Energy Law

As the Great Recession drags on in California ? unemployment rate: 12.4 percent, state government in a state of collapse ? the solar boom continues.

The Golden State?s decade-long program to install 3,000 megawatts of photovoltaic arrays on residential and commercial rooftops kicked off in 2007, not too long before the global economic collapse began.

Only three years in, the program ? known as the California Solar Initiative ? has achieved 42 percent of its 1,750 megawatt target in markets served by the state?s three, big investor-owned utilities, according to a report released Friday by the California Public Utilities Commission.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced 43 cutting-edge research projects that aim to dramatically improve how the U.S. uses and produces energy. Funded with $92 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today's selections focus on accelerating innovation in green technology while increasing America's competitiveness in grid scale energy storage, power electronics and building efficiency.

"These innovative ideas will play a critical role in our energy security and economic growth," said Secretary Chu. "It is now more important than ever to invest in a new, clean energy economy."

The leaders of Maine and Nova Scotia have signed an agreement pledging closer collaboration on research and development of tidal energy as well as offshore wind energy.

Gov. John Baldacci and Premier Darrell Dexter signed the memorandum of understanding Monday during a meeting of New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers in Massachusetts.

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 is beginning to look like a stimulus package for the lobbying trade.

During the past year, oil companies, manufacturers and trade groups have made a big push to shape the rules and regulations behind California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, The Bee has found in a review of lobbying disclosure statements filed with the California secretary of state's office.

Environmental groups, clean-energy advocates and utility companies also have weighed in heavily, although some green lobbyists said they felt outgunned by the money and technical expertise available to oil companies.

BRUSSELS - The European Union says 10.3 per cent of its energy came from renewable sources such as solar and wind power and biofuels in 2008.

The 27-nation bloc aims to bring that up to 20 per cent by 2020. Renewables made up 9.7 per cent of its energy consumption in 2007.

Sweden was the biggest user of renewable energy, drawing some 44.4 per cent of its power from non-fossil fuel sources in 2008. In Britain, just 2.2 per cent of its energy was renewable.

This WindTronics windmill represents a new wave of technology innovation sweeping through the small wind industry. This innovation combined with national, regional and local incentives, as well as significant cost reductions in installations and products, is driving fast growth for small windmill makers. In 2009, despite an abysmal economy, the U.S. small wind market (turbines with rated capacities of 100 kilowatts or fewer) grew by 15 percent, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). That growth included an increase of 20.3 megawatts of new capacity and $82.4 million in sales.