Ralph Izzo, president, CEO and chairman of the New Jersey utility PSEG, called for action on climate change legislation that includes a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) this week at a "Climate Week NYC" kickoff event in Manhattan. Speaking before an audience of business leaders and institutional investors, Izzo highlighted the need for public policies that would give businesses the economic foundation and certainty they need to invest in a clean energy future. He also announced plans to reduce PSEG's carbon footprint 25 percent by the year 2025.

The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) has selected Phoenix as the location of its National Solar Energy Conference in 2010.

Solar thermal energy appears poised for a renaissance in the United States, as the Obama Administration presses forward with its green energy agenda. But the revival could be short-lived unless solar hot systems are maintained properly.

Tucson Electric Power (TEP) is working with partners to develop two new solar power systems that would rank as the Tucson area's largest renewable power plants. The systems, including a new 25-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) array and a 5-MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant, are expected to be completed by January 2012. TEP has agreed to purchase power from both systems, which will be privately owned and operated.

The New Ideas workforce education conference will take place on November 18-20, 2009 at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, New York. Conference sessions are planned for November 19 and 20. On Wednesday, November 18, six technical workshops will be offered.

Abengoa Solar has been selected by Xcel Energy to build a demonstration parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) plant at its Cameo coal plant near Grand Junction, Colorado. The project is one of the first to integrate an industrial solar installation into a conventional electrical power plant.

Renewable energy executives are rolling up their sleeves for what promises to be a contentious battle this fall to gain Senate approval of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, including establishment of a mandatory national renewable energy standard (RPS).

Clifton Park, NY-- The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners has accepted and approved the release of a newly revised set of Learning Objectives for its highly successful Photovoltaic Entry Level Exam Program. Ezra Auerbach, NABCEP's Executive Director says, "These Learning Objectives offer educators and students considerable more guidance with respect to the materials that will be covered in the Photovoltaic Entry Level Exam. They now offer much greater detail and include a course blue print." The new learning objectives may be viewed at and downloaded from the NABCEP website .

BrightSource Energy Inc. has selected Bechtel as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the Ivanpah Solar Electricity Generating System. The two companies also announced that Bechtel Enterprises, the project development and financing arm of the Bechtel organization, will become an equity investor in all of the Ivanpah solar power plants.

President Obama's axing of the F-22 fighter jet suggests there could be a new day dawning for pork. While most of the bad press was directed at the pet projects that members of Congress added to the budget, this was chump change compared to the obsolete Cold War weapons systems which have larded the defense budget for decades.

If I were a senior executive at an investor-owned utility (IOU), I would be more than a little nervous about the spread of Renewables, and grid-tied distributed energy generation sources in general. What would happen to the integrity of my operations if these proliferated in dense clusters in my service areas, and over which I exercised limited control? Can I co-opt them or are they competition? AMI, SmartGrid, and "cap and trade" regulations are innovation enough, I might think, do we have to accommodate distributed generation too?

Stirling Energy Systems (SES) and Tower Automotive have signed a long-term supply agreement for production and assembly of the mirror facet component of the SunCatcher concentrating solar power (CSP) system for North American applications.

As I write this column, the end of summer is rearing its head. I can't complain though. This summer we got away on two local family trips (neither one farther than 165 miles from our house) – one to the mountainous, high desert region around Bend, Oregon and the other to the majestic coast near Manzanita, Oregon. For both trips, I completely unplugged. No computer, no Internet – just me, my family, and the sounds of laughter, the wind, hawks and heron. And for the first time since my twins were born more than two years ago, I even read a novel cover to cover (a great book btw, The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga).

Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI), the global leader in energy efficiency and sustainability, recently completed the installation of new solar heating systems at seven indoor pools in El Paso, Texas. The new systems, which are expected to save more than $1.5 million in energy costs from pool operations over the next 10 years, are ideal for one of the nation's sunniest cities, which averages more than 300 days of sunshine per calendar year.

Be part of an exciting conference dealing with educating the green workforce in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The New Ideas workforce education conference will take place on November 18-20, 2009 at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, New York. Conference sessions are planned for November 19 and 20. On Wednesday, November 18, six technical workshops will be offered.

I'm aware that storage of energy is a key component for renewable energy and I know that it is possible to store solar energy in the form of heat with concentrating solar power. What are the storage characteristics for CSP technologies? – William Z., Philadelphia, PA

Fluor Corporation has been awarded an engineering services contract by eSolar for the design of a 46-megawatt (MW) concentrating solar power (CSP) plant. Fluor will provide design optimization to rapidly scale eSolar's 46 megawatt power plants. The undisclosed contract value was booked in the company's third quarter of 2009.

Americans have been given a respite from the constant dribble of bad news. And so have the country's entrepreneurs. As the nation's gross domestic product is stabilizing, investment in start-ups is considerably picking up.

As a clean energy installer, it really infuriates me when I read inflated and bogus marketing claims put forth by obvious scammers. What do you think we, as an industry, should do about this? Why don't you expose them? – Bill C., Clean Energy Installer

Australia's upper house has passed a climate change bill, effectively mandating a renewables portfolio standard that should establish a 20% contribution to electricity production from renewables by 2020.