Thirty-one proposed renewable energy and power transmission projects have been put on the fast track for approval by the Bureau of Land Management, with the aim of getting them paid for with stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The projects, which range in size from 24 megawatts to 986 megawatts, were picked because the bureau said it believed that the projects were far enough along that they could receive approval by the end of the year -- the deadline for projects to be eligible for the stimulus funding. The list includes some high-profile projects like BrightSource Energy’s Ivanpah Solar Complex and Duke Energy’s contentious plan to build a wind farm in Nevada.

Behind their shared pride in California’s green incentives, two types of renewable energy proponents are fueling a debate over the direction the state’s solar movement -- and perhaps that of the nation -- should take. Most of the high-profile solar development projects in California, and elsewhere across the country, are large-scale power plants, which sell electricity to utilities companies, which in turn funnel them into nearby homes. It’s the traditional model, but it’s not going uncontested. Others solar supporters don’t think bigger is better, and argue that California should cover every rooftop with photovoltaic solar panels.

On a strip of the Mojave Desert, two dozen rare tortoises could stand in the way of a sprawling solar-energy complex in a case that highlights mounting tensions between wilderness conservation and the nation's quest for cleaner power. Oakland-based BrightSource Energy has been pushing for more than two years for permission to erect 400,000 mirrors on the site. It could become the first project of its kind on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property, leaving a footprint for others to follow. Government scientists have concluded that more than 6 square miles of habitat for the federally threatened desert tortoise would be lost. The Bureau of Land Management has received more than 150 applications for  solar projects on 1.8 million acres of federal land in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.

As the nation looks ahead to 2010, renewable energy will be central to the economic and energy issues that dominate the political agenda. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has identified some trends and indicators to watch, including the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) In Jobs Legislation; the U.S. wind turbine manufacturing and supply chain; and the increasing power of wind turbines.

Energy economics and concern over climate change have made wind a candidate for "Next Big Thing" status, with Berkeley-based startup Nordic Windpower angling to play a leading role. Within a few years, Nordic Windpower CEO, Tom Carbone, says Californians may expect to see vistas altered by the erection of 300-foot-tall turbines equipped with two enormous blades that rotate more slowly than their three-bladed cousins. Just one of Nordic Windpower's 1-megawatt turbines, Carbone said, can do the work of 8 to 10 of the older models -- and produce enough power for 250 to 300 households. Nordic also claims that its technology is more durable and reliable than rival two-blade turbines.

New wind turbine technology out of Denmark can "see" the wind before it arrives and aim itself accordingly. The wind turbine technology, called wind LIDAR and designed by Riso DTU researchers, has a laser-based anemometer built into the spinner. With this upgrade, a wind turbine can identify when gusts of wind are coming and can also predict the direction of the wind. As a result, energy production can be maximized and wind turbines can live longer.

In 2009, awareness about the positive impacts of energy efficiency was raised to new heights. Energy efficiency was a central component of every one of the climate bills debated in Congress in 2009. With buildings responsible for 40% of the nation's energy consumption, the opportunity for significant savings is real. In fact, the USGBC estimates that greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs. With the new-found awareness of the potential of energy efficiency, 2010 promises to be a year of action. There are three key factors that get people to take action: incentives, funding and solutions that are proven to work.

The recession hit cleantech investing hard in 2009, as venture capitalists poured 33% less money into the sector than they did in 2008. An annual survey found that worldwide venture funding for cleantech companies dropped to $5.64 billion in 2009, compared with a record $8.47 billion the year before. The survey, by consulting firms Deloitte and the Cleantech Group, counted 557 financing deals, down from 567 in 2008.

Related News: Clean tech investing slips, but could be worse: report

The trend of the past five years has been that commercial customers, including corporations, organizations, and businesses, have been the strongest, fastest growing sector of the voluntary renewable energy market, according to this report. The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) outlines these trends and their significance to renewable energy in the U.S. This upsurge of voluntary demand driven by commercial purchases has resulted in the voluntary market demanding more "new" renewable energy (from facilities built post 1997) than the compliance market for each of the past five years. In other words, all the state RPSs combined demand less new renewable energy than the voluntary market.

In December 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled the final version of the California Climate Adaptation Strategy, a project of the California Natural Resources Agency examining the likely impacts of climate change on the state and proposing a suite of adaptation measures. The strategy, a 200-page document available for download, was developed in response to an executive order by Schwarzenegger in 2008. California is the first state in the nation to adopt an official plan for adapting to climate change.

The deadline has been extended to February 16 to win some of the $15 million that will go to projects that support the California Solar Initiative (CSI). This second round of solicitations is for research and development, demonstration and deployment (RD&D) projects. Smart meter giant Itron will fund the projects on behalf of the California Public Utilities Commission. The goal of the initiative is to provide 1,940 MW of installed capacity by the end of 2016. The maximum possible award amount will be $3 million and the minimum, $200,000. The grants will fund a minimum of 25% of project cost, and the length of the award is up to two years.

In California, the mid-sized town of Benicia (Solano County) has agreed to participate in a California Communities solar program called CaliforniaFIRST, which will provide loans to homeowners to install solar systems via their property taxes. The loans offer up to $75,000 worth of solar financing power (or 10% of the property’s value, whichever is smaller), and are repaid over 20 years. A $10,000 solar system would cost an additional $500 per year, plus interest (at an unspecified rate) -- or what Benicia Public Works Director Charlie Knox sees as equivalent to the homeowner’s savings on utility bills. The funds will be available in May or June of 2010, on a first-come, first-served basis. If experience is any indicator, the funds will disappear rapidly. So far, pilot programs in Berkeley sold out within nine minutes of opening.

Siemens Energy and BPL Global are expanding their relationship in North America in what they hope will become the most comprehensive smart grid portfolio in the industry. Siemens is currently an investor in BPLG and a co-marketer of its transformer monitors, and now Siemens will team with BPLG to integrate and resell BPLG load management and distributed energy resource management solutions. Siemens and BPLG will integrate BPLG Smart Grid solutions with Siemens' distribution automation applications, including its distribution management system (DMS), SCADA and substation automation solutions.