Energy Roundup: Dems Nab Climate Bill Votes, FutureGen Loses Backers, Geothermal Energy Earthquake Fears, and More

Lobbying intensifies as climate bill vote approaches – House Democrats say they have the votes to pass a major climate change bill Friday, thanks to some intense lobbying and President Obama’s intervention. A number of undecided Democrats included several from Midwestern states such as Ron Kind and Steve Kagen of Wisconsin and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. Securing the necessary votes hasn’t stopped widespread criticism of some of the latest concessions made in the bill, which includes preventing the Environmental Protection Agency from considering international indirect land-use change when assessing the greenhouse gas footprint of ethanol. [Source: CQ, Grist]

FutureGen project loses two major power companies – FutureGen, the once-dead clean coal demonstration project recently revived by the Obama administration, lost backers American Electric Power Co. and Southern Co., dimming hopes of its success. The project will receive $1 billion in stimulus dollars, but it will need power companies to get it off the ground. [Source: WSJ's Environmental Capital]

AltaRock’s geothermal energy project spurs earthquake fears — AltaRock Energy’s geothermal energy project north of San Francisco is likely to generate earthquakes, causing an uproar among residents there. AltaRock hopes to tap geothermal energy by fracturing hard rock more than two miles down. A NYT story on the project spurred a range of reader reaction. [Source: NYT]

China may reject Hummer deal — A Chinese company’s bid to buy General Motor’s Hummer unit may be rejected by the country’s planning agency because it conflicts with the government’s conservation goals. Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp. also may see its bid for Hummer quashed by the government over concerns that it lacks the expertise to run the car unit. [Source: AP]

BP taps Carl-Henric Svanberg as next chairman — Ericsson CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg will step down to take the chairman position at BP, a choice that has surprised industry officials because of Svanberg’s lack of experience in the oil and gas sector. BP CEO Tony Hayward says, in an interview with the WSJ, that’s not what we’re looking for. [Source: WSJ]

Sears Tower to get $350 million energy efficiency makeover — Chicago’s Sears Tower will undergo a $350 million sustainability retrofit to reduce energy use up to 80 percent. The project, expected to take five years and employ 3,600 workers, will include upgrades to windows, heating and cooling systems, lighting, elevators and wind and solar installations. [Source: Environmental Leader, Sears Tower]