Summary
In today’s edition, details on what the Republicans’ victory means for the climate and who will chair key energy and environment committees. Also, how fracking fared on Tuesday. And – from one climate summit to the next, stories on what to expect at the Lima Summit, to be held in early December.
Quote of the day
“What’s their plan? We want (developed) nations to make promises for strategic reductions of emissions – that is what we’re looking for in Lima.”
Brazil’s Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira, in the AP’s story Brazil: Rich Nations Must Reduce Carbon Emissions
Lead stories
Greens beaten back but not broken after election
Timothy Cama, The Hill
Environmental groups see the results of the midterm elections as a major loss for their priorities, but they haven’t completely lost hope.
http://jlne.ws/1pmPgM7
Mixed results for local anti-fracking measures
Timothy Cama, The Hill
Voters in some localities in Texas, Ohio and California voted to ban or put new restrictions on hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas, though other ballot measures in those states failed.
http://jlne.ws/1AkLYh7
***LB: Also in this story “Denton, Texas; Athens, Ohio; and San Benito and Mendocino counties in California passed ballot measures to restrict fracking, the controversial method of injecting fluid into wells to extract more oil and gas.”
Texans Vote To Ban Fracking
Ari Philllips, Climate Progess
On Tuesday, voters in Denton, Texas, banned fracking within the city limits by a large margin of 59 to 41.
http://jlne.ws/1tJcVqg
TransCanada eager for renewed Keystone push in Senate
Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill
The CEO of TransCanada, Russ Girling, said the pipeline developer is ready to work with the new GOP majority to “break the gridlock on Keystone.
http://jlne.ws/1AkMtaN
Inhofe: I’ll chair Environment Committee
Timothy Cama, The Hill
Climate change skeptic Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), fresh off an easy reelection, said he will become chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
http://jlne.ws/1tdwFgg
Murkowski readies for reins of Senate Energy
Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is gearing up to take control of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as the balance of power shifts to Republicans next year.
http://jlne.ws/1u1g18O
Brazil: Rich Nations Must Reduce Carbon Emissions
Brad Brooks, Associated Press
Brazil’s environment minister said Wednesday that her nation will be a protagonist at an upcoming climate change conference in Peru and will hold developed nations accountable for strong commitments to reduce carbon emissions.
http://jlne.ws/1Ap8QMm
Narendra Modi government reconstitutes climate change panel, no member from industry
Economic Times
Barely three weeks before crucial negotiations in Lima, the government has reconstituted the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, reducing its size and dropping members, including sole industry representative Ratan Tata and Centre for Science and Environment director general Sunita Narain.
http://jlne.ws/1zxNSJS
Events
U.S. Solar Market Insight Conference
The U.S. Solar Market Insight Conference presents data, analysis and expert forecasting on the state of the solar market in the U.S.
Dec. 8 – 10, 2014
San Diego, CA
http://jlne.ws/1tvNBEM
Carbon
California Readies for Cap-and-Trade Next Steps
Leon Kaye, Triple Pundit
In November 2012, California launched its cap-and-trade program, the second largest in the world after the European Union’s.
http://jlne.ws/1GqzYen
California emissions drop 3.3% in 2013 as first compliance period passes
ICIS
California compliance entities saw emissions drop by 3.3% in 2013, with a bulk of the reductions coming from power imported into the state, roughly meeting the expectations of market participants prior to the release.
http://jlne.ws/1x9mqQn
Poor communities to win in Calif. pollution cap-and-trade program
Inquirer
California’s Environmental Protection Agency has identified disadvantaged communities as priority targets for investments funded by the state government’s cap-and-trade program.
http://jlne.ws/1pmS0t7
BM&FBOVESPA Compensates 2013 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Mondo Visione
BM&FBOVESPA has compensated those of its 2013 greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) that it was unable to reduce, thus becoming carbon neutral for another year. The initiative began last year, when the Exchange compensated 2011 and 2012.
http://jlne.ws/1pmQBCH
Natural gas / coal
OPEC’s Weak Links Feeling Pain That Shale Producers Seek
Maher Chmaytelli and Mohammed Aly Sergie, Bloomberg News
Here’s why the U.S. shale upstarts just might win a confrontation with Saudi Arabia as oil sinks: While the Arab nation is as flush with cash as ever, the finances of some fellow OPEC members are deteriorating quickly.
http://jlne.ws/1El1lVg
For India, China-backed lender may be answer to coal investment
Manoj Kumar and Tony Munroe, Reuters
India is hoping a new China-backed multilateral lender will fund coal-based energy projects, an official said, putting it in direct conflict with the World Bank, whose chief has maintained that it would stick to its restrictions on such lending.
http://jlne.ws/10yQHvj
Hungary paves way for Gazprom pipeline
Andrew Byrne, Financial Times
Hungary’s government has shrugged off warnings from Brussels over building a Kremlin-backed gas pipeline – passing a law that opens the way for work to move ahead on the project and provoking allegations of a pro-Russian shift in energy policy.
http://jlne.ws/1GqBblY
Power
India targets renewables in $250bn power plan
Victor Mallet and Amy Kazmin, Financial Times
India will need $250bn of investment in power generation and transmission over the next five years to meet its goal of doubling electricity output and connecting everyone to the grid, according to the new government.
http://jlne.ws/1qr8XNG
Solar latecomer France builds Europe’s largest plant
Michel Rose, Planet Ark
France has made up some lost ground against its neighbors with the start to construction of what will be Europe’s biggest photovoltaic solar power plant.
http://jlne.ws/1E7PKXz
***LB: Also in this story “Solar power capacity has grown slowly in France compared to Germany, Spain or Italy. It had 5,095 MW of photovoltaic capacity in June, which accounted for only 1 percent of its energy consumption in the first half of the year, and compares with nearly 37,000 MW in Germany.”
Report: (UK’s) Ofgem prepares action over energy firms’ failure to meet efficiency goals
James Murray, BusinessGreen
Six of the UK’s largest energy companies could soon face significant fines over their failure to meet targets imposed through the government’s previous energy efficiency schemes.
http://jlne.ws/1x8Ky4v
Italy’s Enel plans to sell off at least 17% of Endesa
James Politi, Thomas Hale and Tobias Buck, Financial Times
Enel, Italy’s largest utility, is set to sell off at least a 17 per cent stake in Endesa, the Spanish power company it acquired in 2007, in a move that could raise more than 2.6bn euros and is seen as a pillar of the company’s restructuring efforts.
http://jlne.ws/1pmSuzc
October delivers another record-breaking month for UK wind power
Jessica Shankleman, BusinessGreen
The UK’s fleet of wind turbines recorded another record-breaking month in October, supplying an average of more than 12 per cent of electricity demand during the month.
http://jlne.ws/1tB6OCx
Defra admits it cannot say how much farmland solar power is affecting
James Murray, BusinessGreen
The row between Labour and the (British) government over solar farm policy is rumbling on, after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) again admitted it had no detailed information on how solar arrays may impact food production, despite environment secretary Liz Truss’ assertion that the expansion of solar farms represents a “big problem”.
http://jlne.ws/1zwM1oP
Clean tech
Tesla Seen Reporting Record Deliveries on Pace to Sales Target
Madeline O’Leary, Bloomberg News
Tesla Motors Inc. will probably report record Model S deliveries in the third quarter, positioning the electric-car maker to meet its goal of increasing sales this year by more than 50 percent.
http://jlne.ws/1AkVEYX
Tesla shares surge after record Model S sales
Will Nichols, BusinessGreen
Tesla’s stronger than expected third quarter performance saw shares in the electric car manufacturer rise nearly eight per cent in after-hours trading yesterday.
http://jlne.ws/1tfWM6d
Water
California Voters Approve $7.5 Billion in Water Bonds
Michael B. Marois, Bloomberg News
California voters enduring a record drought approved a $7.5 billion bond measure to upgrade water systems after Governor Jerry Brown said it was needed to shore up supplies.
http://jlne.ws/1y5jylJ
Voters Mostly Say ‘Yes’ to Water Spending
Circle of Blue
Measures to spend public money for water infrastructure, pollution control, and environmental protection scored more victories than defeats at the ballot box.
http://jlne.ws/1AkKUtB
Surrounded By Water, Ohio River Valley Experiences Economic Resurgence
Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue
Randy Simes, an urban planner in Cincinnati with a keen sense of observation, founded UrbanCincy.com in 2007 to report on the transitional neighborhoods, evolving culture, and reviving post-industrial economy of his native Queen City of nearly 300,000 residents.
http://jlne.ws/1tfX78Y
Miscellaneous
Without Energy gavel can Landrieu prove she carries clout?
Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) didn’t lose her reelection race last night, but she did lose her powers as chairwoman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, leaving her with little leverage going into a December runoff.
http://jlne.ws/1qr7AP3
Arrests made over drone possession near French nuclear power plant
Associated Press
Three men in their 20s have been arrested in possession of a drone near a French nuclear reactor, the first such arrests since a spate of mysterious drone overflights of reactors began in early October.
http://jlne.ws/1xiqb46