The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported in its third quarter market report that the U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,649 megawatts (MW) of new power generating capacity in the third quarter, more than either the second quarter of 2009 or the third quarter of 2008, bringing the total capacity added this year to date to over 5,800 MW. AWEA also reported that wind turbine manufacturing still lags below 2008 levels, in both production and new announcements.

The average cost of solar photovoltaic power systems in the U.S. plunged more than 30% from 1998 to 2008, with a 4% drop between 2007 and 2008, according to a new report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. But a simultaneous drop in total after-tax incentives for photovoltaics from 2007 to 2008 resulted in a slight rise in net installed cost, according to the lab, which is run by the Department of Energy.
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U.S. states do not need to seek energy imports to meet their renewable energy goals, according to a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance entitled Energy Self-Reliant States. The report finds a total of 31 states can serve all their electricity needs with in-state renewable power, and that every state could reach its renewable mandate with domestically available renewable resources. The potential unveiled in this report means that many states can reach their renewable energy goals without waiting for a controversial new, nationwide, high-voltage transmission grid.

PG&E now faces a revolt in Bakersfield over the SmartMeters, which the company has been installing throughout its territory since late 2006. State Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez has demanded a moratorium on their installation. State energy regulators last week agreed to investigate the meters' accuracy, although they stopped short of agreeing to a moratorium. Many energy experts consider installing the meters an essential first step in building a "smart grid," an electrical transmission system that is more flexible and reliable than the one we have today. PG&E executives say the meters are not to blame for the problems in Bakersfield -- rather it is the weather and recent increases in electricity rates. PG&E has installed 3.7 million SmartMeters to date.

A new report (requires log-in) from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy ranks all 50 states on their progress towards becoming more energy efficient based on policies they have enacted, among other factors. The report named California, Massachusetts and Connecticut to be the top three energy efficient states, with Oregon and New York rounding out the top five. Various criteria were weighed in the rankings, from building codes to state government initiatives to transportation policies.

As the Senate prepares to tackle global warming, the nation’s energy producers, once united, are battling one another over policy decisions worth hundreds of billions of dollars in coming decades. Some supporters of global warming legislation believe that the division in the once-monolithic oil and gas industry, as well as other splits among energy producers, could improve the prospects for the legislation.

President Barack Obama is aiming to propel the administration's green energy initiatives back onto the public radar. Obama touted the $80 billion in energy-related spending in the $787 billion stimulus bill he signed in February, saying it "makes the largest investment in clean energy in history, not only to help end this recession, but to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity." The president's aides had once hoped the Senate would pass a climate change bill before the United Nations' climate change summit in Copenhagen in mid-December. But now, early next year is the earliest that final legislation is expected to reach the Senate floor. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to begin hearings next week on legislation to cut U.S. emissions 20% below 2005 levels by 2020.

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui announced the release of $4,300,971 in federal grant funding to expand Sacramento’s use of solar energy and $3,499,828 for job-training in the solar industry throughout California. The funding will bolster Sacramento-based research in solar energy as well as educational programs to train on installing the technology. The award of more than $4 million dollars will allow Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to continue with implementation of a Sacramento-based pilot program researching solar energy use for family homes. The project will help SMUD build a strategy for integration of energy storage in the home and allow solar power usage to be expanded throughout the community.