a $2 billion Department of Energy (DOE) grant for two solar companies to build three solar power plants in three different states, and create thousands of jobs in the process.

The U.S. and China have officially placed opening bids in climate change negotiations. This past Thursday, China announced a reduction in emissions intensity. This article looks at the difference in the pre-negotiation targets, how important this preliminary dialogue is for setting the tone at Copenhagen, and why the renewable energy industry should care.

President Obama is slated to speak in Copenhagen on December 9th, where he will propose emission caps for the U.S. in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050. This is the type of leadership we need to legislate for a sustainable future and spur a clean energy economy and bring the solar industry to new levels of production and integration.

Yesterday, U.S. President Obama and the People’s Republic of China President Hu released a joint-statement on issues relating to climate change and renewable energy. The two countries are making concrete efforts to work together in order to scale renewable energy such as wind, solar, advanced biofuels, etc. and to achieve a cleaner way to burn coal. In the statement, it is clear both countries want to see a substantive document come out of Copenhagen without sacrificing the right to economic development.

California enacts SB-17, becoming the nation’s first state to sign smart grid legislation into law.

The Obama administration today announced 100 utility projects that will collectively receive $3.4 billion in federal stimulus money to promote the development and deployment of advanced electricity grid technologies. The Department of Energy said that the grants, ranging from $400,00 to $200 million in size, will spawn the installation of nearly 20 million advanced digital [...]

Commercial solar panel installations get a shot in the arm from Obama’s stimulus package, which offers businesses the choice between the traditional 30% ITC or a grant of equal value–but only for the next two years.

Does President Obama’s economic stimulus package affect the affordability of residential solar?

Solar stocks are slowly rising again, a review of venture capital investment in 2008 shows clean energy held strong, and it looks like Obama’s support for clean energy really will be a boost to the solar industry.

The President’s comments from yesterday on cars, climate and clean energy, courtesy of The White House Blog. It will be interesting to see how these issues — particularly those relating to federal climate legislation — are debated among states, a grouping that displays a wide range of resources, interests and capabilities. I foresee some pretty [...]