Energy Law

For eco-conscious homeowners who have considered a solar system for their rooftops but have found the cost and complexity daunting, Clarian Power thinks it has an idea.

The Seattle-based clean tech start-up is developing a ?plug-and-play? solar appliance called the Sunfish that will generate clean solar electricity for the home. ?You bring it home and plug it in, just like a refrigerator, and it will cost about the same,? said the company?s president, Chad Maglaque.

A cooperative approach among New England states holds the best hope for meeting the region's renewable energy goals by giving states additional clout and spreading the risk of expensive projects, the top official from the regional power grid operator said Monday.

A report by the New England States Committee on Electricity last month encouraged the six states -- Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut -- to work together to select projects and line up bidders.

The West Coast is leading the nation in the value and amount of renewable energy construction starts in the third quarter of 2009. The West Coast market region, which includes the states of California, Washington and Oregon, as well as Hawaii, has 13 renewable energy projects worth a total of $4.4 billion that are planned to kick off construction this quarter. In terms of value, the Great Lakes region follows with $1.3 billion of planned renewable energy, while the Southwest region rounds out the top three U.S. regions with $1.2 billion of renewable energy projects set to kick off this quarter.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) recently announced car manufacturer Audi had become its first carbon-free freight customer.

The company's logistics subsidiary DB Schenker will transport some 150,000 vehicles a year - loaded on a total of 625 trains - along a route between Ingolstadt and Emden, using electricity generated by renewable sources.

The carbon-free service is the latest of a clutch of new products being offered by DB, including passenger rail carbon offsets, which are currently used by 59 companies for business travel, as well as carbon offsets for the entire Hamburg commuter rail system.

A California-based company that provides mission critical solutions for defence body US National Security, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, has entered into a $5m contract to increase the renewable energy generation capacity of certain military power systems.

The company said it will use its proprietary technology and development initiatives in which it has increased the efficiency of its renewable energy products to support military communications and other applications.

A Michigan company has announced its wishes to build a $20 million, 10-megawatt wind farm southeast of Ogallala.

Area officials rallied around the proposal from Bad Axe, Mich.-based Green Oak Renewables on Monday.

Nebraska Public Power District has asked for proposals to build a renewable energy project in the state that the district would buy energy from, and Green Oak is the first to publicly announce its plans to submit a proposal.

Three Kansas groups will use a $3 million federal grant to test a renewable energy program across the state.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the grant Monday to Riley County, Kansas State University and GBA Architects & Engineers of Lenexa.

Riley County Public Works Assistant Director Rod Meredith says $1.3 million will be used to build renewable energy products such as wind turbines, solar-powered street lights and a waste-oil heater.