RENEWABLE ENERGY

Lost financing, low prices for natural gas and political uncertainty have stymied a potential boom in the U.S. wind power industry this year.

Wave energy could catch up with commercially more advanced offshore wind power within five years, the head of pioneers Aquamarine Power Ltd told Reuters.

China increased its goal for wind power generation capacity by the year 2020 to as much as 100 000 megawatts, from 30 000 megawatts that the Chinese government had set 18 months ago, Chinese newspaper China Daily reported on Monday.

SolarWorld, Germany's third-largest solar company by revenue, confirmed its 2009 sales outlook after first-quarter net profit rose more than a quarter as the company offset falling module prices by cutting costs. Chief Executive Frank Asbeck told Reuters on Monday that the company still expects to post 2009 sales of more than 1 billion euros ($1.33 billion), while full-year profit would depend on how prices develop in the battered industry.

Europe is likely to pump out increasing amounts of bioethanol over the next 10 years, posting gradual annual output rises as an EU-imposed deadline nears for boosting renewable energy, an industry official said on Monday.

SunPower Corporation announced on Thursday a deal with Certified Steel Company and Nexus Properties to build a 1.2 megawatt solar power system in a Certified Steel facility in New Jersey.

The UK government is to launch an environmental study on marine energy projects in England and Wales, paving the way for commercial wave and tidal devices to be deployed.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be granted more than $100 million from the economic stimulus package, the U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama's energy plans and actions during the first 100 days of his administration reveal a strong emphasis on spending to promote renewable energy technologies that will generate jobs and an effort to shift the nation to a low-carbon economy.

Vestas Wind Systems' Chief Executive Officer, Ditley Engel, the largest maker of wind turbines in the world, said today that sentiment in the market is picking up amid reports that the company's first quarter net profit jumped 70 percent.

Intel Corp. is the U.S. largest single purchaser of green power with more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, the Environmental and Protection Agency said on Tuesday.

A proposed federal mandate to force power companies to provide up to 25 percent renewable energy by 2025 is likely to have little impact on electric prices though 2020 and negligible impact after 2030, the Energy Information Administration said in a study Monday.

Phoenix-based Stirling Energy Systems announced Monday it is expanding by launching Tessera Solar, a new unit to manufacture the products used to build large solar-thermal power plants in the U.S. and the rest of the world.

President Barack Obama on Monday announced a goal of ensuring 3 percent of the country's gross domestic product is spent on scientific research and development.

SunPower , an U.S. manufacturer of solar panels, reported an unexpected net loss for the first quarter, hit by the credit crisis and the difficult economic conditions, the company said Thursday.

Exelon Corp. and solar panel maker SunPower Corp. plan to build a solar power plant in an urban area in Chicago with the capacity to produce the electricity required by up to 1,500 homes in one year.

The U.S. government’s Environmental Protection Agency is marking the celebration of Earth Day 2009 on Wednesday by promoting the use of clean energy sources.

House Energy and Commerce Committee representatives agreed on Tuesday that the U.S. must lead the world in climate change action but uncovered gaps in a proposed climate bill during the opening session of a weeklong series of hearings.

Britain should only support energy production from burning wood and other biomass where proven carbon cuts result, said a report by the Environment Agency, a public body which advises government. Investors and energy companies plan to invest billions in developing British power plants running on wood chips, straw and other biomass, in response to UK climate change policies which add a premium for generation of low-carbon electricity.

Asian governments are warming to the idea of offering incentives for green investment and could help attract billions of dollars in funding for solar and wind power industries struggling under tight credit conditions.

President Barack Obama has proposed to his counterparts a new Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas to promote renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.