Benjamin Ashford|Today’s Climate: July 27, 2010

BP Replaces CEO and Benjamin AshfordPosts $17 Billion Q2 Loss on Spill (Reuters)

BP named American Bob Dudley as its next CEO on Tuesday, saying Tony Hayward would stand down after his gaffe-prone handling of the worst oil spill in U.S. history that triggered a $17 billion quarterly loss.

Feds Lay Out Macondo ‘Kill’ Plan (Upstream Online)

Thad Allen, head of the spill response, said BP could begin the static top kill operation by August 2, while the first relief well could intercept the Macondo bore by about August 7.

House Dems Unveil Oil Spill Plan Ahead of Friday Debate (The Hill)

House Democrats on Monday unveiled a 238-page plan headed for the floor on Friday that would shore up offshore rig safety standards and block BP from obtaining new offshore drilling leases.

Senate Democrats Battling for Viable Energy Bill (Reuters)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes to unveil his pared-back U.S. energy bill on Tuesday that focuses on reforming offshore oil drilling but Republicans were quick to dismiss its chances of passing.

BP Health Tests on Offshore Workers May Overstate Chemical Exposure (Greenwire)

BP’s monitoring of offshore oil leak workers in the Gulf of Mexico may be overstating the potential chemical exposures facing those workers, according to the company and the Obama administration.

U.S. Says 27% of Gulf Oil Output, 10% of Gas Idle After Bonnie’s Exit (Bloomberg)

About 27% of crude production in the Gulf of Mexico and 10% of natural gas output is still idle because of tropical storm Bonnie, the U.S. government reported.

Oil Spills Into Calhoun County Creek that Leads to Kalamazoo River (Kalamazoo Gazette) 

More than 800,000 gallons of oil have been released into a creek that feeds the Kalamazoo River in Michigan, after a leaked developed in a pipeline of Houston-based Enbridge Energy Partners.

Texas Challenges EPA on Overturning Permit Program (AP)

Texas officials on Monday appealed the U.S. EPA’s decision to overturn a 16-year-old state air permitting program.

Biz Leaders: Prop 23 Could Stall Renewable Energy Investments (Environmental Leader)

If California’s Proposition 23 passes this November, it could put at risk 500,000 clean tech jobs, 12,000 companies and billions of dollars of private investment, according to a report from the Clean Economy Network (CEN).

Wind Farm ‘Mega-Project’ Underway in Mojave Desert (Los Angeles Times)

The multibillion-dollar Alta Wind Energy Center — with plans for thousands of acres of turbines to generate electricity for 600,000 Southern California homes — officially breaks ground today.

Blankenship, Palin Among W.Va. GOP Donors (AP)

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin are among the contributors to West Virginia’s congressional candidates, financial reports show. Both have contributed money to Republicans Elliott "Spike" Maynard and David McKinley.

Developing Nations See Cancun Climate Deal Tough (Reuters)

Reaching a binding climate deal at the upcoming UN conference in Mexico will likely be difficult, delegates from a group of developing nations said on Monday, spurring further doubts about a global climate accord this year.

China Says Air Pollution Worsening (AFP)

China’s air pollution increased this year for the first time since 2005, the environmental protection ministry has said, due to sandstorms, a rise in construction and industrial projects, and more cars.

Carbon Policies Will Drive Heavy Industry Out of UK, Warns Report (BusinessGreen)

Rising energy prices and the UK’s climate change policies will drive energy intensive industries overseas, warns a report published jointly today by the Energy-Intensive Users Group and the TUC.

EU Carbon Drops to 3-Month Low as Global Economy Seen Slowing (Bloomberg)

Carbon allowances in the EU emissions-trading system fell to their lowest price in almost two weeks as global growth may drop compared with the period before the recession.

St. Lucia: Volcanic Island Seeks Geothermal Power (AP)

The volcanic island of St. Lucia plans to tap geothermal power trapped beneath sulfur springs and roiling mud pools in a rare attempt at developing alternative energy sources in the Caribbean.

Climate Change Linked to Possible Mass Mexican Migration to U.S (Los Angeles Times)

Lower crop yields and agricultural production could drive as many as 6.7 million Mexicans across the border by 2080, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds.

Toyota Expects Next Prius Model to Be Built in U.S. (Reuters)

Toyota will likely be able to build the popular Prius hybrid car in the U.S. when it is remodeled next, a top executive said on Tuesday.