Summary
Is it wishful thinking? In today’s edition, Exxon says oil and gas will still dominate energy in 2040. That may be, but now oil is cheap and it is the climate deal’s first big hurdle. Finally, an oil power has pledged to require that environmental reviews of proposed oil pipelines consider greenhouse gas effects, however. It’s Canada.
Quote of the day
“The federal role is to put into place a process by which TransCanada and any other company could demonstrate that their projects are in the public interest and could have public support.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in the Reuters’ story Canada to set climate change tests in pipeline reviews: Trudeau
Lead stories
Exxon says oil and gas will still dominate energy in 2040
Associated Press
The way oil giant Exxon Mobil sees it, the global energy landscape won’t be radically different in 2040 than it is today.
http://bit.ly/1RLwzi3
Climate Deal’s First Big Hurdle: The Draw of Cheap Oil
By Clifford Krauss and Diane Cardwell – The New York Times
Barely a month after world leaders signed a sweeping agreement to reduce carbon emissions, the global commitment to renewable energy sources faces its first big test as the price of oil collapses.
http://nyti.ms/1JClSf8
Canada to set climate change tests in pipeline reviews: Trudeau
By Allison Lampert – Reuters
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged on Tuesday to require that environmental reviews of proposed oil pipelines consider greenhouse gas effects, and said it was not his role to be a cheerleader for such projects.
http://reut.rs/1lP1YlA
Donald Trump Vs. Sea Level Rise
By Peter Aldhous – BuzzFeed News
“Located on 240 feet of pristine beach, Trump Hollywood offers spectacular views of the ocean,” boasts the Trump Organization on its website.
http://bzfd.it/202dxZh
Companies have environmental ‘blind spot’ in supply chains: study
By Alister Doyle – Reuters
Many multinationals have a blind spot in judging the environmental impact of their suppliers’ operations, adding to corporate risks linked to climate change, according to a study published on Tuesday.
http://reut.rs/1Pijsm7
Events
EUEC 2016 Conference & Expo
Feb 3 – Feb 5, 2016
San Diego Convention Center, CA
http://www.euec.com/
Carbon
Study: Grid For Renewables Key to Cutting Emissions
By Bobby Magill – Climate Central
Carbon dioxide emissions from generating electricity could be cut by 78 percent within the next 15 years if the country makes the same Herculean effort to expand solar and wind technology that it did to build the Interstate Highway System.
http://bit.ly/1nlSwXN
Natural gas / coal
California pushing insurers to cut coal investments
By Devin Henry – The Hill
California officials are asking state insurers to end their investments in coal.
http://bit.ly/1TlYXqs
Let Coal Die. Save Coal Country
Bloomberg News (Editorial)
The decline of coal as a source of electric power is inevitable and well under way.
http://bv.ms/20r6hD5
A look at China’s efforts to reduce coal use
DW
China’s domestic coal production fell 3.5 percent in 2015, while imports dropped by almost 30 percent, according to Chinese government data.
http://bit.ly/1Qqq4hj
Fracking fears raised by methane gas study
By John Moylan – BBC News
Research on the amount of gas leaked from onshore oil and gas wells raises “serious questions” over the development of fracking in the UK, Greenpeace has said.
http://bbc.in/1PQhEgn
Obama officials rush to curb methane on public lands
By Ellen M. Gilmer and Mike Soraghan – E&E
The Obama administration says it has no time to waste on finalizing efforts to curb the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions.
http://bit.ly/1PQix8F
Power
Solar panel costs predicted to fall 10% a year
By Megan Darby – Climate Home (part of the Guardian Environment Network)
Solar power costs are tumbling so fast the technology is likely to fast outstrip mainstream energy forecasts.
http://bit.ly/1UpboAa
***LB: Also in this story “That is the conclusion of Oxford University researchers, based on a new forecasting model published in Research Policy.”
Cutting Pollution From U.S. Power Plants Cheaper Than You Think
By Alex Nussbaum – Bloomberg News
Cutting global-warming pollution in the U.S. may not be so costly after all.
http://bloom.bg/1PijVVw
Refund of charges to prolong for Delta Hedge of Power Options / EEX to delist EURO Coal Futures
EEX Customer Information
To further support the positive market development of Power Options, EEX will prolong to waive any trading fees for future transactions which were concluded as “Delta Hedge” for Phelix-, French-, Italian-, Nordic- and Spanish-Base-Options.
http://bit.ly/1lP60Kx
Disarray in EDF board ahead of Hinkley point decision
By Jocelyn Timperley – BusinessGreen
A trade union represented on EDF’s board has raised a set of last-minute doubts ahead of the company’s final decision on whether to build the Hinkley Point nuclear plant in Somerset.
http://bit.ly/20r5aDn
Clean tech
Sunverge Named to Global Cleantech 100 List
PRNewswire
Intelligent energy storage leader Sunverge Energy today announced it has been named to the 2015 Global Cleantech 100, a comprehensive list of the most innovative and promising private companies in cleantech.
http://prn.to/1Pikize
If Tesla ever made a Super Bowl ad, this would be it
By Tom Warren – The Verge
Tesla’s autopilot feature has led to some Model S owners doing stupid things with their cars for YouTube videos.
http://bit.ly/1K8QxAs
Hope for Hydrogen? CARB Conditionally Certifies Tri-Generation Fuel Cell Plants as Renewable H2 Power Source
By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -Transport Evolved
Aside from the obvious challenges that come from implementing a brand-new refuelling infrastructure capable of safely storing and pumping compressed hydrogen (and the costs associated with building hydrogen fuel cell stacks), the other major problem with using hydrogen as a fuel source is that right now, the majority of hydrogen produced around the world comes from the reforming of fossil fuels like compressed natural gas or waste gasses produced during the fracking of oil.
http://bit.ly/1Tm2PI4
Water
El Niño means glaciers in the Andes are melting at record rates
New Scientist
Tropical glaciers in the Andes are melting at their fastest rate for 12 years, thanks to the record-breaking El Niño that is warming up the area, according to new data analyzed for New Scientist.
http://bit.ly/1NycrrM
Ocean Warming is Making Floods Worse, Study Finds
By John Upton – Climate Central
Floodwaters that washed icy brine into streets and homes along the eastern seaboard during Saturday’s blizzard reached heights in some places not experienced since Hurricane Sandy.
http://bit.ly/1ONeKew