March 3, 2008

Bridges, highways and sewer systems are built by private companies but often paid for through the use of tax-free municipal bonds. Such projects are typically guaranteed by the tax authority given to those municipalities issuing the instruments and therefore assuring the debt holders that they will be paid in full.

Without public financing, key infrastructure would not get built. Now, green energy pioneers want to use this same municipal bonding capacity to pay for clean energy projects, albeit the concept allows for privately-owned companies to operate city-owned projects and then to use the subsequent revenues to pay off the jurisdiction's obligation.

The projects are pegged to the creditworthiness of customers who enter into "power purchase agreements." Essentially, such contracts not only provide the initial capital to build expensive green projects but they also provide investors the necessary assurance they need. Meantime, a broad and reliable customer base provides the funding necessary to maintain a steady and comparatively inexpensive power source.

Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:30pm EST
By Nichola Groom

LOS ANGELES, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Utility company Xcel Energy (XEL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it will begin testing a battery to store wind energy so it can be distributed consistently, no matter if the wind comes in strong gales or light breezes.

The one-megawatt (MW) battery, when fully charged, could power 500 homes for over 7 hours, Xcel said.

"We are going to use it to shape the output of the wind farm," Xcel Director of Corporate Planning Frank Novacheck said in an interview, adding the battery would serve as a sort of "shock absorber" that will charge when the wind blows and supplement power flows when there is little or no wind.

Sterling Planet supplies certified renewable energy certificates

ATLANTA, GA, January 28, 2008 -- Sterling Planet, a leading supplier of renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-carbon solutions, today announced that Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has become the largest purchaser of certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) in the United States. Under a multi-year contract, Sterling Planet was selected to provide Intel with an annual volume of 1.3 billion kilowatt hours.

"Intel has a long history of commitment to the environment, and we're excited to be partnering with Sterling Planet and the EPA on this important announcement," said Marty Sedler, Global Utilities Director for Intel. "This is part of a broader plan to continue to reduce our overall impact to the environment, which also includes reducing the actual energy we do use."

Under proposal, 10% of Michigan's electricity by 2015 would come from renewable sources.

LANSING -- Within eight years, 10 percent of the electricity sold to Michigan consumers would have to come from renewable energy sources such as wind under bipartisan legislation passed Wednesday by a state House committee.

The standard would nearly triple by 2015 the amount of renewable energy being sold by utilities and other power producers in the state.

Because renewable energy can be more expensive to produce, the higher standard could cost residential customers an extra $36 a year, commercial customers an extra $199 and industrial customers an extra $2,250.

January 28, 2008

Fuel cells are creating a lot of fanfare. But is it warranted? While some say that those hydrogen-oriented devices and the clean byproducts they release are not inevitable, others say that they are playing key roles now that will only grow.

Hydrogen, a carrier of energy, has many applications. It can be used to fuel vehicles, power stations and heavy equipment. One of most burgeoning niches is that of back-up power whereby companies that provide essential services can ill-afford a loss of service and the subsequent revenues. Telecommunications enterprises, for instance, have been pushed by federal regulators and customers alike to beef up their operations and particularly after some natural disasters knocked out services for extended periods.