Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.9.12

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.

EMISSIONS

Australia predicts A$24.7 billion carbon tax revenue (via Bloomberg)

Canada is slow to act on emissions, audit warns (via New York Times)

Norway opens $1 billion carbon capture plant (via Sustainable Business)

CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT 

US completes warmest 12-month period in 117 years (via Washington Post)

Meetings begin on Maryland’s climate plan (via Baltimore Sun)

Warming climate in Canadian Arctic portends major changes in south (via Edmonton Journal)

UN talks on Rio agenda break off, but negotiators vow to resume (via ClimateWire)

Public support slips for steps to curb climate change (via USA Today)

Anti-climate group compares 62% of Americans to serial killers, loses $1 million in sponsors (via TreeHugger)

Only 1 in 10 Americans is a global warming denier, report finds (via Ecopolitology)

RENEWABLES 

McKinsey: solar costs could drop 70% by 2020 (via TriplePundit)

Largest low-concentrating solar PV power plant in world now online (via CleanTechnica)

Solar is Europe’s most-installed power source, lobby says (via Bloomberg)

Saudi Arabia plans to build 41GW of solar power by 2032 (via EnergyNext)

Seeking source of electricity in water pipes (via New York Times)

Coal out, geothermal in on Missouri campus (via Earth Techling)

NATURAL GAS 

Interior Department approves Andarko’s plan for 3,675 Utah gas wells (via Washington Post)

Risk of cyberattacks clouds natural gas boom (via Politico)

New federal fracking regulations cover only a sliver of land (via Mother Jones)

Chesapeake CEO arranged new $450 million loan from financier (via Reuters)

GRID 

Smart-meter defiance slows $29 billion US grid upgrade (via Bloomberg)

Can real-time electricity pricing green the grid? (via Mother Jones)

GREEN BUSINESS

Experts say green construction will ‘change the face of commercial real estate’ (via ClimateWire)

Businesses must take climate risk bull by the horns (via BusinessGreen)

Microsoft pledges to be carbon neutral starting this summer (via Earth2Tech)

The most energy-efficient hospital in the country (via Fast Company)

GASOLINE 

Government cuts summer gasoline price forecast (via Houston Chronicle)

TRANSPORTATION 

Los Angeles becoming hub for EV makers (via Sustainable Business)

COAL 

US coal producers may have to seek markets overseas (via StateImpact Texas)

SUBSIDIES 

Everyone on the planet helps subsidize fossil fuels by £45 per year (via Energy Collective)

KEYSTONE XL 

Hispanic group: Latinos back Keystone XL pipeline (via Houston Chronicle)

POLITICS 

Conservative think tanks coordinate attacks against Obama’s clean energy strategy (via The Guardian)

Mitt Romney’s EPA would likely look familiar (via Politico)