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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a solicitation for up to $10 billion in federal loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. This marks the second round of solicitations for DOE's Loan Guarantee Program, which encourages the commercial use of new or significantly improved energy technologies.

GE Energy Financial Services has released a study estimating that the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power that is set to expire December 31, 2008 more than pays for itself through tax revenues from the projects' income, vendors' profits and individual workers' wages.

Ahead of the European Council meeting on 11th December, which will discuss EU energy policy, leading economist Ruth Lea warns in a new briefing paper for the TaxPayers' Alliance and Global Vision that the proposed EU Renewables Directive would drive up electricity costs, harm the economy and increase fuel poverty. In a comprehensive survey of research on the issue by the British Government, the House of Lords and leading think tanks and energy consultancies, she concludes that the potential costs of the Directive will be unsustainably high for consumers, businesses and the economy as a whole.

FloDesign Wind Turbine, a spin-off from the aerospace company FloDesign based in Wilbraham, MA, has developed a wind turbine that could generate electricity at half the cost of conventional turbines. The company recently raised $6 million in its first round of venture financing and has announced partnerships with wind-farm developers. The company's design, which draws on technology developed for jet engines, circumvents a fundamental limit to conventional wind turbines. Typically, as wind approaches a turbine, almost half of the air is forced around the blades rather than through them, and the energy in that deflected wind is lost. At best, traditional wind turbines capture only 59.3 percent of the energy in wind, a value called the Betz limit.

The US government – the country’s largest single user of energy – is to have $80 billion at its disposal for energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects at its buildings and facilities.The Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) to 16 contractors including electricity utilities, renewable energy companies and heating and ventilation system manufacturers.Under the terms of the scheme, a contractor designs, constructs and raises the financing for an energy saving project and has to guarantee that the work undertaken will generate energy savings.

“What really amazes us is the size of the total package, amounting to more than $50 billion in clean energy investments and roughly $32 billion for energy efficiency,” commented Alliance president Kateri Callahan.

The proposed Illinois tariffs are virtually identical to those equivalent to the actual ones in Germany as well as the proposed ones in Michigan. Hydro less than 500 kW……………………………………………………………$0.10/kWh Biogas less than 150 kW…………………………………………………………….$0.145/kWh Geothermal less than 5 MW………………………………………………………$0.19/kWh Wind………………………………………………………………………………………….$0.105/kWh Wind energy from small wind turbines………………………………………$0.25/kWh Rooftop solar less than 30 kW……………………………………………………$0.65/kWh Solar façade cladding less than 30 kW………………………………………..$0.71/kWh

The two kinds of disruptive clean technologies

This exciting and innovative showcase tidal farm scheme would be capable of generating 10.5 megawatts (MW) of clean, green power, drawn entirely from the sea’s major tidal currents.

Subject to successful planning consent and financing, the tidal farm could be commissioned as early as 2011 or 2012.

According to a new report, "Renewables Portfolio Standards in the United States: A Status Report with Data through 2007," released by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a growing number of states are supporting renewable electricity through the creation of renewable portfolio standards (RPS). The report provides a comprehensive overview of early experience with these state-level RPS policies.

Nuclear energy makes an important contribution to our fight against climate change and our security of energy supply

In order to make the necessary investments possible, the commission is examining ways to address the difficulties related to licensing, financing and different nuclear liability regimes.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Banks are contributing to global warming by funding coal and oil exploration, and should adopt policies that cut their negative impact on the environment, according to a report by a network of NGOs.