Current News Clips (More Clips in Archives)
Last Week of August, 2008
SoCal Edison to Buy 909MW of Wind Power
The utility has signed a deal with Caithness Energy to help it achieve its required goal of getting 20 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2010.
Bullet Arrow - Ucilia Wang - August 18, 2008
Southern California Edison said Monday it has agreed to buy up to 909
megawatts of wind power in a 20-year contract with Caithness Energy.
Caithness, based in New York City, has created an affiliate called DCE
to handle the project, called Caithness Shepherd's Flat. The project will
include 303 wind turbines on 30 square miles in north-central Oregon, which are
expected to be installed from 2011 to 2012.
(read more...)
A Vision for Change: An American Energy Policy
"If elected, you will either preside over the economic collapse of the United States or lead our nation up the path to its salvation. Make a choice – now – before it’s too late!"
Media Monitors Network (MMN) - by William John Cox - Monday, August 18, 2008
Mr. Obama, it increasingly appears that the presidential election in November
will be lost – perhaps not by you, but by the rest of us who are being abandoned
along the campaign trail in your race for office.
There is always the
risk that the election will again be stolen by the Republicans, by deceptive and
negative campaigning, a contrived last-minute national emergency, outright
election fraud, or by a corrupt majority of the Federalist Supreme Court.
(read more...)
Renewing, reusing and refocusing
Conference to tout benefits of shifting from fossil fuels to renewable power
Las Vegas Review-Journal By JOHN G. EDWARDS
This week's National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas heralds a
renewable-energy renaissance, some analysts say.
Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, who organized the conference, will host speakers as diverse as
billionaire T. Boone Pickens, President Clinton, governors from several states
and numerous energy experts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, today and
Tuesday. Conference managers expect 750 attendees at the UNLV Cox Pavilion. (read
more...)
DOE Wants Zero-Net Energy Commercial Buildings Available by 2025
Renewable Energy World - August 18, 2008
California, United States --Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency David Rodgers announced the
launch of a new Zero-Net Energy Commercial Building Initiative (CBI) with
establishment of the National Laboratory Collaborative on Building Technologies
(NLCBT).
These two efforts both focus on the DOE's efforts to develop
marketable Zero-Net Energy Commercial Buildings that use advanced efficiency
technologies and on-site renewable energy generation to offset their energy use
from the electricity grid by 2025. (read more...)
More US States Cooking Up Renewable Energy Incentives
Renewable Energy World - August 15, 2008
Wisconsin Governor's task force calls for feed-in tariffs; South Carolina
tests net metering; New York expands net metering, green building legislation.
by Paul Gipe, Contributing Writer and Graham Jesmer, News Editor Wisconsin, New
York and South Carolina, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's Task Force on Global Warming has called
for implementation of Advanced Renewable Tariffs to encourage the development of
the state's renewable energy resources. (read more...)
What's New at the Clean Tech Open
New Green Building Category Sponsor - U.S. Department of Energy and Five National Labs
California Clean Tech Open - August 5, 2008
Five national labs - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, Oak
Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado and Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory in Washington State - have been joined by the U.S. Department of
Energy to encourage the development of Net-Zero energy commercial buildings. The
first act of their collaboration is to sponsor the Green Building Category for
the 2008 California competition.
"The fact that the Department of Energy
and its national labs chose sponsorship of the Clean Tech Open Green Building
Prize as one of its first acts of collaboration under this new initiative
underscores their commitment to and recognition of [the] critical importance of
public/private cooperation," said Marc Gottschalk, a co-founder of the Clean
Tech Open and a partner at the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
"We are committed to working alongside them and our intrepid entrepreneurs and
inventors to catalyze new clean tech enterprises that can achieve Net Zero
energy buildings as rapidly as humanly possible." (read
more...)
Lab a partner in solar energy project
Providing electricity for Northern New Mexico
LANL - By Tatjana K. Rosev - August 20, 2008
The Laboratory is part of a technical and business case team on a project
designed to provide electricity from solar energy for a large area of rural
Northern New Mexico.
The Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Solar
Photovoltaic Project is being unveiled at 5 p.m. today at the University of New
Mexico's Taos campus. (read more...)
Clean Energy Experts Give Dire Predictions
Las Vegas Now - Edward Lawrence, Reporter - Aug 19, 2008
One message rang clear at the Clean Energy Summit Tuesday -- renewable energy
equals jobs. The two-day event at UNLV is the first of its kind to bring
together political leaders, business leaders and renewable energy experts.
When you say renewable energy, think solar, wind or geothermal power --
and Nevada has all three. The summit is meant to show how it will make a big
difference. (read more...)
GEOSmart Sustainable Financing Solutions(R) Expands to Offer Unparalleled Green Financing for Homes, Businesses and Municipalities
EGIA and Clean Power Finance Announce Strategic Partnership to Deliver Commercial and Residential Energy Efficiency and Solar Financing
MarketWatch - BUSINESS WIRE - Aug 19, 2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif., -- The non-profit Electric & Gas Industries
Association (EGIA) and Clean Power Finance, Inc. today announce their
partnership to add business and residential energy efficiency and solar secured
project financing to EGIA's nationally recognized GEOSmart Sustainable Financing
Solutions. This comprehensive financing program will be delivered through
manufacturers, distributors, utility companies and EGIA's nationwide contractor
network. The partnership will provide businesses and homeowners with
unparalleled unsecured, secured, and commercial financing options for virtually
all energy efficiency or renewable energy projects.
EGIA, having
facilitated the financing of over $400 million in home energy efficiency and
solar upgrades over the past 5 years, will continue to provide its GEOSmart
unsecured financing program for residential projects from $1,000 to $50,000. In
addition, GEOSmart approved contractors will also have access to Clean Power
Finance's residential and commercial secured financing options. These services
include leasing and property based commercial loans, as well as, residential
refinancing, second mortgages, and home equity lines of credit. The GEOSmart
financing program now allows contractors to provide both residential and
commercial customers with 100% financing for their energy efficient and
renewable energy projects, with the programs that best fit their financing
needs. (read more...)
Asia's biggest solar thermal energy plant to be set up at Nagpur
Economic Times - 19 Aug, 2008
CHANDIGARH: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Vilas Muttemwar
today said Asia's biggest solar thermal energy plant of 10 MW capacity would be
set up at Nagpur, where a SEZ was also being established in which equipment and
appliances related to wind, solar and biogas energy would be manufactured.
"Private company Acme is going to set up Asia's biggest thermal energy
generation plant at Nagpur a SEZ will also be set up there," Muttemwar said
addressing a joint press conference here with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh
Hooda on the eve of 'Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas, the national function of
which is being held at Panchkula tomorrow. (read more...)
Can A Smart Grid Help The Solar Power Cause?
Alternative Energy Retailer - By Phil Hall - Monday 18 August 2008
According to Kurt E. Yeager, the only thing that is preventing a further
integration of U.S. alternative energy power sources to the nation’s electric
grid is…the grid. Yeager, the former president and CEO of the Electric Power
Research Institute, is advocating the implementation of what he calls the "smart
grid," a series of micro grids that would more efficiently serve both the
national power needs and offer more opportunities for incorporating alternative
solutions such as photovoltaic power.
Yeager and Robert Galvin, the
retired chairman of the board of Motorola Inc., have authored the new book
"Perfect Power: How the Micro Grid Revolution Will Unleash Cleaner, Greener,
More Abundant Energy." Published by (read more...)
Maxim Integrated Products donates $25,000
Stanford Solar Car Project by Sasha Zbrozek - August 22, 2008
There are plans to have a ceremony where an oversize check will be presented
to the team. Several Maxim executives will likely come, and there will be
several short speeches. We’re trying to find an appropriate Stanford faculty
member to also take the podium and say a few words.
This is one of our
larger donations and will be very important for our success in the coming cycle.
Our coffers started a little low this year since we’ve had to take care of
residual expenses from the Australia run, this will go a long way towards
bringing us towards a comfortable funding level for building a car. (read
more...)
New rays of hope for solar power’s future
High cost of fossil fuel and advanced technology improve this energy source’s prospects.
The Christian Science Monitor - By Mark Clayton| Staff Writer - August 22, 2008
Boulder City, Nev.--From five miles away, the Nevada Solar One power plant
seems a mirage, a silver lake amid waves of 110 degree F. desert heat. Driving
nearer, the rippling image morphs into a sea of mirrors angled to the sun.
As the first commercial “concentrating solar power” or CSP plant built
in 17 years, Nevada Solar One marks the reemergence and updating of a
decades-old technology that could play a large new role in US power production,
many observers say. (read more...)
Solar water heaters are best bet
Home appliance provides benefits of financial, eco-friendly nature
The Arizona Republic - by Eran Mahrer - Aug. 23, 2008
Which appliance costs you the most money on your energy bill last month?
Chances are - outside of the air-conditioner - it was your water heater. In
fact, if you're like many other Arizona families, that one appliance alone
accounted for about 15 percent of your total energy bill last year.
But,
it doesn't have to be that way. By installing a solar water heater, you could
virtually eliminate that energy cost. Solar water heaters are not only
affordable, they also provide environmental benefits. (read more...)
GreenScene: Progress Energy Carolinas, SunEdison To Build Solar Plant
Trading Markets - financialwire.net - Aug 23, 2008
( via COMTEX) SunEdison will build the solar PV array on about ten acres at
the existing power plant site. Progress Energy will lease the land to SunEdison
for twenty years, the term of the power-purchase agreement.
The plant is
the second megawatt-sized solar project closed by Progress this summer. In June,
software company SAS said that it will build a 1-MW solar PV array at its Cary,
N.C., campus and sell the output under a long-term contract to Progress Energy
Carolinas. (read more...)
Progress Energy reaches solar power deal with SunEdison
Triangle Business Journal - August 22, 2008
Progress Energy has signed an agreement to allow SunEdison, a solar energy
company, to build, own and operate a 1.2-megawatt solar energy project near
Progress' coal-fired power plants in Wilmington.
Raleigh-based Progress
Energy (NYSE: PGN) said SunEdison, based in Maryland, will build the solar
photovoltaic array on about 10 acres at the L.V. Sutton Plant site. Progress
will lease the land to SunEdison, which in turn will sell the energy generated
there to Progress. Progress plans to distribute the energy to its customers. (read more...)
The Beijing Olympics’ Green Score
Green Assets - August 23, 2008
Even environmental groups have been impressed with Beijing’s renewable energy and efficiency projects since winning the right to hold the Olympics in 2001. “The Games present a wonderful opportunity for China to be able to do more when it comes to sustainable development,” said Theodore Oben, a communications officer for the United Nations Environment Programme, which authored the report, “Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: An Environmental Review.” [See AlternativeEnergy.com’s “Greening the Olympics and China on Energy Experts Live Talk Radio with David Kates.”] China has gotten high marks for building the Guanting wind power station outside Beijing, which provides 20 percent of the electricity used by Olympic facilities. The wind farm will supply 100 million kWh per year, enough to power 100,000 homes. Olympic VillageThe Olympic Village, which temporarily housed 16,000 athletes, was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification for (read more...)
Alt-energy rules split candidates, community
Lawsuit battle heats up on renewables mandate
The Arizona Republic - by Ryan Randazzo - Aug. 24, 2008
Arizona's big utilities are scrambling to get more people to "go solar" and
making near-weekly alternative-energy announcements, but not everybody is on
board.
The most notable dissent came from a lawsuit filed by Arizona's
Goldwater Institute, which petitioned the court in June to strike down state
requirements that Arizona Public Service Co. and other utilities get a set
percentage of electricity from renewable sources. (read more...)
Sin City bets on green initiative
The National (UAE) - Gretchen Peters, Foreign Correspondent - August 23. 2008
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA // Rising 50-storeys above the Nevada desert, the gleaming
Palazzo Las Vegas casino and resort seems to represent everything the city of
conspicuous consumption is all about.
Its 3,066 luxury suites boast
amenities such as remote-controlled curtains and sunken marble whirlpools. The
9,750 square-metre casino features more than 120 gaming tables and nearly 1,400
slot, video poker and reel machines, where gamblers can place bets in
air-conditioned comfort 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is also an indoor
shopping mall, with 60 luxury stores and a Broadway-style theatre. (read more...)
No investment advice from Turner
The Aspen Times - Katie Redding - August 24, 2008
Aspen CO, Colorado — Media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner argued
Saturday night that the “next big fortune” will be made in renewable energy.
But, he declined to give investment advice.
In general, Turner avoided
the specifics of the growing renewable-energy industry on Saturday. Although his
interview with Pat Mitchell headlined American Renewable Energy Day, the
conversation hovered mostly on the topic of Turner and his charitable giving. (read more...)
Solar, wind power are not enough
Daily Herald - James R. Schaefer - 8/23/2008
Ms. Linda Vukovich (Fence Post, Aug. 18) is unhappy with our addiction to oil
as are many others.
We are absolutely dependent on petroleum for our
current requirements.
Now, if you equate dependence with addiction, we
are indeed addicted. But are children dependent on (read more...)
PG&E's solar power contracts bode well for state's future
Contra Costa Times - MediaNews - editorial - 08/23/2008
SOLAR POWER RECEIVED what could be a landmark advance with a decision by
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to buy 800 megawatts of photovoltaic power from two
Bay Area firms. That is enough to power 239,000 homes.
The utility will
purchase 550 megawatts from OptiSolar, a Hayward company, and another 250
megawatts from SunPower Corp. of San Jose. (read more...)
New York Mayor Touts Energy Conservation for Savings (Update1)
Bloomberg - By Christopher Martin - Aug. 21
New York City will likely benefit more from energy efficiency and
conservation than mounting wind turbines on city skyscrapers and bridges.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg this week asked renewable energy developers to
propose ideas for generating wind energy and other pollution-free power sources
within the city's five boroughs. Along with offshore wind farms, other ideas
included tidal and solar power and geothermal energy. Responses are due Sept.
19. (read more...)
Germany’s key to green energy
Despite its damp climate, the country has become the global leader in wind and solar power through a pioneering law. Now, Congress is weighing a similar bill.
The Christian Science Monitor - By Mariah Blake| Correspondent - August 20, 2008
Freiburg, Germany - While other nations hunt for ways to wean themselves from
fossil fuels, Germany is in the throes of a green revolution that has made it
the global leader in solar- and wind-power generation.
The reason? A
pioneering law that requires utilities to buy electricity from renewable sources
at premium rates. This means anyone with a rooftop solar generator or a small
water turbine can sell the energy they produce at a healthy profit. (read more...)
Solar Roundup: Honda Drives Thin-Film Expansion
Honda says it will expand its thin-film manufacturing capacity. Meanwhile, Solar Thin Films and Amelio Solar team up to bring more CIGS solar cells to market and India claims it's building Asia's biggest solar-thermal plant.
Bullet Arrow - by: Rachel Barron - August 20, 2008
Honda Motors Co. is pondering the export of its thin-film solar cells as the
company gets ready to expand its manufacturing plant to meet a previously
announced 27.5-megawatt annual production capacity, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Advertisement
The company began commercial production in October of its
solar cells made from copper-indium-gallium-diselenide, or CIGS. (read more...)
The biggest solar power project in East Africa installs 2,000 systems
PM Forum -By Getachew Teklemariam Alemu - August 20th, 2008
ADDIS ABABA — The biggest solar power project in East Africa, which is being
implemented by a German Solar Energy Foundation, is achieving its milestones by
installing 2,000 solar systems in/around Rema village in Ethiopia. The project
has realized a supply of power to 5,500 residents in the country. Harald
Schutziechel, founder and former head of Freiburg, is leading the charity work,
with significant support from Good Energies Foundation; an affiliate of New York
based renewable energy investor Good Energies.
According to
schutziechel, head of the charity work, the interest of the project is not just
to install solar systems but rather to train the villagers in installing and
maintaining the systems, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the project. (read
more...)
Boston's Satcon wins Atlantic City solar contract
Boston Business Journal - August 20, 2008
Satcon Technology Corp. won a contract to provide solar power technology for
the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority solar project.
Boston, Mass.-based Satcon (Nadsaq: SATC) will provide 500 kilowatt
high-efficiency power inverters for the Atlantic City Convention Center’s 2.36
megawatt, 13,000 solar panel project. The inverters convert solar energy
collected from the panels from DC to AC current, and connect the system to the
power grid. (read more...)
Solar Panel Readied For Wisconsin School
AER - Staff on Wednesday 20 August 2008
The new school semester at Wisconsin's Reedsburg Area High School will have a
decidedly green hue.
The Times-Press reports that Reedsburg Utility and
Wisconsin Public Power Inc. are working together to install a free solar panel.
The new panel will provide between 2,000 and 3,000 W at peak sunshine, the
equivalent for powering a typical residential home. The district will be charged
for (read more...)
Solar Fair Coming To New Mexico
AER - Staff on Tuesday 19 August 2008
"It's Easy Being Green" is the theme of the 2008 Solar Fiesta, an upcoming
New Mexican educational fair for energy conservation, renewable energy and
sustainable living. The event, presented by the New Mexico Solar Energy
Association (NMSEA), will take place Sept. 20-21 at Albuquerque's Highland High
School.
Both days of the fair will begin with "Energy 101" workshops
that will provide information on reducing home energy costs. Other workshops
will focus on conducting home energy audits and creating energy reduction plans,
the basics of solar thermal and solar electric systems, and an overview of (read more...)
First Solar Plans Ohio Plant Expansion in Power News
AER - Staff on Tuesday 19 August 2008
Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar Inc. announced plans for the expansion of its
Ohio manufacturing operations, with the addition of a fourth production line and
the construction of a separate development-focused facility. These additions
will add 500,000 square feet of space to the existing manufacturing plant.
According to Reuters, the company states this expansion will generate at
least 134 jobs while lowering its production costs. (read more...)
Power sector reforms in US and Brazil
By Agency reporter - Published: Friday, 22 Aug 2008
Preamble:
The early history of the power sector in the US was largely
a reflection of the country’s inward-looking, isolationist posture. In its
intense drive for self-sufficiency co-operatives, local municipalities, states
and the Federal Government led the way in the provision and management of power
infrastructure. The energy crisis of the 1970s was a major turning point,
leading to regulatory, legal and structural reforms that accommodated private
participation in the power sector. According to information obtained from the
site of the Energy Information Administration of the US, the electric power
industry’s total installed generating capacity was 1,089,807MW as of December
2007. The fuel mix comprises 48.6 per cent from coal; 19.4 per cent from nuclear
energy; 5.8 per cent from hydropower; 1.6 per cent from fuel oil; and 2.5 per
cent from other sources such as geothermal, solar and wind. The market has moved
rapidly from a series of independent public sector monopolies to increasing
private-sector participation from generation to distribution and transmission.
(read more...)
For solar power, Sempra favors thin film
Reuters - EE Times - 08/21/2008
LOS ANGELES — Sempra Energy favors thin-film panels, such as those made by
First Solar Inc., over rival solar technologies because they are less costly and
faster to bring online, the head of the company's power generation business
said.
Sempra, which recently announced it is building a 10-megawatt
photovoltaic plant in Nevada with First Solar, is planning a 40-MW to 50-MW
expansion of the plant next year that is also likely to use First Solar
thin-film solar modules, Sempra Generation Chief Executive Michael Allman said
in an interview Thursday. (read more...)
Architects and Engineers Express Doubt About Bloomberg’s Windmill Proposal
NY Times - By KEN BELSON and DAVID W. DUNLAP Published: August 20, 2008
Interviews with architects, engineers and energy experts on Wednesday suggest
that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to place wind turbines atop the
city’s skyscrapers and bridges, as well as off the coastline of Queens and
Brooklyn, would be complicated and expensive and barely begin to meet the growth
in demand for electricity that is expected in the coming years.
“The
smaller turbines that he’s talking about almost don’t pay in terms of kilowatts
per hour produced,” said Daniel Karpen, a Long Island engineering consultant who
has studied the feasibility of wind power. “He’s going to need money to build
them, and then you end up with a tremendous amount of red tape. It’s a
nightmare.” (read more...)
Satcon Technology wins contract for A.C. Convention Center solar project
Press of Atlantic Vity - By ERIK ORTIZ Staff Writer, 609-272-7253 Friday, August 22, 2008
ATLANTIC CITY - The massive undertaking to blanket the Atlantic City
Convention Center's roof with more than 13,300 solar panels moved forward this
week with the awarding of a solar-power technology contract.
Satcon
Technology Corp., a Boston-based manufacturer, will provide the 500-kilowatt
power inverters for the project. The high efficiency inverters are key: They
will convert the energy harnessed by the solar panels from a DC current to an
AC, which can then be hooked into the power grid.
Satcon President and
CEO Steve Rhoades said the demand for the technology is so great that the
company has seen a backlog for its products - $45 million worth at the end of
the second quarter of 2008. (read more...)
Emerging Photovoltaic Manufacturers to Gain from New Global Partnership of Advanced Automation Leaders
Market Watch /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ Aug. 21, 2008
NORTHFIELD, Minn. and DORMAGEN, Germany, Aug 21, 2008-- A global strategic partnership to benefit the emerging photovoltaic (PV) industry for solar-cell energy applications was signed today by two leaders in advanced automation -- U.S.-based Northfield Automation Systems, Inc. and German-based Solarcoating Machinery GmbH. One point of contact is the benefit for new PV companies as they gear up manufacturing operations by tapping into the strengths of both partners. Until now, PV startups worked with multiple sources to build their factories. In addition, existing solar manufacturers can more easily move from silicon to thin-film technology. Potential customers include OEMs serving energy, building material manufacturers and consumer markets. (read more...)
Progress Energy Carolinas, SunEdison Plan Solar Project at Plant Site
Your Renewable News PRNewswire-FirstCall - Aug 25, 2008
WILMINGTON, N.C., Aug. 22 -- Progress Energy Carolinas (NYSE:PGN) and
SunEdison have signed an agreement under which SunEdison will build, own and
operate a 1.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the site of the Progress
Energy L.V. Sutton Plant near Wilmington and sell the energy produced to the
utility for distribution to customers.
SunEdison will build the solar PV
array on about 10 acres at the existing power plant site, located off Highway
421. Progress Energy will lease the land to SunEdison for 20 years, the term of
the power-purchase agreement. (read more...)
Solar energy an affordable reality
Epoch Times - August 22, 2008
WASHINGTON—Moving away from the reliance on high energy prices is no longer a
pipe dream. Two innovative MIT professors, Daniel Nocera and Henry Dreyfus,
developed groundbreaking, inexpensive solar energy storage systems that should
be available for production within three years.
“Because the system is
simple to manufacture, the team believes that it could be implemented within
three years—even added onto existing solar-panel systems to increase their
efficiency by 50 percent for minimal additional cost. That, in turn, would
substantially reduce the cost of solar (read more...)
Solar energy plant announced for Wilmington
SunEdison to build facility at Progress' Sutton site
Star-News - By Jim Brumm Correspondent - August 22, 2008
There will be solar power flowing through Wilmington’s electric lines by
year-end, Progress Energy CEO Bill Johnson said Friday.
The area’s
electricity supplier has agreed to buy electricity from the 1.2-megawatt solar
photovoltaic (PV) plant to be built on the site of the utility’s L.V. Sutton
Plant, located about 1 mile off U.S. 421 north of the city, Johnson told a
Wilmington Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting.
This is the second
solar project that Progress Energy has agreed to purchase power from this
summer. In June, Johnson noted, the utility agreed to buy the electricity
produced by a 1-megawatt solar PV array that software company SAS plans to build
on five acres at its campus in Cary. (read more...)
With 3 solar plans, N.C. is out front: Renewable-energy law prompts Duke, Progress to build plants that could power hundreds of homes
The News & Observer - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX - August 23, 2008
Aug 23, 2008--After years of false starts, large-scale solar power is
scheduled to come to North Carolina.
Progress Energy is planning a
1.2-megawatt solar farm on 10 acres in Wilmington, to be built at the same
complex as the utility's coal-burning power plants, it announced Friday. (read more...)
US Government Investing up to US $24M To Bring Solar Energy Online
RenewableEnergyWorld - August 25, 2008
Washington, DC, United States - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy John
Mizroch announced recently that the DOE will invest up to US $24 million --
subject to the availability of funds -- to develop solar energy products that
will hopefully accelerate the penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in
the United States.
The Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS)
projects will provide critical research and development (R&D) funding to
develop less expensive, higher performing products to enhance the value of solar
PV systems to homeowners and business owners. These projects are integral to the
Solar America Initiative, which aims to make solar energy cost-competitive with
conventional forms of electricity by 2015. (read
more...)
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