Media Matters

In a misleading segment painting a skewed picture of the Department of Energy's clean tech investments, CBS News' new morning show purported to reveal 11 "New Solyndras" -- companies CBS said "are having trouble" or "have filed for bankruptcy" after receiving federal assistance. But CBS only identified 7 companies and included some that did not actually get federal funds.

Solar power has two main problems: it's expensive, and it's intermittent, since the output of a solar power plant depends on the time of day and cloud cover. Halotechnics, an early-stage solar-thermal startup, could help solve both problems.

System prices fell 20 percent because of cheaper components, more options for financing, better installation methods and the shift to larger arrays

During the introductory keynote of the Solar Power Colorado conference last week, a group of solar thought leaders discussed what would happen in 2012 and what was needed for the solar industry to move forward.

The solar panels at Bluffsview Elementary School were once such a novelty that people flew in from Chicago just to take a look. The vice principal of the Worthington school was invited to Washington, D.C., to speak about the project.

New Hampshire Register

New Haven recently cut a ribbon to commemorate another step in energy savings: solar panels atop the Fair Haven Branch Library. The project was made possible because more than 1,300 New Haven residents participated in a statewide clean energy options program launched in 2005. The solar panels were a reward from the state, said Christine Eppstein Tang, director of the city Office of Sustainability.

Good Magazine

An average American's greenhouse gas emissions begin to decrease around age 60. Retirees aren’t struck by a sudden commitment to the environment, but because they're not working full-time, they drive less. They might buy fewer clothes. They move into a smaller house. Now, two companies are betting that the promise of ditching electric bills for the rest of their lives will compel them to choose a net-zero energy house, too.

Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), released the following statement today after the announcement that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ 8) would resign from Congress this week.

IKEA now plans to bring rooftop solar power to 85 percent of its stores and distribution centers in the United States. Installation of arrays and EV charging sites continues apace with one each completed since the first of the year.

President Obama's Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 budget, released today, provides for an extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Program. Extension of this worthwhile program will allow taxpayers to reap the significant economic and energy policy benefits associated with the expanded deployment and use of solar energy.