The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed flexible solar panels that can be installed on roofs.

Despite the current economic crisis, there is good news for the U.S. wind power sector: R&D is paving the way for increased efficiency in wind power.

A new study concluded that vehicles powered by bioelectricity provided 80 percent more miles of transporation per crop acre than vehicles running on ethanol made from corn or switchgrass.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Agriculture and Energy held a press conference yesterday about the Obama administration's proposal to increase research on biofuels and stimulate their commercialization. The Energy and Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandates that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be produced by 2022.

On March 17, two U.S. government agencies announced they would work together to help spur the development of offshore energy projects. Under the agreement, the Interior Department has jurisdiction over offshore wind and solar energy projects, and the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) has jurisdiction over wave and tidal currents projects.

During a recent speech, Obama spoke of the key role renewable energy will play in his economic recovery plan. He emphasized the need to "transform our economy…and save our planet from the ravages of climate change" by developing renewable energy. In March, the U.S. Interior Department secretary Ken Salazar, recently issued an order to create a special task force to encourage the development of renewable energy projects on federal lands.

The climate in Iraq is hot and dry with plenty of sunshine. Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the electricity infrastructure has been in shambles. The actual electricity production in IraqIraq is about one-third of the electrical grid's capacity. The U.S. government, as of July last year, spent $4.91 billion repairing the Iraqi infrastructure, but only there is only a few hours of electricity a day for most Iraqis. Enter solar energy.

Biofuels production will create an estimated total of 123,000 jobs by 2012, according to a report released last week titled U.S. Economic Impact of Advanced Biofuels Production by Bio Economic Research Associates. The report estimated that advanced biofuels production will create 383,000 jobs by 2016 and 807,000 jobs by 2022.