1. Home
  2. Articles posted by: Rona Fried (Page 1892)

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:November 17, 2005

News and Events Ford Launches Hybrid Taxis in New York City Massachusetts and Illinois Support Large Renewable Energy Projects Wal-Mart Launches Second Energy-Saving Store in Colorado Idaho School District to Switch to Biomass FuelSite NewsDOE Launches Web Site for “Easy Ways to Save Energy” Campaign Energy ConnectionsDOE Report Projects Huge Growth in Coal-Fired Power Plants Ford Launches Hybrid Taxis in New York CitySix Ford Escape Hybrids took to the streets of New York City last week to serve as the city’s first hybrid electric taxicabs. The hybrid taxis are the first to serve the city since the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission approved eight hybrid models in mid-October. Although the commission was spurred to action by an act passed by the New York City Council in July, the commission is now encouraging taxicab owners to switch to hybrids. According to the commission, the average New York taxi travels nearly 100,000 miles each year, and of the 13,000 taxis in the city, about 2,000 are due for retirement next year. See the press release from the Ford Motor Company.Meanwhile, Japanese automakers have been rolling out their 2006 hybrid models. In early November, Lexus introduced a front-wheel-drive version of its […]

Read More

Congress to Terminate National Bioenergy Center

Congress is getting ready this week to terminate the National Bioenergy Research Center and gut the Wind Research Program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL researchers who are CRES members sounded the alarm over the weekend after finding out on Friday that many of them may be out of work next month. On Tuesday the House of Representatives passed the House and Senate Conference Committee markup of the Energy Water and Development Appropriation Bill for 2006. The bill keeps federal funding for renewable energy research level with last year’s spending. Unfortunately, it more than doubled the earmarks that take money out of the Wind Energy and Bioenergy Research Programs and direct it elsewhere. Earmarks are when individual representatives direct funding to particular projects in their districts. With passage of the Energy Bill earlier this year, these earmarks have been in the forefront of the news. In fact, the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) said the Energy Bill was so full of pork barrel spending that ASES did not endorse it. Congressional leaders usually wait until the conference committee is meeting behind closed doors to introduce earmarks. They emerge as part of a much larger bill that is hundreds […]

Read More

SunPower Goes Public!

Thomas Werner, CEO of SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq:SPWR), will ring the opening bell Friday to celebrate its initial public offering on the NASDAQ. SunPower Corp. shares rose nearly 45% in the solar power equipment maker’s market debut on Nasdaq today. The shares were trading at $26.07, up $8.07 from their $18 initial public offering price, which was the top of the forecast range. SunPower, a spin-off from Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (CY) raised its target price range from $12-$14 per share to $16-18 a few days ago. With 7.7 million shares on offer, the deal is worth $138.6 million. The Sunnyvale, California-based company is considered among the most efficient solar manufacturers and will use the proceeds to expand manufacturing capacity at its plant in the Philippines. Cypress first invested in SunPower in 2002 and will retain a majority stake in the company, including all the class B shares and 87 percent of the class A shares, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Website: [sorry this link is no longer available]     

Read More

Beacon Power Shares Jump on 3Q Sales Surge

Shares of Beacon Power Corp. (Nasdaq: BCON) surged over 11% when the company reported sharply higher revenue for the third quarter. BCON stock now trades for $2.11, up from 36 cents a year ago. Shares hit a 52-week high of $5.35 in August. Although losses grew a bit from $1.9 million last year to $2.1 million, revenue surged to $304.1 million from $80.9 million. Beacon – which makes energy storage systems for uninterrupted electricity for communications networks, computers and manufacturing – recently raised $15 million in a private offering to institutional investors. The company plans to use the funds to developed a product called the “smart energy 25 flywheel.” “The recent investment of $15 million in Beacon is a vote of confidence by the investment community in our technology, our products and our people,” said Bill Capp, Beacon president and CEO. “During the quarter we shipped and installed our first Smart Energy Matrix demonstration system in California, and on October 7th we were awarded a $750,000 contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory and the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to design a flywheel for space applications. “By continuing to pursue research and development contracts […]

Read More