Today's Climate: September 10, 2009

Boxer: Climate Bill Will Include Nuclear (Wall Street Journal)

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, who will be writing key parts of the climate bill, says “there will be a nuclear title in the bill.”

EU Lowers Planned Climate Funding for Poor Nations (EurActiv)

The European Union has scaled back plans to give billions of euros to poor countries to battle climate change. A new draft lowers the number from 13-24 billion euros, discussed earlier, to 2-15 billion instead.

North Sea Cod 'Doomed by Climate Change' (London Times)

Cod are doomed to disappear from the North Sea because of climate change, and the loss is cascading through the marine ecosystem, researchers say.

Pollution-Powered Blanche Lincoln Takes Over Ag Committee (Wonk Room)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, an opponent of climate and clean energy action who described ACES as a “complete non-starter,” is taking the helm of the key Senate Agriculture Committee.

Senate Dems Skeptical About Climate Bill’s Chances This Year (Reuters)

Several Senate Democrats, including a top leader, on Wednesday questioned whether it would be possible to vote on a climate change bill this year. Some support going straight to the committee-passed energy bill that would expand off-shore drilling.

Dueling Offshore Drilling Plans in US House (Houston Chronicle)

House lawmakers began advancing competing national energy plans, with a bipartisan group advocating more oil and gas drilling in the outer continental shelf even as a key Democrat pushed his own proposal to give regional interests a greater say.

UK Urged to Exploit Potential of North Sea CO2 Storage (Financial Times)

Britain could earn billions of pounds a year and sustain tens of thousands of jobs by selling space deep under the North Sea for storing carbon dioxide emissions, geologists with the British Geological Survey say.

House Passes $1B Wind Energy Bill (San Francisco Chronicle)

The House passed legislation that would initiate a $1 billion program to make wind turbines more efficient and reliable, including spurring the creation of low-cost transportable towers and lighter blade materials.

Google Working on New Mirror for Cheaper Solar Power (Reuters)

Google, disappointed with the lack of breakthrough investment ideas in the green technology sector, is working to develop its own new mirror technology that could reduce the cost of building solar thermal plants by a quarter or more.

Michigan Regulators Question Need for 2 New Coal Plants (AP)

In official reviews, Michigan regulators have questioned the need for two new coal-fired power-plants. Environmentalists say the state has little option now but to reject them.

Hearing on Duke Rate Increase Turns Into Coal Debate (Charlotte Observer)