[GWSG] 5 trends; CO2 capture; 3k mw of wind; 22% renewable; panel glut over; FERC Order 1000; wind: 2.5 cents/kWh

[Tilley, Al]

1.  A review of research published in the Public Library of Science shows five emerging trends in studies of climate change ecology.  http://blogs.plos.org/blog/2014/08/12/ecologists-worried-right-now-5-emerging-trends-climate-change-ecology/

2.  A new polymer absorbs CO2 under the conditions for producing hydrogen in an IGCC and then releases it, perhaps for sequestration.  It has the potential to render hydrogen a sustainable power source, assuming that satisfactory storage can be devised for the CO2.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140810124200.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28Latest+Science+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

3.  A 3,000 megawatt wind farm in Wyoming awaits federal environmental approval.  None of the power will remain in Wyoming, which uses primarily coal, unless the EPA rules can overcome ALEC and other fossil fuel interests in the state.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/08/11/3469826/wind-farm-wyoming-carbon-county/?elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~

4.  22% of the world’s power came from renewable sources in 2013, an increase of 8% over 2012.  Over 144 countries have renewable energy targets, and 138 have support policies for that energy.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/08/global-renewable-energy-status-uncovered?cmpid=WNL-Friday-August15-2014
Wave and tidal power are proving more expensive than forecast and are growing slowly than other renewable sources.  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-14/wave-and-tidal-power-costing-more-than-forecast.html

5.  A booming market in solar panels has reversed the glut of recent years.  Production may lag demand for the first time in eight years, though new production is planned and may pace demand.  Prices are not expected to rise since the increasing demand is based partly on the declining cost of solar power.   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-18/solar-boom-driving-first-global-panel-shortage-since-2006.html

6.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order 1000 requires regional grid planning which takes renewable portfolio standards into account and otherwise paves the way for a transition to renewable power.  It has been fought in the courts by utilities and other interests but has now been affirmed by the US Court of Appeals.  The next step for the enemies would be the Supreme Court.  The Southeast and West are the regions most likely to see changes from Order 1000.  http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25870

7.  A report by the Department of Energy and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab calculates the current cost of wind energy at $.25/kilowatt hour, an all-time low more remarkable because recent projects have often been in less favorable areas.  http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Price-of-US-Wind-Power-at-All-Time-Low-of-2.5-Cents-Per-Kilowatt-Hour?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily
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