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Today's Climate

September 2, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on September 02, 2010.

Developed Nations Arrange $10 Billion Financing in 2010 for Climate Fight (Bloomberg)

Developed nations have identified sources for $10 billion in "fast track" climate financing for poorer nations this year and almost $30 billion through 2012, the UN’s chief climate negotiator said.

Greenpeace Activists Arrested After Abandoning Occupation of Arctic Oil Rig (Guardian) 

Four Greenpeace activists who halted drilling by a British-owned oil exploration rig off Greenland have been arrested after they abandoned their occupation because of severe weather.

Judge Says Drilling Lease Lawsuit Too Late (AP) 

A U.S. federal judge ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit brought by energy producers challenging the cancellation of 77 oil and gas drilling leases was filed too late.

BP to Remove Equipment at Gulf Well by Sunday (Reuters)

BP expects to remove a failed blowout preventer atop its ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well by Saturday or Sunday and later plug the leak for good, the top U.S. official overseeing the spill response said on Wednesday.

BP Spent $94M on Ads During Spill (Politico) 

BP spent $93.4 million on advertising over four months as oil from its well gushed into the Gulf, according to data provided to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

NOAA Reopens More than 4,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area (NOAA)

NOAA has reopened 4,281 square miles of Gulf waters off western Louisiana to commercial and recreational fishing.

Environmentalists Stunned by Failures of Key Measures in Calif. Legislature (Los Angeles Times)  

Activists had worked for passage of expanded use of renewable resources to power California homes and businesses, among other initiatives. But the proposals they saw as a springboard to nationwide environmental efforts collapsed in the face of aggressive industry opposition.

Texas Fines Pipeline Firm For Gas Blast (Wall Street Journal)

Texas regulators found that pipeline operator Enterprise Products Partners violated state safety rules, contributing to a massive natural gas explosion that killed one worker and injured eight others in June.

EPA Rejects Texas Approach to Setting New Plant Emissions ( Houston Chronicle)

Federal environmental regulators took aim at Texas' rules for air pollution for the third time in five months Tuesday, saying some aspects violate the Clean Air Act. 

Alexander Asks EPA to Hold Coal Ash Hearing in Roane County (Knoxville News Sentinel)

Sen. Lamar Alexander has asked the EPA to hold an extra public hearing in Roane County on coal ash disposal so that federal officials can hear firsthand how a massive ash spill there damaged property and disrupted lives.

Australian Greens Announce Agreement to Support Gillard's Labor Party (Bloomberg) 

Australia's Green Party signed an accord with the Labor Party ensuring their support for PM Julia Gillard should she form the next government in exchange for the creation of a climate change committee to establish a price on carbon.

Greenpeace Wants Facebook Center Off Coal Fuel (AP)

Greenpeace said about 500,000 Facebook users have urged the world's largest online social network to abandon plans to buy electricity from a coal-based energy company for its new data center in the U.S.

Software Developers Urged to Help Out with Climate Models (BusinessGreen) 

A study by a computer scientist at the University of Toronto suggests the computer models used to predict climate change could be improved if climate scientists had a better understanding of software engineering.

Climate Change Puts China Harvests at Risk (AFP) 

Climate change could reduce key harvests in China by a fifth if the gloomiest scenarios prove true, according to a study on Wednesday.

September 1, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on September 01, 2010.

Court Ruling Gives Cape Wind Project Green Light to Build (Boston Globe) 

A divided Supreme Judicial Court ruled yesterday that a state board had the power to sidestep community opposition to grant the controversial Cape Wind energy project local and state permits it needs to start construction off Cape Cod.

Reid Puts Renewables Mandate in Play (The Hill)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday a nationwide renewable electricity standard is "absolutely" in the mix as he tries to salvage energy legislation this year — possibly in a lame-duck session. 

Murkowski Concedes Alaska Primary Race (AP) 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski was booted from office in the Republican primary Tuesday by a little-known conservative lawyer in arguably the biggest political upset of the year.

Clean-Coal Group Backs New Carbon Capture And Storage Project (Dow Jones)

A group of coal and power companies said Tuesday that it has decided to stick with the government-backed FutureGen project to cut emissions from a coal-fired plant despite a significant change in plan.

Environmental Groups Want In On Texas-EPA Lawsuit (Sustainable Business)

Two environmental groups, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Environmental Integrity Project, are lending legal support to the U.S. EPA in its lawsuit with the State of Texas. 

Drilling Agency Imposes Conflict-of-Interest Rules (AP)

The agency that oversees offshore drilling is imposing a first-ever ethics policy that bars inspectors from dealing with a company that employs a family member or personal friend.

Enbridge Says Pipeline Pressure Tests Show No Leaks (Bloomberg) 

Enbridge Inc., which carries most of the oil imported to the U.S. from Canada, said no leaks were detected during pressure tests on a 13-mile segment of pipeline in Michigan that spilled oil last month.

A Nuclear Giant Moves Into Wind (Green Inc.)

Nuclear giant Exelon announced today that it was buying John Deere Renewables, which has 735 MW in operation and 230 MW in "advanced stages of development" in Michigan. 

Pennsylvania: Natural Gas Tax Plan Suggested (Wilkes Barre Times-Leader)

The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center on Tuesday released a new report recommending how the state Legislature should structure a fair severance tax on natural gas extraction.

Homeowners Must Pay Off Energy Improvement Loans (New York Times)

Homeowners who participated in the PACE program that let them repay the cost of solar panels and other energy improvements through an annual surcharge on their property taxes must pay off the loans before they can refinance their mortgage.

Brazil Oficials: Amazon Deforestation Declining (AP)

Brazil's National Institute for Space Research says satellite imagery shows nearly 900 square miles were destroyed in the 12 months through July 31, a 48% drop from a year earlier.

India Backs Embattled IPCC Chief Pachauri (AFP)

India's government said it remained fully supportive of IPCC chief Rajendra Pachauri after a damning UN-ordered review called for changes to the Nobel Prize-winning climate change body's leadership.

U.N. to Study Impact of Incomplete Climate Action (Reuters)

The UN panel of climate scientists will look at the costs of "second best" ways of fighting global warming amid doubts that all countries will sign up to U.N.-led action, a leading expert said on Tuesday.

Australian PM Wins Greens Support in Govt Bid (Reuters)

Australian PM Julia Gillard forged an alliance with the Greens party on Wednesday to take her party closer to forming a government, but vowed not to allow the deal to change her plans for a tax on miners' profits.

Government Approves 1,000 MW Grid-Connected Solar Power Projects (The Hindu)

The government is targeting 1000 MW of solar power by 2013 of which 500 MW would be solar PV and 500 MW through solar thermal technology, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said today.

Rogue Ship Dumps Oil, Coating Famed Indian Beaches (AP)

An unknown ship dumped tons of waste oil into the sea off western India, creating tar balls that were heaping on Goa's famed beaches Wednesday, officials said.

Tesla Roadster Qualifies for Japan EV Rebates (Reuters) 

U.S. electric car startup Tesla Motors said it has qualified for the Japanese government's clean energy cash rebate program, knocking off up to $38,490 from the price of its Roadster.

August 31, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on August 31, 2010.

Climate 'Skeptic' Bjørn Lomborg Now Believes Warming is One of World's Greatest Threats (Telegraph)

Bjørn Lomborg, a self-styled "skeptical environmentalist" who has long opposed international curbs on carbon emissions, is now urging world leaders to invest heavily in clean energy.

German Energy Demand 'Can Be Met By Renewables By 2050' (Dow Jones)

Most of Germany's energy demand can be met through renewable sources by 2050, but this is dependent on spending billions of euros, according to the conclusions of a government-commissioned report. 

Panel Member: Blowout Preventer May Hold Key (AP) 

Accurate conclusions about what caused the blowout of BP's oil well in the Gulf and the massive spill that followed will have to wait for a key piece of equipment to be raised from the seafloor and analyzed, a member of a federal investigative panel looking into the disaster said.

Group Touring State to Push for Marcellus Gas Tax (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

An environmental group is holding a statewide "Keep the Promise" tour that's aimed at enacting a new "severance tax" on Marcellus Shale natural gas producers, and the first stop will be in the Pittsburgh area.

Activists Seek Ban on Mountaintop Removal Mining (AP)

Activists from the Appalachian region called on the Obama administration Monday to end the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining, saying it is destroying their land and harming their water quality.

Not Boycotting Oilsands, 3 U.S. Firms Say (CBC News)

On Friday, it was widely reported that The Gap, Levi Strauss and Timberland had told their transportation companies that preference would be given to those that avoided using oilsands fuels. All three firms denied those reports to CBC News.

Updated Car Stickers to Include Environmental Info (AP)

A government proposal may add letter grades to showroom window stickers on new cars and trucks to reflect a vehicle's overall fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Japan Forsees Starting Carbon-Emissions Trading in 2013, Panel Reports (Bloomberg)

Japan plans to start emissions trading in 2013, as the government revived a climate-protection draft law that was scrapped earlier this year when then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned.  

Colo. Regulators Hold Hearings on Xcel Smart Grid (AP) 

This week the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is holding hearings on its SmartGridCity project and how much of its costs Xcel Energy can recover from customers statewide.

Russia Submits 'Breakthrough' Carbon Emissions Reduction Project, UN Says (Bloomberg)

Russia submitted for registration its first carbon emissions reduction project under a special UN procedure, a step that can signal "a substantial increase" of followers, the UN regulator said today.

SunPower Lands Sweet Array of Government Contracts (VentureBeat) 

Solar energy company SunPower Corp. has landed a sweet array of installation contracts for U.S. government entities, amounting to about 20 megawatts’ worth of new solar projects for groups such as the Navy and Marine Corps.

Proterra’s Fast-Charging Electric Bus Hits the Road (Earth2Tech)

Proterra is announcing this morning that Foothill Transit, which serves eastern LA County, has purchased three of its electric buses, as well as two fast-charging stations, and signed on for an option to buy nine more if all goes well.

August 30, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on August 30, 2010.

Judge Denies Cuccinelli's Demand for Climate Researcher's Records (Roanoke Times) 

A county judge has blocked AG Ken Cuccinelli's quest for documents related to the work of former University of Virginia climate scientist Michael Mann, ruling that Cuccinelli failed to show why he suspects the professor may have violated a state fraud statute.

Elevated Levels of Toxins Found in Athabasca River (Globe and Mail)

A study set to be published today has found elevated levels of 13 toxic elements in the oil sands' main fresh water source, the Athabasca River, refuting government and industry claims that water quality there hasn't been affected by oil sands development.

BP Said to Fault Own Engineers for Misinterpreting Well Data (Bloomberg)

BP's internal investigation of the Deepwater Horizon disaster pins some of the blame on the company for mistakes made when finishing the oil well, including misreading pressure data that indicated a blowout was imminent.

Jindal Calls for Greater 'Urgency' from Obama on Ending Drilling Moratorium (The Hill)

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) on Sunday blasted Pres. Obama's failure to revisit his ban on offshore oil drilling, saying the delay is costing "thousands of Louisianans our jobs."

Risk-Taking Rises as Oil Rigs in Gulf Drill Deeper (New York Times)

Even as regulators investigate the causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the broader dangers posed by the industry's push into deeper waters have gone largely unscrutinized.

Drilling Rules Shake-Up Puts New Regulator in Spotlight (Wall Street Journal)

Michael Bromwich, the nation's new chief offshore oil regulator, is at the center of an escalating debate over the reshaping of rules that govern offshore oil and exploration in the Gulf.

Environmental Groups Face Their Future in Climate Change Debate (Washington Post)

For the environmental movement, this year's climate bill defeat was more than a loss; it was a reckoning, a signal that it had overestimated its influence, according to a WaPo analysis. 

Cape Wind Foes Want Grid Contracts Axed (Boston Herald)

Cape Wind opponents are urging state regulators to dismiss contracts between the offshore wind power developers and National Grid, citing the state's recent rejection of three contracts filed by Nstar.

Mass. Senate to Try Again to Pass Wind Power Bill (AP)

The Massachusetts State Senate is trying again to pass a bill supporters say will streamline the location of wind power facilities in the state.

Quebec Shale Gas Hearings Set for Fall (Montreal Gazette)

Quebec's policies -- or lack thereof -- when it comes to regulating its nascent shale gas industry will be the subject of public hearings beginning this autumn, the provincial government announced.

Japan Plans to Bind Large Firms to CO2 Caps: Draft (Reuters)

Japan's compulsory emissions trading scheme is set to start in April 2013 and cover large CO2 emitting companies, a draft of the government's proposals showed on Monday.

Merkel Says Extending German Nuclear Power by Up to 15 Years Is 'Sensible' (Bloomberg)

Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she favors an extension of the operating lifespan of German nuclear power plants by as many as 15 years, less than utilities such as E.ON AG and RWE AG are hoping for.

Friends of the Earth Urges End to 'Land Grab' for Biofuels (Guardian)

In a new report, Friends of the Earth says the EU must drop its goal to produce 10% of all transport fuels from biofuels by 2020, or risk plunging more Africans into hunger.

August 28-29, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on August 29, 2010.

Probe Seeks UN Climate Panel Changes (Wall Street Journal)

A group investigating the UN IPCC will recommend in a report Monday that the organization beef up its capacity to ferret out errors in its scientific assessments. 

Engineers to Remove Temporary Cap from Gulf Well (AP)

Engineers will soon start the delicate work of detaching the temporary cap that stopped oil from gushing from BP's blown-out well and the hulking device that failed to prevent the leak.  

BP Internal Report Said to Find Engineers Misread Gulf Well Test Results (Bloomberg)

BP's internal investigation of the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster found company engineers misinterpreted pressure data that indicated a blowout was imminent, according to a person familiar with the report.

BP to Admit $1Mlln-a-Week Advertising Spree (Telegraph) 

BP is set to come under renewed fire from U.S. politicians this week as it reveals it has spent more than $1 million a week on television and radio advertising since the April 20 oil explosion.

Gulf Drilling Costs, Regulations Likely to Rise (Rigzone)

The Gulf spill has set the stage for dramatic changes to the deepwater exploration industry, with future costs of drilling expected to rise considerably, according to a white paper released by Grant Thornton LLP.

Deepwater Horizon Fears Resurface as Rigs Probe for Oil Under Arctic Ice (The Observer)  

ExxonMobil, Shell and Norway's StatOil are competing to drill for oil and gas in Greenland's waters, despite Greenpeace's fears a broken well could gush for years.

W.Va. Governor Wins Dem Primary for U.S. Senate (AP)

Popular Gov. Joe Manchin won the Democratic nomination Saturday and will face GOP primary winner and wealthy businessman John Raese in the race to fill the Senate seat vacated by the late Robert C. Byrd.

California Proposes Feed-in Tariff Pilot Program for Renewables (Sustainable Business)

The California Public Utilities Commission last week proposed a new feed-in tariff requiring investor-owned California utilities to purchase electricity from midsized renewable energy systems — ranging from 1 MW to 20 MW in size.

Green-Tech Patent Program Off Target Pace (CNET News)

A trial program run by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which was meant to speed the pace of innovation in green technology, hasn't unleashed the torrent of activity as hoped.  

Truckers to Appeal Ruling for LA Anti-Smog Program (AP)

Environmentalists on Friday hailed a federal judge's ruling that allows the nation's largest port to enforce anti-smog rules on big rigs that haul goods in and out. 

California Energy Panel Promises Millions to Ethanol Firm Founded by Schwarzenegger Ally (Los Angeles Times)

California's energy commission has promised millions of dollars to the struggling corn ethanol business founded by Gov. Schwarzenegger, Pacific Ethanol, despite public assurances that the commission's funds would not be used to subsidize that technology. 

China Coal Drive Will Not End Health Risks: Report (Reuters)

China's drive to promote clean coal technology is unlikely to reduce significantly the health risks of extracting what remains the dirtiest of fossil fuels, environmental group Greenpeace said.

Chile: Coal Plants Under Fire (IPS)

Controversial plans to build the Barrancones thermoelectric plant near a protected area in the northern Chilean region of Coquimbo were canceled Friday, but not before reviving the debate on other projects for polluting coal plants.

NZ Seabed Samples Clue to Global Warming (Australian Associated Press)

The fossil record from oceans around New Zealand shows a sudden discharge of CO2 into the atmosphere at the end of the last ice age, raising the possibility that a similar process may occur as a result of global warming, researchers say.

August 27, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on August 27, 2010.

Another Ice Island Breaks Off Arctic Glacier (LiveScience)

Sometime earlier this month, a Bermuda-sized ice island broke free from the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf along the northern coast of Canada's Ellesmere Island.

More Major U.S. Corporations Join Boycott of Alberta Oilsands Fuels (Canadian Press)

Another four major U.S. companies — Walgreens, Gap, Timberland and Levi Strauss — are joining the move to either avoid or completely boycott fuel produced from Alberta's oilsands.

Experts: Drilling Ban May Not Be Needed Any More (AP) 

A ban on deepwater drilling may no longer be needed now that the oil industry appears to have developed safer drilling regimes, an expert panel said Thursday in a report to the commission investigating the spill.

No Alarms Activated On Oil Rig, Official Says (Wall Street Journal)

A BP executive who was visiting the bridge of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig the day the well blew out said he didn't hear or see any alarms go off in the minutes before it exploded.

New Report Documents More Coal Ash Contamination (Coal Tattoo)

As the Obama administration prepared to begin public hearings on its proposed regulation of the handling of toxic coal ash, environmental groups released a new report that documents more water contamination from ash dumps across the country.

33 Miners in Chile Are Alive, but Stuck for Months (AP)

For 33 men found alive after 17 days trapped deep in a copper and gold mine, the toughest challenge now may be preserving their sanity during the months it may take to carve a tunnel big enough for them to get out. 

Shell Tests Method to Reclaim Oil Sands Waste (Reuters) 

Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it was starting up a demo project to test a new method of speeding up reclamation of toxic waste ponds at oil sands operations.

Enbridge to Build Another Oilsands Pipeline (Montreal Gazette)

Enbridge has inked an agreement to build a $370-million, 95-kilometer oil pipeline connecting new Suncor Energy production to its existing system.

Judge: LA Port's Clean Trucks Program Can Proceed (AP)

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Port of Los Angeles can regulate trucks that haul goods in and out of its property to reduce air pollution around the country's busiest port complex. 

Climate Aid Reaches $30 Billion Goal, But Is It New? (Reuters)

Aid promises from rich nations to help poor countries slow global warming are reaching the $30 billion goal agreed in Copenhagen but analysts say much of that is old funding dressed up as new pledges.

Fires Cost Russia '300 Billion Dollars' in Deforestation (AP)

Wildfires have cost Russia $300 billion in forest loss, environmentalists said on Thursday, explaining the scale of the disaster by Vladimir Putin's "absurd" changes to forestry law.

China Clean Energy Plan Hinges on Coal Price (Reuters)

China's $736-billion push to harness nuclear, wind, solar and biomass energy hinges on making the cleaner fuels competitive with cheap and CO2-intensive coal without derailing surging industrial growth.

China Builds Base to Tap Deepsea Energy: State Media (Phys.org)

China will build a multi-million-dollar research base on its east coast as it steps up its efforts to search for energy sources and rare earths on the ocean floor, state media said.

Indonesia Seeks Huge Payout for Oil Spill (AFP)

Indonesia is seeking more than a billion dollars' compensation for environmental damage from an oil spill at a Thai-run rig off Australia's northwest coast, a report said Thursday.

August 26, 2010

By SolveClimate Staff from SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines. Published on August 26, 2010.

U.S. Spill Panel Question Drilling Policy (Reuters)

The BP spill was a massive "failure" in government oversight and administrations should be forced to consult with experts in the field before making drilling policy, top spill commission officials said on Wednesday. 

On Doomed Rig's Last Day, a Divisive Change of Plan (Wall Street Journal)

On April 20, a young BP engineer sent an email to colleagues aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig, spelling out a recent change to a key safety test. Less than 12 hours later, the rig was engulfed in flames.

Key Device in Gulf Spill Didn't Get Recertified (AP) 

A critical device at the center of an investigation into the Gulf oil rig explosion didn't undergo a rigorous recertification process in 2005 as required by federal regulators.

BP Frozen Out of Arctic Oil Drilling Race (Guardian)

BP confirmed last night that it was no longer trying to win an oil exploration license in Greenland, despite earlier reports of its interest, owing to its tarnished reputation after the Gulf spill.

Asia's Glaciers in Retreat, Could Signal Crop Failure and Flooding in the Future (USA Today)

Glaciers throughout all of Asia are retreating, which could mean drought, plus crop losses upstream and flood conditions downstream for millions of people, a report published by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Absentee Ballots May Hold Key to a Murkowski Win Over Joe Miller (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Sen. Lisa Murkowski trailed Fairbanks attorney Joe Miller by nearly 1,500 votes after totals were updated on Wednesday, but as many as 16,000 absentee and questioned ballots remain.

Burr Could Be Top Republican on Senate Energy Committee (The Hill)

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) could become the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee if Sen. Murkowski loses her primary. Burr is considered more conservative on energy than the Alaskan senator.

Obama Admin Urges Supreme Court to Vacate Greenhouse Gas 'Nuisance' Ruling (Greenwire)

The Obama administration has urged the Supreme Court to toss out an appeals court decision that would allow lawsuits against major emitters for their contributions to global warming.

Montana Tribe: $7B Coal-to-Liquids Plant Needs More Federal Support (AP) 

Leaders of the Crow Tribe warned Wednesday that a $7 billion coal-to-liquid fuels plant proposed for the Montana reservation could founder unless the federal government throws more support behind the industry.

US Export-Import Bank Clears Loan To India Power Plant (Dow Jones)

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has decided to make a $900 million loan to Reliance Power Ltd. to build a coal plant in India, reversing an earlier decision to reject the financing.

Federal Official: Gas May Be Bubbling in WVa Mine (AP) 

Methane gas may be bubbling up in a flooded area of West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine where 29 men died in an April 5 explosion, a federal mine regulator said Wednesday.

Australia's Capital Sets 40% Carbon Cut Law (Reuters)

The government of the Australian Capital Territory, which includes the capital Canberra, said on Thursday it will set a target of cutting carbon emissions by 40% by 2020 from 1990 levels.

Africa May Become Next Big Market for Carbon Projects, Emission Group Says (Bloomberg)

Africa may be the next major market for carbon-reduction ventures amid investigations into Chinese certification and as the EU imposes new regulations, the International Emissions Trading Association said.

UK's Nuclear Reactor Program Falls Behind Schedule (Guardian)

The schedule for the UK's nuclear reactor building program has slipped behind already, the safety regulator has admitted, reinforcing concerns that the first reactor will not be built on time. 

Scotland Throws Down Gauntlet in Battle to Become Offshore Wind Hub (Business Green)

Scotland could emerge as one of the world's leading developers of offshore wind energy within the next decade, according to a new report that predicts the industry has the potential to create up to 28,000 jobs by 2020.

Ford, PGE Readies the City of Portland for EVs (Environmental Leader) 

Ford Motor Company and Portland General Electric are working in tandem to help prepare the city of Portland, and the entire Pacific Northwest, for electric vehicles.

Shell, Cosan Sign Final Agreement to Form Biofuels Joint Venture (Bloomberg) 

Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, and Cosan SA Industria & Comercio, the world's largest sugar-cane processor, signed the final accord to form a joint sugar and biofuels venture in Brazil.

Bill Delays Calif's TV Energy-Efficiency Standards (AP)

The nation's first energy-efficiency standards for televisions would be delayed by six months if Gov. Schwarzenegger signs a bill approved by the California Senate.

Energy Storage Market Report: 26.6% Annual Growth in the U.S. (Earth2Tech)

The global market for utility-scale energy storage could grow 26.6% per year to nearly $2 billion in 2015, according to an SBI Energy report released Wednesday.