Bloomberg: Exxon Predicted Today's Cheap Solar Boom Back in the 1980s

Many were caught off guard by the emergence of solar as a competitive power source. The scientist who led Exxon's research arm back in the 1980s wasn't one of them.

Peter Eisenberger, now an environmental science professor at Columbia's Earth Institute, co-authored an internal report for Exxon projecting that solar wouldn't become viable until 2012 or 2013. The report, written before he left the company in 1989, suggested that Exxon would do best to sell its solar assets; not surprisingly, the company did just that. What is surprising is that Exxon's 25-year-old solar projections nailed the timing for the arrival of affordable solar power.

New York Times: China Burns Much More Coal Than Reported, Complicating Climate Talks

China, the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gases from coal, has been burning up to 17 percent more coal a year than the government previously disclosed, according to newly released data. The finding could complicate the already difficult efforts to limit global warming.

Even for a country of China’s size, the scale of the correction is immense. The sharp upward revision in official figures means that China has released much more carbon dioxide -- almost a billion more tons a year according to initial calculations -- than previously estimated.

The increase alone is greater than the whole German economy emits annually from fossil fuels.

Reuters: SunEdison to Supply Cheapest Solar Power in India

U.S.-based SunEdison has won a bid to sell solar power in India at a record-low tariff, which could boost the appeal of the renewable source at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing for clean energy to combat climate change.

Solar energy still has a long way to go before it can effectively compete with coal, given questions over consistent supply and transmission. But falling rates could unlock more government support for solar and wind energy.

Modi's government expects clean energy to yield business worth $160 billion in India in the next five years, and established U.S. companies like SunEdison and First Solar are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries.

PV Tech: Shoals and Huawei Launch ‘Plug-and-Play’ Solar Power Plant Solutions Partnership

PV power plant system suppliers Shoals Technologies Group and Huawei Technologies are to develop and promote "plug-and-play" solar PV power plant solutions globally.

The new partnership will lead to the companies offering next generation PV plant designs, aiming to provide a one-stop solution covering rack, tracker, inverter solution, communications, monitoring, cabling, combiner boxes, Big Lead Assembly and other services to PV project developers and EPCs.

Washington Post: Obama Administration Won't Pause Review of Keystone XL

The Obama administration said Wednesday it will not delay its verdict on the fate of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, in a new signal that President Obama intends to decide the future of the controversial project before he leaves office.

The State Department formally rejected a request by TransCanada Corp. for a “pause” in the pipeline’s approval process, a move that would have effectively deferred a decision until after next year’s U.S. presidential elections.