Here it is, folks, your daily dose of today’s solar energy news and info…

The big story this morning: BrightSource Energy on Monday got a preliminary OK for a monster federal loan guarantee, worth $1.4 billion, via the Los Angeles Times. As GetSolar’s Margaret Collins reported last week, the company has revised its plans in an attempt to mitigate the environmental impact of a huge California CSP plant, slated for construction in the Mojave Desert. If the project goes ahead, USA Today reports it could be the “world’s largest solar power complex.”

Also in California solar energy news, check out this brief Op-Ed by Tom Rooney, CEO of SPG Solar. Mr. Rooney, it seems, wants more money for the U.S. solar energy sector — can’t fault him for that.

Italy is cutting the tariff rate paid for solar energy, but not as much as anticipated, according to Reuters. The country’s feed-in tariff is among Europe’s most generous.

Germany, meanwhile, is cutting back, too, reports Duetsche Welle. In an already widely anticipated move, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet will soon consider a draft law that would cut the solar energy feed-in tariff by around 15 percent.

Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) expects to sign an agreement to sell 30 megawatts of its thin-film solar to a Chinese project developer, reports Reuters. First announced in September of last year, the deal could grow to as large as two gigawatts in the coming decade, though we’ll believe it when we see it… Shares of First Solar have been trending down since last week, when the company announced Q4 earnings and provided guidance for 2010.

Finally, if you missed it last week, United Nations Climate Chief Yvo de Boer resigned last week, reported the New York Times.

That’s all for today — a fairly light news day, all things considered, save BrightSource’s $1.4 billion loan guarantee. Be sure to stay tuned and stay plugged in with GetSolar.