Electical Contractor

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a policy statement allowing the commission to issue conditioned licenses for hydro-kinetic energy projects under appropriate circumstances.

According to the Wall Street Journal, solar and wind power enjoyed substantial growth in 2007, spurred by federal and state energy policies and incentives that support green energy sources.

Through hydroelectric power, a dam on the Red Sea could solve the growing energy demands of millions of people in the Middle East and alleviate some of the region’s tensions pertaining to oil supplies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a division of United Technologies has partnered with U.S. Renewables to promote a solar-power plant that will use a new method of harvesting heat from the sun. Hamilton -Sundstrand and U.S.

According to Global Sources’ China Sourcing Report, despite higher polysilicon prices, most Chinese solar panel manufacturers say they plan to lower or keep prices steady in 2008. Specifically, the report shows 88 percent of suppliers plan to decrease or keep prices stable.

Generating renewable power is only part of the equation; once electricity is captured from green sources, such as solar, wind and biomass, it has to be transmitted. According to a recent study, state governments are failing to supply the needed infrastructure to make this happen.

While experts and advocates tout the importance of using solar power, few, if any, have done anything to lower the cost.

The Conti Group, a 100-year-old construction and engineering firm headquartered in New Jersey, announced the formation of Alternity Wind Power as an integrated developer of utility-scale wind-farm projects in North America.

SunPower Corporation announced that its Spanish subsidiary will design and construct an 18-megawatt (MW) Olivenza solar electric power plant in the Badajoz region of Spain. Olivenza is expected to generate more than 32 million kilowatt-hours of power per year upon completion.