Alternate Energy

DOE Announces $30 Million for Small Business Clean Energy Technologies
DOE has announced $30 million in Recovery Act and FY 2010 funds to help small businesses commercialize promising new technologies. Applications are being accepted in the technology areas of biomass, b…..

First Half of 2010 is the Warmest on Record for the Globe
At 1.22°F warmer than the 20th-century average, the first half of 2010 was the warmest on record, according to a recent analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average gl…..

Report: Home Size is Declining, Energy Efficiency a Factor
The size of new single-family homes dropped in 2009, according to a new report from a housing association, in part to drive energy costs down. Another survey shows new homes have steadily become more …..

DOE Takes Steps to Implement Cool Roofs Across the Federal Government
DOE is embarking on initiatives to install cool roofs on its buildings whenever practical and is urging other federal agencies and commercial entities to do the same. Cool roofs will reduce energy use…..

DOE Report: Recovery Act Boosts Advanced Vehicle Investments
DOE has released a report that finds that advanced vehicle projects funded by the Recovery Act are creating jobs, spurring private investment, and cutting electric vehicle cost. …..

Testimony: The Challenge of China’s Green Technology Policy
Breakthrough Institute Project Director (and my friend and colleague) Devon Swezey testified last week before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on China’s clean energy technology…..

A Simple Solution for Wind Power Storage
If you’ve ever blown up a balloon and let it go flying across the room, you’ve got the basic idea behind a new technology for storing energy from wind power: use compressed air.  ARPA-E, the feder…..

Fuel Additive Production Takes the Green Route
Research is on for the organic production of isobutene (isobutylene). Thomas Bobik, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and David Gogerty, a doctoral student are doing pioneer…..

Specially Shaped Nanopillars Make Solar Cells Absorb 99% of Light and Use 99% Less Silicon
To increase the light absorption of solar cells, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley have perfected a nanostructure that could make up cheaper and more efficient solar cells and li…..

Dutch & Norvegian Researchers Say Osmosis Power Plants Could Suffice World’s Electricity Needs
A new approach to generate electricity comes from engineers from Europe’s northern countries of the Netherlands and Norway. They want to use the difference between salty and fresh water through osmosi…..

Honda, finally, is going to rock down to electric avenue
Honda has always poo-pooed the industry-wide move to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, stubbornly sticking to the idea that fuel-cell vehicles were the future. For example, it has been highly cri…..

Shanghai Railway Station Benefits 6.8 MW Solar Power Plant Since Sunday
Germany and Spain may be the leaders in solar photovoltaics, but China comes from behind and amazes everyone with an enormous power station just above the Beijing-Shanghai railway station. The plant …..

Holy Sustainble Cow! Ordinary Algae Can Double as Biofuel and Cattle Feed, Too
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced $9 million in funding for research into the use of algae that occur naturally in seawater to produce a sustainable twofer: renewable algae biofuel an…..

Honda To Release a Plug-In Hybrid in 2012
The Japanese car manufacturer Honda announced it will launch a plug-in hybrid car and one with full electric propulsion. These two models will be released in 2012, as part of the strategy to push them…..

I’m getting tired of all the political theatre…
I just hung up during a conference called with Christian Paradis, Canada’s federal minister of Natural Resources. It was a very frustrating experience. The call was set up so the minister could talk a…..

7th Annual Kickapoo Country Fair, July 24-25, 2010
Now in its seventh year, the Kickapoo Country Fair is the Midwest’s largest organic food and sustainability festival. In La Farge, Wisconsin, nestled among the ancient hills of the Kickapoo Valley, th…..

Ontario “tweak” of solar feed-in-tariff could undermine renewables program
My Clean Break column this week takes a critical look at the Ontario government’s decision to lower the price it pays for small ground-mount solar systems under its much-celebrated feed-in-tariff …..

Huge 6.7MW Solar Station Meets High-Speed Rail in Shanghai, China
The world’s largest stand-alone integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) project began transmitting power to the electric grid in Shanghai on Sunday. This 6.68-megawatt ($23.6 million) solar system, which can…..

Nanotechnolgy Stocks; mPower Technologies (OTC.BB:XDSL) to Speak at DoD Anti-Tampering Workshop at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
LITTLE FALLS, NJ – July 20, 2010 (Investorideas.com Newswire) – mPhase Technologies, Inc. (OTC.BB:XDSL), today announced that it has been invited to speak at an anti-tampering technical workshop spons…..

XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB:XSNX.OB) Letter to Shareholders: Technology & Corporate Development Progress Update
July 20, 2010 (Investorideas.com Newswire) This week we’re pleased to share with you an update regarding XsunX’s benchmark targets for its hybrid CIGS/HD solar cell technology …..

OTC Volume Leaders; Most Active ($5.00-$10.00): (OTCBB: SQTC), (OTCBB: EVCPD), (OTCBB: NEWN), (OTCBB: ELRE); Leading Sectors Include Cleantech Stocks and Gold Stocks
Point Roberts, WA (Investorideas.com Newswire) July 20, 2010 – OTC VOLUME LEADERS reports on the most active trading stocks on the OTCBB. …..

OTC Volume Leaders; Most Active ($0.14-$0.25): (OTCBB: IMGG), (OTCBB: AEGY) (OTCBB: HNAB) (OTCBB: PNTV); Sectors include Renewable Energy Stocks
Point Roberts, WA (Investorideas.com Newswire) July 20, 2010 – OTC VOLUME LEADERS reports on the most active trading stocks on the OTCBB. …..

Planar Energy’s New Printing Process to Improve Solid-State Batteries
Orlando-based startup Planar Energy, a spin-off from the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL), found a new method that could improve the lifetime and stability of batteries used in electric v…..

Secretary Chu Announces Initiatives to Promote Clean Energy at First Clean Energy Ministerial
At the world’s first Clean Energy Ministerial, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the United States is helping launch more than 10 international clean energy initiatives. …..

Q2 Nasdaq Clean Edge Stock Index Update
(none) …..

BP Buys Verenium’s Cellulosic Biofuel Business for $98.3 Million
07/20/2010 – BP and Verenium Corporation recently announced an agreement for BP Biofuels North America to acquire Verenium’s cellulosic biofuels business, including facilities in Jennings, LA and San …..

New Thermally Elastic Metal Alloy Increases the Efficiency of Air Conditioners
A team of researchers at the University of Maryland have recently created a new “thermally elastic” metal alloy that will significantly increase the efficiency of refrigeration systems and air conditi…..

IEA: New Report Says $46 Trillion More to Clean Tech by 2050
Originally posted at the Breakthrough Institute. In a recent IEA report intended to inform and guide climate and energy policy decision makers, the Energy Technology Perspective 2010 (Exec. Summary;…..

Nissan Planning to Migrate Electric Car Technology from LEAF to 370z or Essence Coupe
Edmunds’ Inside Line reports sources at Nissan say that the company will make a sports car based on the future Leaf, which hasn’t even made its debut on the market. …..

NABCEP Publishes Revised Job Task Analysis for PV Installer Certification
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is pleased to announce the publication of a revised edition of the Job Task Analysis that is the foundational document for its indu…..

Borrego Secures US $20M from U.S. Bank & East West Bank
Borrego Solar Systems Inc. has secured financing from U.S. Bank and East West Bank to finance an approximately US $20 million solar energy project for the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD)â…..

European Offshore Wind Heading Record Year
One hundred and eighteen new offshore wind turbines were fully connected to the grid in the first half of 2010 according to new statistics released today by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA)…..

US Forest Service Approves SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has received approval to move forward with construction of the approximately US $1.9 billion, 120-mile Sunrise Powerlink transmission line from the Department of Agric…..

REG Acquires Tellurian Biodiesel & American BDF
Renewable Energy Group (REG) announced two acquisitions and assumption of a used cooking oil supply agreement that helps the quick-service restaurant industry and the entire nation move closer to achi…..

Canadian Solar & Green City Complete 1-MW Project
Canadian Solar and Green City Energy have jointly installed a 1-megawatt (MW) solar system in the city of Haertensdorf, Germany. The system, located in Saxony, was completed before June 30. …..

Renewable Energy Policy Update For China
As with the rest of the global renewable energy sector, China’s renewables policy has evolved considerably over recent years. Here are the latest major developments and market trends. …..

Here Comes the Sun: Ten Million Solar Rooftops
During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was waiting to sign a document that would hold the fate and destiny of the United States of America. As he stood, his eyes fell on a ca…..

Solar energy in Haiti
At Intersolar North America this week, SolarWorld donated an in-kind grant of solar panels totaling 100 kilowatts to support the solar electrification of five health clinics for Partners In Health (P…..

Blog from Intersolar North America
Intersolar North America 2010 had momentum. The show was mobbed, and there was a huge concentration of real customers. This blog covers INA start to finish, with insights on BOS components, Californi…..

CSP Today: Interview with José Javier González from ABENER
Ahead of the First Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Summit India, CSP Today catches up with José Javier González from ABENER, who will be speaking at the Summit. …..

Atlantic Wind & Solar Strengthens Leadership Team With the Arrival of Tom Casagrande
Atlantic Wind & Solar Inc. (OTC:AWSL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Tom Casagrande to the role of Director of Business Development. …..

Recurrent Reaches Deals in France & Israel
Recurrent Energy and Redavia, a French solar development and advisory firm announced a joint development agreement, in which Redavia will act on Recurrent Energy’s behalf to identify ground-based phot…..

Nevada’s Geothermal Industry Worth US $22.5B in 30 Years
If Nevada were a country, it would be the 9th largest producer of geothermal power in the world today, now, according to new facts from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) compiled in anticipation…..

Rabobank & SolarCity Collaborate on Project Financing
Rabobank and SolarCity are collaborating on a range of new solar projects with Rabobank providing project financing for numerous solar projects across SolarCity’s service areas. …..

US Geothermal Signs US $30M Construction Deal
U.S. Geothermal Inc. has entered into an agreement for the engineering procurement and construction of a new 8.6-megawatt (MW) modular binary cycle power plant at its San Emidio project. …..

U.N. lists Kyoto plan B options if no climate deal
LONDON (Reuters) – The U.N.’s climate agency has for the first time detailed contingency options if the world cannot agree a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose present round expires in 2012 with n…..

BP denies CEO leaving as it readies asset sales
LONDON/HOUSTON (Reuters) – BP denied a report its embattled chief executive would leave soon, as it lined up $7 billion in asset sales to help pay for the worst oil spill in U.S. history, lifting its …..

EU carbon falls at open, recovers in light trade
LONDON (Reuters) – European carbon permit prices fell to near 14 euros on low liquidity at the start of trade on Wednesday, but managed to recover losses within the first hour. …..

Businesses support tougher emissions targets by EU: report
LONDON (Reuters) – High-profile business leaders from household names across Europe urged ministers on Wednesday to push for tougher emissions targets. …..

Countries pledge global support for clean energy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and dozens of other countries have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars toward clean energy initiatives to help battle climate change, U.S. Energy Secretary…..

Google to use wind energy to power data centers
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc’s energy unit has entered into a deal to buy wind power from NextEra Energy Inc for the next 20 years to power data centers. …..

Little impact if U.S. ethanol tax breaks end: Study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. ethanol production would drop a modest amount if tax incentives costing $6 billion a year are eliminated, a think tank at Iowa State University said on Tuesday. …..

Renovables, REC post firm H1 results, upbeat on 2010
MADRID/OSLO (Reuters) – Iberdrola Renovables and Renewable Energy Corp kicked off Europe’s green energy reporting season on Tuesday with sharp upticks in first-half earnings and upbeat 2010 forecasts,…..

Senator Reid seeking consensus on climate bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With time running out on the congressional calendar, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday he was still grappling for consensus among Democrats to forge a new climat…..

Scenarios: Climate and energy bill options in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying to forge energy legislation that may affect everything from offshore drilling to renewable energy, but it is uncertain whether i…..

Forgemasters scales back nuclear plans
Sheffield Forgemasters has abandoned plans to become one of only two companies in the world capable of making the massive forgings at the heart of civil nuclear power plants. …..

Nuclear power is green power
Forty years ago, at the time of the first Earth Day, Americans became deeply worried about air and water pollution and a population explosion that threatened to overrun the planet’s resources. …..

Energy, sustainability, and public understanding of climate
One of the interesting things that the Lindau Meeting made clear is that , the physics community is splitting in two. …..

Vt. legislative panel releases revised nuke report
A panel appointed by Vermont lawmakers to examine the reliability of Vermont Yankee said Tuesday that a change in corporate culture is needed if the 38-year-old nuclear power plant is to operate past …..

Nuclear Regs, False Statements, and Boric Acid Corrosion
The defendant appealed his conviction on three counts of concealing material facts and making false statements to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission . …..

Agency plans second meeting on Areva project
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has agreed to hold a public meeting in Boise on a proposal by French nuclear giant Areva Inc. …..

China surpasses U.S. as top energy consumer
China has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest consumer of energy, according to data from Paris-based International Energy Agency, a landmark that has implications for oil prices and U.S…..

Pantano criticizes Obama over nuke waste decision
A Republican candidate for the U.S. House says President Obama’s attempts to shut down Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository endangers southeastern North Carolina. …..

Carrier "Super Secrets"
CARRIER P.O.V. Award-winning filmmaker Natalia Almada brings to life audio recordings she inherited from her grandmother, daughter of Plutarco Elias Calles, a revolutionary general who became Mexicoa …..

New nuclear plant to land in Guangxi
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Corp will start work on a nuclear power plant in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region later this month. …..

Canada’s gone up in smoke, Cheech & Chong complain
Summer creates a news vacuum in Ottawa but political junkies still have some things to mull over this week. …..

‘Fog grenades to protect nuclear plants’
Regional German authorities said Monday that they have given the green light to a novel scheme to protect a nuclear power station from attack: fog grenades. …..

The oil industry should go nuclear
By John C. Ringle In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico disaster, the oil industry as a whole could do a far better job of managing the challenges of energy production — and reducing the risk of accident…..

An Update on Small Modular Fission Reactors
What is the need? Most of the world’s electrical grids are small. One single source of power generation should not exceed 10-15% of the grid size or risk stability and power concerns when the one larg…..

Lamar Alexander: Nuclear Energy Is Cheap and Reliable
Lamar Alexander is a GOP senator from Tennessee and chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. …..

Pakistan defends civilian nuclear cooperation with China
Pakistan on Monday defended its civilian nuclear cooperation with China to build two nuclear reactors and said the plants will be open to the inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency . …..

US team to assess Va nuclear plant response
A federal team will be at Dominion Virginia Power’s North Anna nuclear power plant all week to size up an emergency preparedness exercise. …..

B&W and Bechtel Form Alliance to Commercialize Worlda s First Generation III++ SMR Nuclear Plant
Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc., and Bechtel Power Corporation today announced they have entered into a formal alliance to design, license and deploy the world’s first commercially viable Genera…..

Small Reactors Generate Big Hopes
Good news in the WSJ : there is serious electric utility backing for the B&W mPower reactor: A new type of nuclear reactor – smaller than a rail car and one tenth the cost of a big plant – is emerging…..