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For the first time, solar power is becoming the cheapest form of electricity production in the world, according to new statistics from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) released Thursday. While unsubsidized solar has occasionally done better than coal and gas in individual projects, 2016 marked the first time that the renewable energy source has out-performed fossil fuels on a large scale-and new solar projects are also turning out to be cheaper than new wind power projects, BNEF reports in its new analysis, Climatescope.

As part of the company's plan to ramp up investment in renewables, Kohl's solar power portfolio now includes "solar tree" structures.

The World Bank will provide India with more than $1 billion to support its plans to increase solar power generation to 100 GW by 2022 and derive at least 40% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030. The Bank also announced its support of the India-led International Solar Alliance's efforts to mobilize $1 trillion in solar investments globally by 2030.

The Obama administration is aiming to start changing that. Last week, the President - fresh off of announcing a $4 billion renewable energy fund with private investment partners - has unveiled a set of initiatives to bring increased access to solar energy and solar jobs.   The "Increase Solar Access for All Americans" plan involves private sector investment of $520 million and partnerships with Citigroup, GRID Alternatives, SunEdison and half a dozen other companies as well as several states and cities.

Saskatchewan, Canada, has set a goal to source 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The province currently sources about 5% of its total electricity from wind, but experts say that total could double by 2020. The Canadian Solar Industries Association said Saskatchewan also has a huge potential for solar development. "Saskatchewan's potential for solar power generation is significantly superior to Germany's -- the country with over 50% of the world's operating solar technology," it said. 

India has completed the world's largest solar power plant-a 648 MW plant in Southern India. The $679 million plant is now operational and is expected to produce enough electricity to power about 150,000 homes.

China, the world's biggest clean energy investor, plans to increase wind and solar power capacity by more than 21 percent next year as it works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting its reliance on coal. The nation is targeting at least 20 gigawatts of new wind power installations and 15 gigawatts of additional photovoltaic capacity next year, the National Energy Administration said in a statement on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the Narendra Modi government officially approved an incredibly ambitious plan for India's fledgling solar sector. From the current solar power generation capacity of 4 GW (gigawatt), it wants to produce as much as 100 GW by 2022-with a target of attracting a staggering $100 billion into the sector over the next seven years.

The World Wildlife Fund and Geostellar launched a new program that enables U.S. employees from 3M (CEF member), Cisco, Kimberly-Clark (CEF member), and the National Geographic Society to purchase discounted home solar PV systems. Employees will reportedly be able to purchase solar power at a 35% discount below average prices in the United States.

Amazon intends to install solar power panels at more than 50 warehouses and distribution centers worldwide, including 15 this year in the US. The company estimated power generation of as much as 41 megawatts of by year's end.

Under a new order from the state's Public Service Commission, utility companies will soon be barred from owning "distributed" power systems-that means rooftop solar, small wind turbines, and basically anything else that isn't a big power plant. "By restricting utilities from owning local power generation and other energy resources, customers will benefit from a more competitive market, with utilities working and partnering with other companies and service providers," the commission said in a statement.

Last week, the king of Morocco officially launched the first phase of the world's largest concentrated solar power plant, the Noor Complex.

3M, Cisco, Jackson Family Wines, Kimberly-Clark and other major companies announced new commitments to install solar power as part of a new White House initiative. The Obama administration and local governments also announced a series of new policies to speed the deployment of solar across the nation.

Washington, D.C., is on track to obtain 40% of the electricity used by its city government from wind and solar sources. Part of the electricity will come from a wind farm in Pennsylvania. The city signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the project in August. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city will also source electricity from solar panels, with a plan to install panels at 34 government-owned sites. 

SunEdison started building a 110 MW solar power plant in Santiago, Chile. The project is expected to be the largest solar power installation in Latin America.

The tech giant Tuesday announced a plan with First Solar to power all California operations with the sun, potentially becoming the budding renewable energy sector's biggest commercial deal ever.

The tech giant Tuesday announced a plan with First Solar to power all California operations with the sun, potentially becoming the budding renewable energy sector's biggest commercial deal ever.

Electric car manufacturer Tesla has revealed a battery for the home that can store power from solar panels, be used in case of a power outage and potentially transition solar-powered homes to be off the grid entirely. "The goal is complete transformation of the entire energy infrastructure of the world, to completely sustainable zero carbon," said the company's founder, Elon Musk. 

A solar distillation system uses vacuum tube solar collectors to mimic nature's process and produces clean water from nearly any source at low cost. The system by WaterStillar Water Works functions even on cloudy days, although at a slower rate, and can be scaled up to produce as much as 2,642 gallons of drinking water per day. 

Solar Impulse 2 touched down in Abu Dhabi today, becoming the first fuel-free plane to successfully circumnavigate the globe. 

Clean power supplied almost all of Germany's power demand for the first time on Sunday, marking a milestone for Chancellor Angela Merkel's "Energiewende" policy to boost renewables while phasing out nuclear and fossil fuels. Solar and wind power peaked at 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, allowing renewables to supply 45.5 gigawatts as demand was 45.8 gigawatts, according to provisional data by Agora Energiewende, a research institute in Berlin. Power prices turned negative during several 15-minute periods yesterday, dropping as low as minus 50 euros ($57) a megawatt-hour, according to data from Epex Spot.