes his message on climate change to a Washington think tank today.

He will visit the Brookings Institution to talk about the need to upgrade transportation infrastructure...

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Monday, December 7, 2009

Obama, Gore to Meet at White House

President Obama plans and former Vice President Al Gore will meet at the White House this afternoon as the president prepares to travel to Copenhagen for the United Nations climate summit.

The White House says the two will hold a closed meeting with no expected press...

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U.S. Lawmakers Wary of Emissions Cap

Some lawmakers are urging President Obama not to offer too much at Copenhagen.

A group of 20 congressional Republicans wrote to the president Friday expressing their "grave concern" that the U.S. delegation...

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EPA Set to Announce Endangerment Finding

The EPA's long-awaited "endangerment finding" will be released this afternoon.

EPA officials tell Clean Skies News that administrator Lisa Jackson will announce her agency's finding that greenhouse gases must be...

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Government Provides Carbon Capture Project Funding

The Department of Energy is awarding almost one billion dollars to three carbon capture and storage projects to get them working on a commercial scale.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu says the $979 million in federal stimulus money will be matched...

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India Says Copenhagen Position Firm

India's environment minister says his country is going to Copenhagen with a unified stance, despite reports of a rift.

Jairam Ramesh says he met Sunday with two key Indian negotiators who were threatening to skip the trip to Copenhagen because of an apparent...

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South Africa Offers Emissions Cuts

South Africa is the latest country to announce its emissions target, announcing it will reduce emissions 34 percent from "business as usual," over the next 10 years.

By 2025, that number would be up to 42 percent -- leveling off and starting to decline. The country's chief climate negotiator, Alf Wills, tells...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/7/09



It's day 1 of climate talks in Copenhagen... our Clean Skies team is there... Tyler Suiters will have all the news as 192 nations gather. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is getting ready to unveil the long awaited endangerment finding as early as today... that would put the EPA in the drivers seat to control a wide range of emissions... should those talks in Copenhagen fail to produce a treaty. And big names at the white house today.... talking clean energy. From Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to Governor Tim Kaine.

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Obama Delays Copenhagen Trip

WASHINGTON: In a surprise announcement late Friday, the White House said President Obama will delay his trip to world climate talks in Copenhagen next week.

The President was expected to attend the talks on December 9, but will now be in Denmark on the last day of the meeting -- December 18th.

In a statement, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "Based on his conversations with...

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Nepal Holds Cabinet Meeting at Everest

Months after the cabinet of Maldives met underwater to highlight the effects of climate change, it's Nepal's turn.

The country's top politicians strapped on oxygen tanks and headed to the base of Mount Everest...

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UN, University of East Anglia to Investigate E-mail Content

An investigation into the hacked emails at the University of East Anglia is taking a dramatic turn.

Both the United Nations and the university say they will investigate the content of e-mails taken from the university's Climatic Research Unit. They will look into whether the research into global...

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Byrd Blasts Mountaintop Mining; Industry Diplomatic

Senator Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., has some harsh words for mountaintop coal mining, but the industry is responding diplomatically.

On Thursday, Byrd issued a scathing critique of the coal industry's tactics and his home state's...

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EIA: U.S. Emissions Fell in 2008

Even without climate legislation or a binding international agreement, U.S. carbon emissions fell last year.

The Energy Information Administration reports that domestic CO2 emissions dropped by 2.9% in 2008. That's after the emissions climbed by...

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Kerry Unveils International Funding Bill

Senator John Kerry has now introduced what he says should be the "foundation" for President Obama's financial aid offer in Copenhagen.

The Hill newspaper reports that the bill is intended to be the Foreign Relations Committee's contribution to the overall senate climate bill...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/4/09



The latest on the hacked climate science emails as the United Nations launches its own investigation. Senator John Kerry to introduce legislation on international funding to combat the effects of climate change. And CSIS holds a briefing on the President's trip to Copenhagen.

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

GAO: Yucca Mntn. Would Be More Expensive Than Current Storage

A government report says it's less expensive to store the country's nuclear waste on reactor sites or in interim storage than it is to store waste at Yucca Mountain.

The Government Accountability Office report says operating the Yucca project at double its planned capacity would cost up to $67 billion. Storing...

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DOE Offers Help With Energy Saving Technology

The Department of Energy says it will offer technical help and resources to US companies that pledge to cut their industrial energy intensity by 25 percent over the next decade.

Secretary Steven Chu kicked off the "Save Energy Now Leader Program" today, and already...

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Exelon Plans to Close Pa. Fossil Plants

Exelon Power says it is closing one coal-fired power plant and shutting down two coal-fired generators at another -- all in suburban Philadelphia -- starting in May of 2011.

The Cromby plant in Phonenixville, Pa. will be closed completely and Units 1 and 2 at the Eddystone plant on the Delaware River. After that...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/3/09



Clean Skies News is following the latest on the green jobs section from the White House job summit today. Also, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is talking about smart grid development. And world energy leaders are gathering in New York City for tonight's Platts Global Energy Awards.

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Melting Ice Caps Threaten International Cities

Likely to fuel more debates in Copenhagen, a new report by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research says world sea levels are likely to rise about four-and-a-half feet by 2100 as polar ice melts.

The notable detail of the new report is not only the level by which some areas may rise, but that this is the first time that an international body...

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Poll: Majority Favors Carbon Tax Over Cap & Trade

Cap and Trade is the focus of the Obama administration and most lawmakers who favor climate legislation, but supporters of a carbon tax aren't giving up.

Two groups who favor that approach to cutting emissions have released a poll showing that while most voters don't know much about either...

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Business Consultant Calls for Emissions Caps

As world leaders prepare for talks in Denmark next week, a major consulting firm is saying the US, European Union, China and Saudi Arabia need to do the most to curb climate change.

In a report today, PricewaterhouseCoopers gave a carbon "budget" to the world's countries. Using factors such as economic and political...

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UN Official: $10B Not Enough For Developing Nations

A suggested $10 billion a year is not enough to help developing countries cope with the effects of climate change.

That's according to the head of the U.N.'s development arm. Helen Clark told reporters today that scientists and others believe $75...

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Source: India to Set Carbon Intensity Goals

India is reportedly set to announce carbon emissions goals heading into next week's climate summit in Copenhagen.

Reuters reports that Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh could announce as soon as tomorrow that it will seek to cut its carbon intensity by 24...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies - 12/2/09



EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is on the hill talking to the senate about efforts the EPA is making towards cleaning up toxic waste under super fund program. How will President Obama's energy policies re-shape America over the next four to eight years? The New America Foundation is discussing that today, with former FERC Commissioner Branko Terzik, Earth Trak Founder Douglas Koplow and other experts. Clean Skies' Dee Bhambhani is there and she'll have a full report for us. And its all about fuel efficiency at the Los Angeles auto show. Today GM is going to announce its initial production and launch markets for its long awaited all-electric Chevy Volt.

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Australian Senate Kills Cap and Trade Plan

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd heads to the climate talks in Copenhagen next week without a cap-and-trade plan locked in.

The Australian Senate -- strongly divided on the issue of man-made climate change -- has voted down the government's plan for a carbon market...

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Colorado Pipeline Company Fined 2.3 Million After Explosion

It's the largest fine ever levied against a pipeline company.

The Transportation Department said today it has fined the El Paso Corp. and its subsidiary Colorado Interstate Gas $2.3 million in...

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UN Environment Chief is Optimistic about Copenhagen Prospects

The Director of the United Nation's environment program, Achim Steiner, said Tuesday he believes a global deal setting firm targets to cut carbon emissions can be reached when climate talks begin in Copenhagen next week.

Speaking after meeting environmental groups in Geneva, Steiner told reporters that the latest offers by the United States and China appear...

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RGGI Credit Prices Plunge

Carbon price permits in the Northeast have fallen to record lows as the latest Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction nears.

Bloomberg reports that CO2 permits in the cap-and-trade market have dropped as much as 5.3 percent on speculation that some emission...

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Australian Climate Package at Risk

Australia's plans to cut its carbon emissions are in danger again, after the country's main opposition party elected a new leader who promised to block the plan in the Australian Senate.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 5 percent...

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What's Happening Today on Clean Skies News - 12/1/09



The EPA is leaning toward approving higher ethanol blend fuels at gas stations, but won't have a decision until next year. Clean Skies Dan Goldstein will have the latest on what that could mean for the industry and environment. Also, Charles Territo of the Alliance of Auto Manufactures will have reaction live on the Energy Report. And Russia and Iran are teaming up for several energy projects, we'll have the latest.

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Chu: U.S. Falling Behind China in Renewables Race

Energy Secretary Steven Chu says the world is passing us by when it comes to clean energy.

Speaking at a symposium in South Carolina, Chu warned that the U.S. is falling behind China.

Chu told business leaders and others the nation risks losing its prominence in high-tech manufacturing. He said America has the...

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EU Leaders Want More Details On China's Emissions Goals

China is promising to roll back its carbon emissions, but is it enough?

That's what European leaders want to know as they seek new details on the plan to reduce the ratio of greenhouse gases to its gross domestic product 40 to 45 percent over the next 10 years.

After meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said...

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EPA to Decide on E15 Blend in 2010

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will decide next year whether to boost the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent, but the agency is indicating it is leaning toward allowing the higher blend.

The EPA had until today to respond to a petition by ethanol manufacturers to raise the percentage allowed. The agency notified the groups that it...

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