The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating license for the 1,250 MW Columbia Generating Station, located in Benton County, Wash., for an additional 20 years.

APR Energy signed a new 100 MW contract in Latin America to provide its fast-track, temporary power solutions.

AMSC, a global solutions provider serving wind and grid leaders, announced that Inox Wind Limited, part of India's Inox Group, placed a follow-on order for 50 of AMSC's electrical control systems (ECS) for Inox's 2 MW wind turbines.

A CH2M HILL-led consortium has been awarded a $929 million contract for the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of a combined-cycle power plant, using GE technology, for the Ichthys Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in Australia.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has signed into law the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard for Solar Energy and Solar Water Heating Systems bill, which accelerates the target date for achieving the state’s renewable portfolio standard 2 percent solar carve-out by two years.

Oregon-based Element Power Americas is working toward a Phase II to the already operational site at the 50 MW Macho Springs Wind Energy Facility in Luna County, N.M.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold two public hearings on the proposed Carbon Pollution Standard for New Power Plants.

The Shaw Group Inc. said it has entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Energy & Chemicals business to Technip for approximately $300 million in cash consideration, subject to adjustment based on the Energy & Chemicals Group’s debt and working capital levels at closing.

NRG Systems, a provider of wind measurement products, has announced that it will reduce its workforce by 18 employees in response to ongoing uncertainty and volatility in the global wind energy industry.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has named Jesus Soto Jr. to the position of senior vice president of Gas Transmission, Operations, Engineering and Pipeline Integrity.

Kyocera Solar Inc. announced that it has begun shipments of its U.S.-made solar modules for a 127 MW, utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) installation in southwestern Arizona.

In the quest to "level the playing field," the 31 percent anti-dumping tariff announced Thursday was a good start, said SolarWorld President Gordon Brinser, but even more is needed to bring the industry back into balance.

Day & Zimmermann named Ken Jobe to a newly created position as vice president, process and industrial for its Engineering, Construction and Maintenance unit.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko on May 21 resigned, effective upon the confirmation of a successor.

Westinghouse Electric Co., Burns & McDonnell and General Dynamics Electric Boat will collaboratively team to support the Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor (SMR) application for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Small Modular Reactor Funding Opportunity, the companies said on May 21.

Siemens has received an order for 50 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 115 MW for the El Arrayán wind power plant in Chile, approximately 400 kilometers north of Santiago.

The North American Development Bank (NADB) and SunEdison have signed a $65 million loan agreement for the construction of a 20 MW solar park in Picture Rocks, Ariz.

Alterra Power Corp. said it has entered into an agreement to acquire a portfolio of wind development assets at four sites in coastal British Columbia from a group of sellers led by English Bay Energy Limited.

RMT Inc. (RMT), a renewable energy engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor specializing in the design, engineering, and construction of wind and solar energy generating facilities, is adding 555 MW to its renewable energy practice in 2012.

The U.S. Department of Commerce May 17 imposed more tariffs on solar panels and modules imported from China.

The U.S. Energy Department (DOE) announced $500,000 available in 2012 to support a project to deploy and test a wave energy conversion device for one year at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site on the island of Oahu.

Wisconsin Power and Light Co., a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corp., said it exercised its option to purchase Riverside Energy Center LLC, which owns the Riverside Energy Center, from Calpine Corp. for $392 million.

SunDurance Energy broke ground May 14 on a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) for the United States Marines Corps at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow, Calif.

The Henry Hub is the pricing point for natural gas futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX).

Westinghouse Electric Co. and the Missouri Electric Alliance, led by Ameren Missouri, have formed a utility participation group, the NexStart SMR Alliance, to support the deployment of the Westinghouse 225 MWe small modular reactor (SMR).

In its budget requests for 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it wants a funding increase to investigate hydraulic fracturing technologies.

The Weekly Coal Production shows how much coal is being produced across the U.S.

PPL Corp. said Mark F. Wilten, currently treasurer for Nissan North America and Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp., is joining the company as its Vice President-Finance and Treasurer.

Sempra U.S. Gas & Power and BP Wind Energy will jointly develop the 21 MW Auwahi Wind farm in Hawaii.

On May 16, Vermont became the first state to ban hydraulic fracturing when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the hydraulic fracturing ban.

Elecnor received C$250 million ($246 million) in financing for the development of the 100 MW L'Erable wind farm currently being built in Quebec, Canada.

Wind energy developer Alliance Power Inc. has selected RMT Inc. (RMT) to design and construct the 67 MW Colorado Highlands Wind project in Logan County, Colo.

ABB has completed the acquisition of Thomas & Betts, a Tennessee-based provider of low-voltage products.

Under the revised "Power Block First" proposal for the 611 MW Taylorville Energy Center (TEC) in Illinois, electricity customers in the state could save an estimated $437.7 million over a 20-year period, including more than $250.6 million in the plant's first five years of operation.

Texas posted a 13 percent increase in renewable energy generation, from 28 million MWh in 2010 to 31.7 million MWh in 2011, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

The energy minister of Mexico said the country would require $20.1 billion in power generation investments through 2026.

Fluor Corp. said Lee C. Tashjian, vice president, Corporate Affairs, will retire from the company effective June 29.

Westinghouse Electric Co.’s PaR Nuclear Inc., a supplier of fuel-handling equipment and nuclear cranes, has signed agreements to establish a joint venture with Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group Co., (TYHM), manufacturer of cranes, forging equipment, excavators and other heavy machinery.

A new survey finds that Americans are willing to pay more in their electric bills in order to support the switch to renewable energy sources.

Western Wind Energy Corp. has executed a term sheet with Champlin/GEI Wind Holdings (CGEI Wind) to acquire the rights and title to a 4,000 MW wind energy development pipeline for $20 million.

The Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on draft legislation that would improve the regulatory framework for hydropower development earlier this week.

Eclipsall, a provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules based out of Toronto, Ontario, has entered into an agreement to supply 3 MW of solar panels to the Government of Uganda, Ministry of Health.

In a study commissioned by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO), economists at The Brattle Group evaluated the feasibility of complying with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule.

Appeals by environmental groups have stymied construction of Chile's 640 MW Cuervo hydroelectric plant less than a week after work on the project appeared imminent.

A consortium including GE and Spanish energy services company Tamoin Energías Renovables signed the largest single GE wind turbine maintenance agreement in Europe with Iberdrola Renovables S.A. of Madrid.

Martifer Solar signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with General Motors Brasil to build a 300 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) project at GM’s Joinville industrial complex in southern Brazil.

Mage Solar is supplying 3,300 solar modules to a redevelopment project in New Orleans.

URS Corp. completed its acquisition of Flint Energy Services Ltd. for $1.24 billion.

Costa Rica’s state power company ICE plans to invest $9 billion in the nation’s power sector over the next 12 years.