ENERGY - UK Energy Bill Unveiled, BP Locked Out From US Govt Contracts, Germany Cuts Grid Expansion Plans (+ More Cleantech & Climate News)

Busy week behind us. Here's a bunch of cleantech and climate news from around the interwebs:

Clean Energy (In General)

Germany Drastically Reduces Forecast For Grid Expansion: "On Monday, the German Network Agency slashed the number of urgently needed power lines needed for the energy transition from 74 to 51. The overall line length was reduced in the process from 3,800 to 2,800 kilometers."
UK Energy Bill Published - As It Happened: "Reaction, details and analysis on the publication of the coalition government's energy bill, which promises to both 'keep the lights on' and reduce carbon emissions." (Also see: This Energy Bill Will Fire Up The Renewables Industry)

Solar Energy

Ontario To Proceed With FiT And microFiT Programmes: "Further to the draft bill released in August, the Ontario Ministry of Energy has directed the Ontario Power Authority to continue the province's feed-in tariff and microFiT programmes, in order that a pilot programme can be initiated as soon as possible in 2013.
"The directive outlines specific government policy that needs to be implemented with respect to ground-mounted solar PV projects, strengthening community and aboriginal participation, re-launching the Community Energy Partnerships Program (CEPP) and Aboriginal Renewable Energy Fund (AREF) and connecting constrained MicroFIT projects."
India Initiates Anti-Dumping Investigation Against China, The US, & Others: "The Indian Ministry of Commerce has initiated anti-dumping investigations against China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the US, following a complaint from the Solar Manufacturers' Association (SMA).
"As with the US-led anti-dumping investigation against China, which was resolved earlier this month, the Indian investigation is also against solar cells imported from these countries 'whether or not assembled partially or fully in modules or panels'. The period under investigation will be between 1 January 2011 and 30 June 2012."
Desarrollos Fotovoltaicos de Chile Submits Plan For 98MW PV plant: "Desarrollos Fotovoltaicos de Chile, a solar company based in Santiago, Chile, is seeking approval for its proposed 98MW PV facility in the Tarapacá region in northern Chile and has submitted its plans to the Chilean environmental authority, Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental (SEA)."
SunEdison Signs 20 MW PPA With The City Of Riverside: "SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR), [yesterday] announced a new 25 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to deliver 20 megawatts (MW) to Riverside Public Utilities (RPU), the municipal electric utility of the City of Riverside, California."
LightManufacturing Selects San Luis Obispo-based Power-Save Energy As Supplier Of Photovoltaic Solar Panels For Solar Manufacturing Systems: "LightManufacturing's heliostats (sun tracking mirrors) keep reflected sunlight on a target, providing heat and light for buildings and industry without the use of fossil fuels.
"The firm's H1 heliostat is marketed as the 'lowest cost per reflected watt' heliostat available, in part due to the use of a tensioned reflective membrane instead of glass.
"The firm sells the H1 heliostat as a stand-alone product, and as part of solar plastic molding systems. These systems focus heat from ten or more heliostats onto a metal mold, melting plastic and making useful products like water tanks. No fossil fuels are used to heat the molds, saving money and reducing emissions."

Wind Energy

Vestas Boss Warns UK Government Is Jeopardising Energy Investment: "Ditlev Engel, CEO of the world's biggest wind firm, condemns UK's lack of consensus and failure to set decarbonisation target."
Smaller-Scale Development May Follow 'Golden Age' Of Wind: "Communities that have been engaged by and in communication with the wind industry may be the best sites for future wind development, speakers said Nov. 15 at the American Wind Energy Association fall symposium in Chandler, Ariz.
"Targeting customers who want wind makes a big difference, said former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver. With many large utilities already meeting state renewable portfolio standards, community wind could be the next market in the second-largest wind-producing state in the U.S." (h/t NewEnergyNews)

Transportation

Senators Push Obama To Propose Clean Gasoline Rules: "The lawmakers, led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, want the Environmental Protection Agency to propose rules that would slash the sulfur content in gasoline this year and to finalize them next year."
The Take it to The People Program: "My name is Ron Hatton, and I am a garage-level tinkerer. Just a tinkerer like many others, but one who has actually made a discovery that could literally change the planet.
"I've dedicated the last 30 or so years of my life to finding something to release the all the power in a gasoline engine. I've seen some pretty cool things happen on my workbench, just like many thousands of people around the world. The difference with me is I actually found something. Something that is truly difficult to believe."

Climate Change

Extreme Weather Calls For Action, U.N. Climate Chief Says: "Extreme weather from melting Arctic ice to Superstorm Sandy shows snail-paced U.N. climate talks have to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the head of the U.N. weather agency and its climate chief said on Wednesday."
Developing Cities Must Protect Against Climate Risks: Study: "Time is running out for many developing countries to protect their growing cities against future environmental risks and resource scarcity, a report by engineering and design consultancy Atkins showed on Wednesday."
Sea Levels Are Rising Much Faster Than Previously Predicted: "Global sea levels are rising much faster than previously estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC), new research has shown. 60 percent faster to be exact, if such a rate was to continue, or even increase as is likely, sea level rise could be very significant by the end of the century, and have important consequences for humans." (Also see: Study: Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than Projected, Planet Keeps Warming As Expected)
The Arctic Lost US-Sized Sea Ice in 2012: "The UN's World Meteorological Organisation has released it's provisional annual statement on the state of the global climate and it shows that, if things keep going as they have for the first 10 months of the year, 2012 will join the ranks of warmest years on record that have been filled by the years 2001 to 2011."
Why Climate Deniers Have No Scientific Credibility: "Ever wonder where the climate deniers stand in the scientific community? Although it is not uncommon to see a news contributor (aka: research scientist) on one of the opinionated news outlets state the long-debunked nonsense that "human-caused global warming is not real," these scientists almost always base their findings upon opinion and not peer-reviewed facts."

Future Climate Talk Host Poland Needs Big Ambition Now: "The UN's choice of Warsaw, Poland as the host city and country of the next UN climate negotiations meeting known as COP19, is unacceptable as long as Poland does not change its level of response required for the climate crisis." (Also see Greenpeace statement: Poland Must Prove Trustworthiness As Host Of 2013 Climate Talks)

Fossil Fuels

Since Election Day, Big Oil Lobby Dropped $3 Million On Ads To Protect Its Tax Loopholes: "On election night, polluter-backed candidates lost in some of the most expensive races targeted by polluters, despite outside ad spending that tallied to $270 million.
"The American Petroleum Institute already has 2014 in its sights, and it is spending aggressively to protect the oil industry's multi-billion-dollar tax breaks. Three weeks since election day, API has spent $3 million on TV ads, according to a ThinkProgress analysis of Kantar Media's CMAG data. That is already $1 million more than what API spent in the final two months of the election, as part of its 'I'm an Energy Voter' campaign."
US Suspends BP Contract Bids Over Lack Of 'Business Integrity': "Symbolic gesture or real threat? It's hard to tell the seriousness for BP of today's temporary ban from bidding for US contracts.
"What we do know is that BP was taken completely by surprise when the US Environmental Protection Agency imposed a suspension due to the UK company's 'lack of business integrity'."
Discussion: What Do EPA Sanctions Mean for BP's Future? "ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten has been covering BP since 2005, reporting on the company's subsequent $7.8 billion settlement and outlining the potential impact of sanctions early on."
UK Energy Bill Unveiled, BP Locked Out From US Govt Contracts, Germany Cuts Grid Expansion Plans (+ More Cleantech & Climate News) was originally published on: CleanTechnica

http://cleantechnica.com/2012/11/30/uk-energy-bill-unveiled-bp-locked-out-from-us-govt-contracts-germany-cuts-grid-expansion-plans-more-cleantech-climate-news/