The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Water and Power Commissioners today approved the creation of a Solar Feed-in Tariff Demonstration Program for 10 megawatts of solar power, further opening up solar power generation to a broad array of customers and solar developers in Los Angeles. A workshop is scheduled for April 24 in Bishop for those interested in developing solar in LADWP's Owens Valley service area. More...

OriginOil has announced a breakthrough chemical-free process developed for algae harvesting may also help clean up the water produced in oil well water flooding and hydraulic fracturing. Using a lab prototype of the technology, OriginOil researchers have been able to clarify samples of flowback water from a Texas oil well carrying heavy concentrations of dissolved organics, known as frac flowback. More...

GE led companies securing U.S. patents for clean energy technologies in 2011, with 184, pushing last year's top company GM down to second place with 127. Clean tech patents reached an all-time high of 2,331 in 2011, rising by 450 patents, or 24 percent, over 2010, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index. More...

As of August 2011, there are nearly eight million single-family homes in California, and 60,000 of them have solar panels. However, fewer than 2,000 homes in Los Angeles are solar-powered. Very few of those are in low-income communities. A bill was put in front of the California Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce this month aims to level the playing field for renewable energy by installing small-scale solar rooftops in disadvantaged communities. More...

California's three investor-owned utilities would immediately be on the verge of meeting a state requirement to expand use of renewable energy if lawmakers approve a bill crediting them for large hydroelectric sources. More...

On Friday, Mexico's House of Representatives passed a new piece of climate change legislation, making it only the second country in the world behind the UK and its Climate Change Act to do so, once it is approved by Mexico's Senate. The law calls for reducing carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2050. More...

What would the electrical grid look like if everyone could get paid to save energy? Jon Wellinghoff, chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. agency that regulates electricity transmission, thinks that's the future. More...

Virginia has approved construction of a single wind energy turbine that if completed on schedule, may be the first offshore wind energy project built in the United States.The wind turbine will stand 479 feet tall and be located in Virginia's lower Chesapeake Bay. More...

Drivers of electric vehicles such as GM's Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf may save as much as $1,200 a year on fuel compared with a new gasoline-powered compact, a scientists' group found. Assuming gasoline costs $3.50 a gallon, drivers who plug cars into electrical outlets would save $750 to $1,200 a year instead of buying gas for a new model that gets 27 miles a gallon when driving 11,000 miles a year. More...

BrightSource, an IPO aspirant, just pulled its registration statement with the SEC, almost a year after registering, claiming that "the continued market and economic volatility are not optimal conditions for an IPO." More...

The clean economy sector totaled $47 billion on the West Coast in 2010, and it could triple in size by 2020, according to a recently released study. Up to 1.03 million new full time equivalent jobs can be created from 2010 to 2020, or for every clean economy job created in 2010, more than two additional jobs can be created over the next decade. More...

The United States has regained the lead in the clean energy race, investing $48 billion last year to surpass China, which held the world's top spending spot since 2009. The US surge in private investment was a 42 percent increase over 2010 and saw Washington maintain its lead worldwide in both venture capital and research and development cash, said the Pew Charitable Trusts annual report on clean energy. More...

Apr 23, 2012. Mark your calendars. GE's Lighting Revolution Tour is coming to your city. You'll see energy-saving lighting solutions for everything from retail and hospitality to office, industrial, and roadway lighting. Join us for this open-house event! More...

Apr 24, 2012. The inaugural meeting of the Emerging Commerce Council will feature Fred Walti, executive director of the Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI), as well as a panel discussion on the cleantech sector in L.A. Recently featured in Forbes Magazine, Walti will talk about the launch of LACI, the Cleantech Corridor and L.A.'s future as a growing capital of innovation. LACI is a nonprofit business incubator designed to accelerate development of cleantech start-ups by offering flexible office space, CEO coaching and mentoring, and access to a growing network of experts and capital. More...

Apr 29 - May 03, 2012. This program is designed to enable senior executives from corporations, as well as government agency and major program leaders, to more effectively encourage, lead, and manage the entire venture creation process for clean energy-be they stand alone new ventures or pioneering undertakings inside of larger organizations. The process includes identifying opportunities, generating new ideas, designing a holistic solution, and building a viable, significant, and sustainable new energy-oriented business. More...

May 6 - 9, 2012. EVS26 is the premier conference and exhibit for electric vehicles and the electric drive industry. Register to attend the best networking sessions of the year, hear from 200+ speakers on the latest in the electric vehicles industry, and visit more than 160 companies on the show floor. Drive current and future electric vehicles in the EVS26 exclusive Ride, Drive & Charge event. More...

Application Deadline: May 15, 2012. As part of the Obama Administration's efforts to help consumers save money by saving energy, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu launched yesterday the Department's first-ever "Apps for Energy" competition. "Apps for Energy" will challenge innovative software developers to build new apps - for mobile phones, computers, tablets, software programs and more - that utilize data from major utility companies to help consumers and businesses use less energy and save money. The competition offers $100,000 in cash prizes sponsored by the Energy Department and interested companies. More...

May 16, 2012. ACT Expo is the largest alternative fuels and clean vehicle conference and expo in North America. The event showcases all alternative fuel types and the latest in clean technologies making it the must-attend event of the year for fleet managers, procurement specialists, maintenance directors, equipment manufacturers, technology providers, natural gas suppliers, infrastructure developers, engineers, academic researchers, funding program representatives, community members and environmental organizations. More...

May 31 - June 3, 2012. Most early-stage entrepreneurs will fail in the first three years of trying to launch their business. Green Business BASE CAMP will help you avoid the pitfalls that catch so many entrepreneurs off-guard and lead to wasted time, energy and money. More...