08/09/11 9:55am

Article By: energyNOW News Roundup

energyNOW! publishes a daily roundup of top news and opinion on energy and the environment. Inclusion of articles does not mean endorsement.

CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT/EMISSIONS

Effects of Texas drought could be felt for years to come (via Environment 360)

Northeast Passage will be open through September at least, Russian meteorologists say (via Treehugger)

Green groups to court: end EPA’s ‘inexcusable delay’ on smog rule (via The Hill's E2 Wire)

Australian military urged to plan for greater Antarctic role as nations eye its natural resources (via Treehugger)

How the tourism industry can prepare for climate change (via Greenbiz)

Tests begin at Wyoming carbon storage site as challenges loom large (via Solve Climate News)

Lloyd’s plans for disastrous climate future (via Think Progress)

POLITICS

NJ revising its energy policy (via Asbury Park Press)

NUCLEAR

How hard is it to close a nuclear plant? (via GOOD)

90 degree river shuts Tennessee nuclear plant for second time (via CleanTechnica)

China’s nuclear power plans unfazed by Fukushima (via Environment 360)

Japan held nuclear data, leaving evacuees in peril (via The New York Times)

KEYSTONE XL

Oil Sands to Raise Emissions, Canadian Report Says (via The New York Times Green Blog)

FRACKING/NATURAL GAS

Groups to Obama: use ‘any legal means’ to halt fracking (via The Hill's E2 Wire)

Mysterious notebook fuels Ohio drilling feud (via Yahoo! News)

AUTOS/BIOFUELS

Obama Seeks 20% Reduction in U.S. Big-Rig Truck Fuel Use by 2018 (via Bloomberg)

Michigan Leads U.S. in ‘Clean’ Car Jobs; Ohio No. 2, Study Says (via Bloomberg)

Germans wary of electric vehicles; prefer natural gas to plugging in (via Autoblog Green)

GRID

Smart grid may crush power companies at unexpected moments (via SmartPlanet)

Smart meters catch deadbeats to save money (via CNET News)

Smart grid starts with the one percent (via AOL Energy)

Texas power grid may face another tough week (via Fuel Fix)

Midwest transmission buildout looks ahead to next phase (via Midwest Energy News)

GREEN TECH

Lumenpulse Gets $16 Million to Expand LED Lighting Manufacturing (via Bloomberg)

Researchers combining CO2 storage and geothermal energy production (via Green Car Congress)

California’s largest solar PV farm online (via Energy Boom)

US solar PV to double in 2011; grow 47% a year to 2015 (via Clean Technica)

BrightSource turns to taller tech for new solar plant (via GigaOM)

Quinn signs bill to study offshore wind energy (via Quad City Times)

Can Germany’s North Sea winds blow away nuclear? (via Green Tech Media)

Germany enjoys surge in offshore wind investment (via Business Green)

OIL

Crude Falls to 10-Month Low in New York; Brent Dips Below $100 in London (via Bloomberg)

Oil samples show no toxic danger (via HelenaIR.com)

As markets reel, consumer get a break on gas prices (via The New York Times)

Interior secretary tells Alaskans Obama backs drilling (via Anchorage Daily News)

RARE EARTH MINERALS

Nebraska village may sit atop the world’s largest untapped deposit of rare earths (via Business Insider)

OPINION/ANALYSIS

New EPA scientific integrity plan lacks integrity (via Mother Jones)

Chicago Exchange’s closure drives another nail in US carbon markets (via Greenbiz)

Here’s an easy $100 billion cut (via The New York Times)

Emissions from tar sands will dwarf carbon cuts in Canada (via Environment 360)

Why Washington State’s coal fight matters (via Grist)

When falling oil prices are bad news (via The Energy Collective)

Worried about too much demand elasticity in electric power markets (via The Energy Collective)

These are just some of the stories we're following today. Be sure to check our Twitter & Facebook for any breaking news or stories that aren't on this list.