A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

CLEAN TECH

WTO convenes panel to settle rare earths dispute (via BusinessGreen)

How demand response cuts wholesale power costs (via Earth2Tech)

NATURAL GAS

Manufacturers ‘alarmed’ about surging natural gas demand (via Houston Chronicle)

GRID

Smart grid pulls a weak $66M in Q2 VC; M&A at $14B (via Greentech Media)

Maine PUC to investigate health and safety of smart meters (via Portland Press Herald)

RENEWABLES

Europe gets its own solar trade war with China (via Greentech Media)

Solar on verge of overtaking wind in Germany (via CleanTechnica)

Brazil set to build the world’s first algae-based biofuel plant (via Inhabitat)

Interior Dept names 285,000 acres of solar ‘hot spots’ in Southwest US (via New York Times)

300MW Montana-Alberta wind power line nearing completion (via Recharge)

Offshore wind farms will be encouraged in tracts along the East Coast (via Washington Post)

California’s big utilities at 20.6 percent renewables in 2011 (via Greentech Media)

Solar expected to make up 40 percent of PG&E’s renewable portfolio by 2020 (via San Jose Mercury News)

First commercial tidal power project in US launches in Maine (via Treehugger)

ENERGY INDUSTRY

UK boosts gas while cutting support for wind, biomass (via Bloomberg)

Shale oil and gas and green fuels share common thread: federal support (via Forbes)

Michigan governor declares emergency over fuel shortage (via Reuters)

CLIMATE/EMISSIONS

Rise in temperatures and CO2 follow each other closely in climate change (via ScienceDaily)

EU CO2 plunge reignites criticism about market disclosure (via Bloomberg)

Seven more nations join international effort to cut soot air pollution (via Chicago Tribune/Reuters)

Record 97 percent of Greenland’s ice sheet experienced melting in July (via Mongabay)

What we know about climate change and drought (via Washington Post)

Great Lakes water temperatures at record levels (via Climate Central)

US corn crop forecast 13% below USDA estimate (via Bloomberg)

OIL

Chinese oil companies’ deal appetite to grow (via Wall Street Journal)

Victims think oil drilling triggered earthquakes, and that’s ok (via EnergyWire)

TRANSPORTATION

Consolidation of charging networks will accelerate EV adoption (via Plugin Cars)

Austin community to become a Volt village, test GM electric cars’ impact on grid (via Forbes)

GREEN BUSINESS

Environmental investing down at universities, study finds (via Environmental Leader)

Taking the “ick” factor out of recycled water (via New York Times)

GREEN BUILDING

Oregon net zero college building a study in green (via EarthTechling)

USGBC’s LEED 4.0 plays high stakes with industry’s special interests (via Inhabitat)

OPINION

Loading the climate dice (via New York Times)

Heat brings US climate debate to new boil (via Grist)

Breaking up with Keystone XL and dirty energy – it’s not us, it’s you (via DeSmog Blog)

What I left out when I wrote about lowball renewable energy projections (via Grist)

OTHER NEWS

An additional roundup of energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress