<p>Hydroelectric projects in forested national parks may be fronts for illegal logging operations, according to Vietnam Net. Around 20,000 hectares of forest have been cleared for 160 hydro projects in the last few years, with roughly 125 hectares cleared per project. However, many of the projects are not economically viable, and the primary purpose appears to be gaining access to logging resources.

<p>A federal judge ordered dam construction activities in the Teles Pires river to be suspended due to faults in the environmental licensing process and the project's impacts on three local tribes.

<p>Germany's energy industry association proposed an overhaul of government renewable energy policy to take place after upcoming elections. The proposal would remove the feed-in tariff system and ensure that only renewable energy at an early stage of development would be eligible for premiums over market price, meaning the higher prices would be paid for a much shorter period of time. The industry group has warned that high energy prices, due in large part to the cost of green energy incentives, threaten German industry's competitiveness.