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

NUCLEAR

Japan needs nuclear power to offset high gas costs, says former IEA head (via Bloomberg)

US natural gas boom claims first nuclear plant (via Reuters)

GREEN BUSINESS

Newsweek releases ranking of greenest (and un-greenest) companies (via Sustainable Business)

Ikea constructs multi-billion Euro energy independence plan (via BusinessGreen)

LEED-certified bank branches have greater revenues (via Triple Pundit)

OIL/NATURAL GAS

20 million acres of federal oil, gas leases idle in Gulf of Mexico (via Washington Post)

Report: unconventional oil and gas to be economic driver (via Houston Chronicle)

Marcellus Gas is highest return/lowest cost to produce, according to study (via Facts of the Day)

No gas rush seen even if New York fracking ban lifted (via Platts)

RENEWABLES

British love solar: poll confirms public support for renewables (via BusinessGreen)

Community wind projects poised to take off in Denmark (via Forbes)

Mitsubishi installs Japan’s largest offshore turbine at 2.4MW (via Recharge)

Claims hound Cape Wind project (via Cape Cod Times)

Solyndra bankruptcy plan approved over US government objections (via Reuters)

Lawrence Berkeley lab begins construction on solar energy research complex (via San Jose Mercury News)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE

Political fight escalates over proposed oil sands pipeline to West Coast (via ClimateWire)

Shell’s tar sands expansion could be illegal (via Sustainable Business)

TransCanada restarts Keystone pipeline from Canada to Midwest (via Washington Post)

Judge postpones hearings to halt Michigan Enbridge pipeline project (via InsideClimate News)

ENVIRONMENT

Demand for water will outstrip supply by 2030, Oracle says (via Environmental Leader)

Wealthy nations, excluding US, pledge to double funds for biodiversity (via Mongabay)

CLIMATE

Antarctica losing an average of 190 million tons of ice a day (via The Age)

Shifting Arctic wind patterns may cause increased melt (via Yale e360)

Study says climate change linked to conflict in East Africa (via Los Angeles Times)

Is Maine experiencing more extreme precipitation? (via Bangor Daily News)

COAL

US coal exports on record pace in 2012, fueled by steam coal growth (via US EIA)

Coal-eating microbes might create vast amounts of natural gas (via MIT Technology Review)

TRANSPORTATION

Rising energy costs may usher in US freight rail revival (via Scientific American)

Plug-in hybrid drivers use public charging more than EV owners (via PlugIn Cars)

ENERGY POLICY

Texas leads nation in energy generation and consumption (via Houston Chronicle)

FERC Order 1000: the most exciting energy regulation you’ve never heard of (via Climate Progress)

EMISSIONS

EU draft document: EU needs to decide carbon reform “without delay” (via Reuters)

GRID

UK backs energy storage with $32 million for competition winners (via Recharge)

POLITICS

Comparing Obama, Romney positions on US energy policy (via Reuters)

Why climate change has become the missing issue in the presidential campaign (via Time)

Climate change is absent from the presidential debates for the first time in 24 years (via TreeHugger)

Romney and Obama ignore coal’s dark side (via Bloomberg)

Obama energy team circulates memo to greens on climate (via The Hill)

OTHER NEWS

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