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Fast Charge: January 14, 2013

Geostellar’s daily roundup: U.S. gov't National Climate Assessment out Friday says states should plan for hotter, drier and more disaster-prone weather; Dept. of Defense launches innovative EV-to-grid zero-emissions program; California's carbon cap and trade permits selling briskly.

Climate change set to make America hotter, drier, and more disaster-prone

You might have heard by now: 2012 was the hottest year in the U.S. since record-keeping began in 1895: hundreds of new highs, 0 new lows nationwide. The latest National Climate Assessment came out on Friday, a guide for government planning put together by more than 300 scientists, and says temps are headed up faster than we thought, meaning Americans can now expect 25 days a year over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, bigger storms, sea rise and more acidic oceans, and more crop failure due to unseasonal heat and drought. Document’s bottom line: Obama has to change course now. From Grist.

U.S. military bets $20 million on 500 vehicles for EV-to-grid initiative

Clean Technica highlights one of the many sustainable initiatives by the U.S. Defense Department, noting that the new plan to lease 500 off-the-shelf electric vehicles is accelerating the adoption of a couple key technologies. Spearheaded by Los Angeles Air Force Base, which seems to be one of the military’s clean tech test beds with a big solar commitment, the gov’t will be partnering zero-emission vehicles with zero-emission recharging from solar and other renewables, plus using smart microgrid technologies for off-peak power maximization, and flexible local energy storage to secure facilities against grid disruptions. Smart investments by the military to lead culture-wide adoption.

California turns its carbon market dream into reality

It’s been talked about for years, but Triple Pundit reports that companies are now actually buying carbon credits in California. As of Jan 1, companies that emit more than 25,000 tons of “C02 equivalent” per year are now buying permits, currently selling at about $15 per ton at secondary auction markets, with a reserve price of $10.71 from the state. Sales are brisk, as companies have to comply with the law. The state’s first-ever cap and trade program is expected to bring in $200M in budget year 2012-23, and $400M the next, to be used on further emissions reductions.