Energy and Environment News Roundup – 4.24.12

This post was originally published on Marcacci Communications, which provides a daily roundup of energy and climate news and opinion. Inclusion of articles does not mean endorsement. Client relationships are disclosed where applicable.

GREEN BUSINESS 

Intel tops list of ‘green power’ users (via United Press International)

Wells Fargo to invest $30 billion in environmental financing (via BusinessGreen)

CLIMATE/EMISSIONS/ENVIRONMENT 

Boulder scientists distinguish sources of CO2 in the air (via Energy Central)

3 things businesses need to know about extreme weather (via GreenBiz)

Fees and anger rise in California water war (via New York Time)

NJ withdraws from federal lawsuit with EPA (via Newark Star-Ledger)

TRANSPORTATION 

China’s dream of electric car leadership elusive despite heavy government subsidies (via Washington Post/AP)

Court blocks injunction on California low carbon fuel standard (via Sacramento Bee)

ANSI releases Standardization Roadmap for EV development (via Green Car Congress)

RENEWABLES 

US tariffs on Chinese solar cells fuel debate about green jobs (via Los Angeles Times)

Missed renewable energy targets will cost UK dearly, warns study (via The Guardian)

German solar demand surprisingly resilient, biggest builder says (via Bloomberg)

Cleantech business on upswing; may reach $350 billion by 2020 (via EnergyNext)

2012 US solar installations to reach 2800 MW (via Facts of the Day)

CSP and PV solar make each other more valuable (via Greentech Media)

NV Energy pulls out of major wind farm (via Idaho Statesman/AP)

Geothermal system taps sewage instead of bedrock (via TreeHugger)

Solar power producers hesitate to embrace new DWP program (via Los Angeles Times)

Can US farms compete without renewables? (via SmartPlanet)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

Oil sands critics take on Ontario pipeline battle (via The Star)

Competitors diminish Keystone XL clout, says Nebraska official (via United Press International)

ENERGY POLICY 

India mulls strategic energy fund (via Wall Street Journal)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Natural gas cuts 2012 US carbon emissions by 300 million tons (via Facts of the Day)

Ohio laws allow drilling even where owners object (via Huffington Post)

OIL/GASOLINE 

Could we lower gas prices by limiting fuel exports? (via Washington Post)

In a change, Mexico reins in its oil monopoly (via New York Times)

German bank won’t finance Arctic Ocean drilling, says ‘risks and costs simply too high’ (via Climate Progress)

Crime rises as oil booms in Northern Plains (via Great Falls Tribune)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

GSA saves taxpayer money with deep energy retrofits of federal buildings (via Forbes)

COAL 

Recent coal export trends: Q4 2011 (via Sightline Daily)

GRID 

UK smart grid could create jobs, help economy-report (Reuters)

ComEd aims to deploy 4 million smart meters in next decade (via Chicago Sun-Times)

NUCLEAR 

San Onofre not expected to close for good (via Los Angeles Times)

OPINION 

A tale of two solar energy reports (via Earth2Tech)

Watch the climate conversation run aground (via Grist)

The danger of climate change denial (via Climate Progress)

‘Collective hypnosis or hysteria’ on natural gas (via Grist)