Energyworld.com - India ranked second in renewable energy attractiveness index

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Top Stories
•	CNG costlier by 35 paisa, PNG by 81 paisa in Delhi
•	India third worst hit nation by ransomware Wannacry; over 40,000 computers affected
•	Nuclear MoU: Government makes Russia sweat before PM Modi-Putin meet
•	Centre to pay out Rs 1 lakh crore via direct benefit transfer scheme in 2017-18
•	Railways speeds up plans to shift towards gas-fuelled locomotives
•	Energy storage market for off-grid renewable energy in India to touch Rs 16,500 crore by 2022: CEEW

Oil & Gas
•	Oil India starts survey to look for presence of hydrocarbons in Manipur
•	Oil drops on rising US crude inventory, defies expected supply cut extension
•	Iraq in favour of extending any OPEC-led crude oil output cut - PM Abadi
•	Iran likely to back longer OPEC-led oil cut if all on board: Sources
•	Global oil market rebalancing speeds up, belied by inventories - IEA
•	Egypt's Sisi: Newly-discovered gas fields to save about $3.6 billion yearly
•	Puma Energy Asia Sun aims to distribute petroleum in Myanmar

Renewable
•	IFC may invest $40 million in Tata Cleantech Capital to promote renewable energy projects
•	India ranked second in renewable energy attractiveness index
•	Odisha CM seeks PM Modis intervention for early construction of energy institute
•	Miners increase green energy use to power their pits
•	Solar EPC company RaysExperts says added 30 MW capacity between January and March
•	Wind energys unenviable situation Mint

Power
•	48,000 ransomware attack attempts seen in India: Quick Heal Tech
•	INTERVIEW: If there are opportunities in India, the group will go for them: Oliver Burkhard, Thyssenkrupp
•	Industry hoping Odisha will reconsider hike in duty on captive power
•	Piyush Goyal wants no hindrance to possession of electricity connections
•	Power equipment giant BHEL bags Rs 233 crore order from RFCL
•	Bosnia's second-biggest power utility ERS swings back to profit in 2016

Coal
•	National Steel Policy 2017 to focus spending on infrastructure, construction
•	DTE to shut coal plants, cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050
•	Colombia's coal output rose 3 percent in the first quarter

TODAY'S TOP STORIES - May 17, 2017 ALTERNET

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The President Continues to Be Terrible at Everything: 5 Frightening Examples of Trump's Incompetence in Just the Last 72 Hours By Kali Holloway, AlterNet It is not hard to imagine how much worse things will be when Trump meets with all those foreign leaders. READ MORE» The Climate Crisis May Be Taking a Toll on Your Mental Health By Lorraine Chow, AlterNet People around the world are suffering from ecoanxiety, a feeling of impending environmental doom. READ MORE» Chomsky: The Economic Facts of American Life in the 21st Century By Noam Chomsky, Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, Jared P. Scott, Seven Stories Press, BillMoyers.com Chomsky looks at the 10 principles of concentration and power at work in America today. READ MORE»

Donald Trump's Catastrophic Presidency Offers More Proof That Racism and Sexism Are Destroying America By Chauncey DeVega, Salon This week's Russian revelations are part of a larger pattern: Toxic white male identity politics brought us here. READ MORE» Tens of Thousands of Public Servants Still Jailed by Turkey's Repressive Erdogan As He Meets With Trump By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet Hunger strikers against the authoritarian regime want their jobs back. READ MORE» What History Can Tell Us About the Dangers of Fake News By Ingrid Anderson, The Conversation It's not new, and it got Leo Frank lynched in 1915. READ MORE» CIA Documents Expose the Failed Torture Methods Used on Guantanamo's Most Famous Detainee By Ken Klippenstein, Joseph Hickman, AlterNet Repeatedly waterboarded and confined in a small box, Zubaydah failed to provide any information of value.  READ MORE» How U.S. Military Bases Back Dictators, Autocrats, and Military Regimes Across the Globe By David Vine, TomDispatch The U.S. has military bases in at least 45 less-than-democratic countries. READ MORE» Trump Becoming 'Sour and Dark' as He Turns Against Son-in-Law Jared Kushner: Report By Noor Al-Sibai, Raw Story Not even his family can calm him down. READ MORE» Unbelievable: The Extreme 'Freedom Caucus' in Texas Kills More Than 100 Bills—Why? Because the Other Republicans Aren't Conservative Enough By Amanda Marcotte, Salon The extreme right in Texan statehouse stages Mother's Day tantrum over the defeat of a handful of its own bills. READ MORE» Impeach Trump? Transcript Will Tell Whether President Blabbed Secrets to Russians By Joe Conason, AlterNet Republicans and Democrats acting together must protect the nation from this incompetent and dangerous executive. READ MORE» Can Black Celebrities Shake America out of Its Racial Justice Slumber? By Syreeta McFadden, The Guardian African American stars are using their large platform to demand equal protection of black life in America—just as their forbears did. READ MORE» Trump's Mad Dash to the Middle East Is a Preview of the Chaos He Is Unleashing There By Robert Fisk, The Independent Trump will be able to ask Netanyahu for help against Isis without—presumably—realizing that Israel has never—ever—bombed Isis in Syria. READ MORE» Recent Poll Shows NFL Players Are Increasingly Concerned About Opioid Use and Addiction By Kelly Flowers, AlterNet They're fervently anti-marijuana, but league doctors are encouraging opioid use.  READ MORE»

Coal to be India's energy mainstay for next 30 years: NITI Aayog report

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The country is the world's third-largest coal producer and the third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter. It depends on coal for about three-fifths of its energy needs and aims to double its output to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2020.

Coal will remain India's main energy source for the next three decades although its share will gradually fall as the country pushes renewable power generation, according to a government report seen by Reuters.

The country is the world's third-largest coal producer and the third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter. It depends on coal for about three-fifths of its energy needs and aims to double its output to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2020.

By 2047, however, coal's share of India's energy mix would shrink to 42-48 percent, from about 58 percent in 2015, the report, which has yet to be made public, showed.

"India would like to use its abundant coal reserves as it provides a cheap source of energy and ensures energy security as well," the report said.

It was written by the Indian think tank NITI Aayog, which advises the government on policy issues and is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Institute for Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ).

India is also the world's second-largest coal importer and environmentalists worry that despite its commitment to renewable energy, the country's rising use of coal at a time when many Western nations are rejecting the dirty fossil fuel will hamper the global fight against climate change.

India aims to cut thermal coal imports to zero by the end of this fiscal year and use its abundant domestic stockpiles to address its electricity needs. However, it will have to start importing again after its coal production peaks in 2037, according to the report.

Imports could rise to as much as 62 percent by 2047 from over 25 percent now if the country doesn't make its coal mining more efficient, the report said.

India aims to generate 175 gigawatts of electricity through renewables by 2022 and boost natural gas to 15 percent of its energy needs, from 6.5 percent currently, as it plans to use cleaner fuels for power plants and transport.

NITI Aayog estimates renewables will account for 10-17 percent of India's energy demand in 2047, up from about 4 percent now, while the share of natural gas could be limited to 8-10 percent.

The country imports nearly three quarters of its energy requirements, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of cutting that to two thirds by 2022 and to half by 2030.

Oil provides about 28 percent of India's energy and the report said that would largely continue to be met through imports.

India is the world's third-biggest oil and gas consumer and the report forecasts its oil imports could rise from over 75 percent currently to as much as 90 percent by 2047.

Russia can provide transcript of White House meeting

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said the Kremlin could provide a transcript of the conversation between Russian diplomats and U.S. President Donald Trump that occurred at the White House last week in which Trump is accused of revealing classified information. File Photo by Yuri Kadobnov/Pool/EPA

May 17 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin is prepared to provide a transcript of the conversation between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. President Donald Trump last week at the White House.

In response to reports that Trump shared classified information with Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the meeting, Putin on Wednesday said his administration would be willing to release the transcript if Trump's administration does not oppose.

"If the U.S. administration considers it possible, we are ready to submit a transcript of Lavrov's talk with Trump to the U.S. Senate and Congress, if, of course, the U.S. administration would want this," Putin said during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Sochi.

The New York Times, CNN and The Washington Post reported that Trump shared intelligence about the Islamic State and said a Middle Eastern ally -- said by current and former U.S. officials to be Israel -- provided the information, with the understanding that it would not be shared with other countries without permission. The Washington Post reported Trump shared "code-word information" -- one of the highest classification levels -- about terror threats.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Tuesday that Trump should tell the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence exactly what information he shared with the Russian diplomats.

"Although the president has the legal authority to disclose classified information, it would be very troubling if he did share such sensitive reporting with the Russians," she said. "The Senate Intelligence Committee should be briefed on this important issue immediately."

Trump on Tuesday defended his decision on Twitter, saying he has the right as president to give sensitive information to the Russians as part of the global fight against terrorism.

"I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining ... to terrorism and airline flight safety," Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. "Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against [the Islamic State] & terrorism."

Warm weather linked to increase in surgical infections

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Surgical site infections are the most common type of health-care related infection. Though many are superficial, serious infections can result in severe illness or death. Photo by torwaiphoto/Shutterstock

May 16 (UPI) -- New research shows surgical site infections are more common in the summer, especially when temperatures rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Surgical site infections are the most common type of health-care related infection. Though many are superficial, serious infections can result in severe illness or death.

When researchers compared rates of surgical site infections with seasonal weather patterns, they found an increase in infections in the summer and a decrease in the winter. Especially warm weather, with temperature above 90 degrees, predicted a 28.9 percent rise in hospitalizations for surgical site infections compared to cold weather, with temperatures below 40 degrees.

"We show that seasonality of surgical site infections is strongly associated with average monthly temperature. As temperatures rise, risk increases," Dr. Philip M. Polgreen, an associate professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Iowa, said in a news release. "However, the odds of any one person getting an infection are still small, and due to the limitations of our data, we still do not know which particular surgeries or patients are at more risk from higher temperature."

Researchers sourced their data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which tracks discharges from U.S. hospitals. Scientists were able to plot every instance of surgical site infection diagnosed between January 1998 and November 2011. Researchers compared the data with monthly temperatures, rainfall and wind averages.

The data showed surgical site infection discharges were higher in the summer months across all ages, genders and regions, as well as across all types of procedures. Researchers shared the results of their analysis in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

"These results tell us that we need to identify the patients, surgeries, and geographic regions where weather-related variables are most likely to increase patients' risk for infections after surgery," said Dr. Christopher A. Anthony, a surgery resident physician at University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. "This way, we can identify the patients at the greatest risk for surgical site infections during warmer summer months."

Ransomware hackers say they will dump data on North Korea nuclear and missile programs.

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North Korea nuclear weapons data will be made available for public consumption, a group of hackers claiming responsibility for the recent cyberattacks said Tuesday. File Photo by How Hwee Young/EPA

May 17 (UPI) -- A group of hackers claiming responsibility for the global ransomware cyberattack that began Friday said they would soon "dump" data related to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

The Shadow Brokers made the statement in a blog post, while saying they would also divulge information on the weapons of Russia, China and Iran.

The announcement published Tuesday is another twist in the developing story of the global attack, and challenges statements from Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Labs that the attacks were tied to North Korea.

Using garbled English to make their statement, the group also said users can access the data by paying a monthly fee for a subscription.

"Each month peoples can be paying membership fee, then getting members only data dump each month. What members doing with data after is up to members," the group stated.

As multiple reports suggested the cybercrime network called the Lazarus Group, linked to the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures, had a role in the most recent attack of the WannaCry malware virus, North Korea issued its own statement on the "ransomware attack."

Pyongyang's Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported Wednesday the WannaCry virus is "raising serious concerns in the international community," but did not issue a response regarding allegations of North Korea involvement.

The state-controlled newspaper reported the cyberattack was launched against "many public institutions and businesses" in more than "150 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China."

"A European police agency said more than 200,000 computers worldwide have been the target of the cyberattack," North Korea stated.

That number is now closer to 300,000, according to South Korean news service News 1.

South Korea has been on alert since the breaches began on Friday.

Cybersecurity experts have said the "ransom" of bitcoins the attackers seek in return for the restoration of files has not led to their recovery.

The attackers have so far amassed $70,000 of ransom money worldwide, according to the report.

Voice recorder found in N.J. plane crash that killed two

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Smoke pours from the site of a plane crash at Teterboro Airport in Carlstadt, N.J. The pilot and copilot aboard the Learjet 35 died in Tuesday's crash, which also damaged three buildings. The cause of the crash has not been determined but the plane's cockpit voice recorder was found. Screenshot courtesy of WNBC-TV, New York

May 17 (UPI) -- The cockpit voice recorder from a plane that crashed at Teterboro, N.J., airport was recovered, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said.

The voice recorder of the Learjet 35, which crashed Tuesday in difficult wind conditions, has been shipped to NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., Jim Silliman said, adding that the plane was not required to have an onboard data recorder.

The crash Monday killed the pilot and copilot, the only people on board. No injuries or fatalities were reported on the ground, though the crash and resulting fire damaged three industrial buildings and 16 cars in a parking lot in Carstadt, the location of the airport. Silliman said the incident left a debris field 440 feet long and 100 feet wide.

It remains unclear why the plane fell as it arrived at Teterboro, a small airport near New York City.

"It was out of control," Silliman said, citing a surveillance video from a local business indicating the plane's right wing was angled downward and its nose was down as it struck the ground.

The plane was used for charter flights and was registered to A&C Big Sky Aviation of Billings, Mont., an FAA database indicates.

ENERGY NEWS-Support for OPEC production cut lifts oil prices early

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Support for OPEC production cut lifts oil prices early Wednesday

May 17 (UPI) -- Support for an extended OPEC-led effort to balance the market with production declines helped boost oil prices Wednesday despite a build in U.S. supplies.

BP sees energy sector mixing, though oil still has a role

May 17 (UPI) -- Though fossil fuels will continue to have a role in the global energy mix, a pillar of growth for BP is low-carbon opportunities, CEO Bob Dudley said Thursday.

Italy, Russia energy companies firm up partnerships

May 17 (UPI) -- Italian energy company Eni said Wednesday it signed an agreement with a Russian energy company to explore opportunities, including in Egyptian gas.

Israeli partners report earnings after first gas shipments to Jordan

May 17 (UPI) -- The draw on one of the largest natural gas fields offshore Israel should peak this year as Jordan takes its first deliveries, Delek Drilling and Avner Oil said.

India gets bonds to help tackle climate change

May 17 (UPI) -- More than $40 million in bonds are available to help India, one of the world's leading economies, address challenges from climate change, a bank said.

AAA: 1M more people expected to travel for Memorial Day this year

May 17 (UPI) -- Though gas prices are up about 5 percent from last year, motor club AAA finds U.S. road traffic during the Memorial Day weekend will be heavier than last year.

German company says sanctions opened Iranian energy doors

May 17 (UPI) -- A German industrial equipment company said it was set firmly in the Iranian oil and gas sector because of the easing of economic sanctions.

Oil found in northern Kenya

May 17 (UPI) -- Africa-focused energy company Tullow Oil said Wednesday it made an oil discovery in a region of Kenya thought to contain at least 750 million barrels of oil.

Kuwait next to back oil production cap extension

May 16 (UPI) -- Kuwait is in full support of extending a multilateral crude oil production cap into the early part of next year, the country's oil minister said Tuesday.