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

HURRICANE SANDY

It’s global warming, stupid (via Bloomberg Businessweek)

Battered NJ agonizes over whether to rebuild shore (via Yahoo! News/AP)

NJ power firm PSEG says Sandy severely damaged infrastructure (via Reuters)

COAL

Is China’s demand for coal evaporating? (via Sightline Daily)

Big Coal in big trouble as coal production costs rise (via Grist)

GREEN BUSINESS

Economic downturn prompts accelerated business commitments to green technology (via GreenBiz)

Big banks await US carbon trading while focusing on core energy plays (via AOL Energy)

RENEWABLES

Solar energy could solve developing nations’ infrastructure problems (via AOL Energy)

China’s wind market: growing, challenged by grid realities (via Greentech Media)

Which region will lead the world in smart energy? (via SmartPlanet)

China approves 1.4GW wind complex for Inner Mongolia (via Recharge)

Wind farm operating costs fall 38% in four years (via Bloomberg)

Solar industry grows 13.2 percent, adds 13,000 jobs (via Renewable Energy World)

California’s new solar-wind hybrid power plant greens the grid (via Forbes)

Poll finds Michigan renewable energy target likely headed for defeat (via Detroit Free Press)

NATURAL GAS

Report: drilling benefits will ripple throughout states (via Houston Chronicle)

Local-state clashes grow during oil and gas drilling boom (via Forbes)

Cheap natural gas fuels chemical plant expansions (via Houston Chronicle)

GRID

Utilities turning to smart grid tech to manage renewables (via Renew Grid)

Smart meter deployments continue to rise (via US EIA)

$178 million smart grid project launches in Pacific Northwest (via EarthTechling)

LA Dept. of Water & Power taps Itron, Cisco for smart grid pilot (via Renew Grid)

TRANSPORTATION

Nearly 80 million clean diesel vehicles will be sold globally from 2012-2018 (via Yahoo! News)

Automobile Magazine names Tesla Model S “Car of the Year” (via CNN Money)

Consumer Reports says Prius C most reliable 2012 vehicle (via Autoblog Green)

Chevy Volt sets new record with 2,961 sales in October, Nissan Leaf soars to 1,579 (via Autoblog Green)

Hurricane Sandy puts big dent in auto business (via New York Times)

Better Place raises $100 million as investors double down on electric car bet (via Forbes)

CLIMATE/EMISSIONS

Sea levels rising faster than expected, warns expert (via Yahoo! News/IANS)

Achieving emissions targets without cap-and-trade (via Energy Collective)

Can we stop the seas from rising? Yes, but less than you think. (via Washington Post)

Should New York build sea gates? (via New York Times)

Flood risk will rise with climate change, experts say (via Washington Post)

GREEN BUILDING

Asia’s newest megacity offers model for urban growth (via Phys.org)

New York’s planning outran its adaptation (via ClimateWire)

POLITICS

Climate and energy: how do Romney and Obama compare? (via USA Today)

Who Obama and Romney listen to on energy (via AOL Energy)

Revealed: the day Obama chose a strategy of silence on climate change (via Guardian)

Sandy to drive gas prices lower through Election Day, rest of 2012 (via The Hill)

Bloomberg endorses Obama over climate change. Does he deserve it? (via Washington Post)

With climate endorsement, Bloomberg draws a line in the Sandy (via Grist)

Expected Chu departure sparks second-term speculation (via Greenwire)

Will Lisa Jackson stay or go if Obama wins Tuesday? (via Greenwire)

OPINION

Sandy’s lesson: address climate change (via Politico)

McKibben on Sandy: world’s greenest author talks to Time (via Time)

After Sandy, what can Manhattan learn from the Maldives? (via Good)

Change is hard but necessary: rethinking our electricity system post-Sandy (via CLF Scoop)

Did Sandy bolster the case for green energy? (via Christian Science Monitor)

OTHER NEWS

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