The State of California has issued the following news release:

The military services have installed a total of 130 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy systems at U.S. installations, and have plans to complete 1.1 gigawatts of new photovoltaic capacity by 2017, according to a new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 21 -- United States Patent no. 8,446,033, issued on May 21.

"Savonius rotor wind power generator system and method" was invented by Roy D. Gaul (Houston), Claude P. Brancart (Brunswick, Maine) and Vincent L. Gaul (Robinson, Ill.). According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A Savonius rotor wind power generator system and method utilizes a large diameter rotor increased in sized to produce a proportional decrease of the rotation rate while the peripheral speed remains constant. The large diameter rotor operating at low rotation rates (less than 10 rpm) produces high torque, and electrical power is generated by means of a multiplicity of generators positioned around its periphery that are sized and have gear ratios matched to selectable ranges of wind speed to allow efficient automated electrical power generation over a range of wind speeds from about three meters per second to more than 40 meters per second. The arrangement, sizing, and control of these generators enable production of synchronous AC power generation over a much larger range of wind speeds than can be achieved with conventional horizontal axis turbines." The patent was filed on Feb. 9, 2010, under Application No. 12/703,191. *For further information, including images, charts and tables, please visit:

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 21 -- Chih-Cheng Tai, Sunnyvale, Calif., Lucas J. Myslinski, San Jose, Calif., Chyh-Yih Chang, Xinzhuang, Taiwan, Shih Ming Tseng, Campbell, Calif., and Shih Hsiang Tseng, Campbell, Calif., have developed a patent (8,441,152) for a "renewable energy transmission, generation, and utilization device and method."

TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo

Nuclear power generation accounted for a record low of 1.7 percent of the 940.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generated by Japan's 10 utilities in fiscal 2012 amid the closure of most nuclear plants, an industry body said Friday.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power Jyotiraditya M Scindia replies to a query on 'Hydro Power Generation Capacity' raised by Kishanbhai Vestabhai Patel and Ravneet Singh on April 25, 2013.

Question (Starred; # 428):

Publication No. WO/2013/068748 was published on May 16 by WIPO.

Title of the invention: WAVE POWERED GENERATOR

Applicants: MARINE POWER SYSTEMS LIMITED [GB/GB]; 27 Down Leaze Cockett Swansea West Glamorgan SA2 0GQ (GB)
Inventors: FOSTER, Graham; (GB)

WAM Abu Dhabi, 20th May 2013 (WAM) - The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the country's independent nuclear regulatory body, has invited the public to review and comment on its draft Regulatory Guide on the Certification of Reactor Operators and Senior Reactor Operators at Nuclear Facilities.

WYLFA nuclear power station could generate electricity until the end of 2015 - potentially securing more than 600 jobs for another 15 months.

The Anglesey nuclear plant secured permission in October 2010 to extend the operational life of the two reactors to December 2012.

SUMMARY: This action would establish more stringent vehicle emissions standards and reduce the sulfur content of gasoline beginning in 2017, as part of a systems approach to addressing the impacts of motor vehicles and fuels on air quality and public health. The proposed gasoline sulfur standard would make emission control systems more effective for both existing and new vehicles, and would enable more stringent vehicle emissions standards. The proposed vehicle standards would reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles. This would result in significant reductions in pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, and air toxics across the country and help state and local agencies in their efforts to attain and maintain health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Motor vehicles are an important source of exposure to air pollution both regionally and near roads. These proposed vehicle standards are intended to harmonize with California's Low Emission Vehicle program, thus creating a federal vehicle emissions program that would allow automakers to sell the same vehicles in all 50 states. The proposed vehicle standards would be implemented over the same timeframe as the greenhouse gas/fuel efficiency standards for light-duty vehicles, as part of a comprehensive approach toward regulating emissions from motor vehicles.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Comments. Comments must be received on or before June 13, 2013.

The following information was released by the Department of Energy, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory:

Enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month could be stored in porous rocks deep underground for later use, according to a new, comprehensive study. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration identified two unique methods for this energy storage approach and two eastern Washington locations to put them into practice.

Compressed air energy storage plants could help save the region's abundant wind power which is often produced at night when winds are strong and energy demand is low for later, when demand is high and power supplies are more strained. These plants can also switch between energy storage and power generation within minutes, providing flexibility to balance the region's highly variable wind energy generation throughout the day.

From the Caribbean Summit of Political and Business Leaders that took place in the British Virgin Islands last week, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) on Friday announced a new global alliance to expand the use of renewable energy systems at Starwood properties.

The alliance will begin with three properties, including the installation of a 1.3 megawatt (MW) solar array at the Westin St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands where NRG will build, own and operate the project. This array will provide clean, efficient power to the resort helping to reduce local air emissions and the impact of shipping on the fragile Caribbean ecosystem by directly reducing demand for diesel fuel imports.

Publication No. WO/2013/067916 was published on May 16 by WIPO.

Title of the invention: NEW BLADE OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL FOR HORIZONTAL-AXIS WIND POWER GENERATOR

Applicants: ZHANG, Xiangzeng [CN/CN]; (CN)
Inventors: ZHANG, Xiangzeng; (CN)

NTE Hybrid, the hybrid renewable energy technology joint venture between NTE Energy and Energy Investors Funds (EIF), is pleased to announce the award of its second set of patent claims by the United States Patent & Trademark Office. This patent expands the applicability of NTE Hybrid's groundbreaking hybrid technology to non-combined cycle fossil fuel fired power plants, including coal, oil and natural gas fired facilities. This new patent substantially increases the range of facilities in which NTE Hybrid's technology can be applied.

NTE Energy and EIF formed NTE Hybrid in 2010 with the goal of creating one of the world's lowest cost and most reliable renewable energy technologies. Following the award of its first patent issued on April 24, 2012, NTE Hybrid has continued to develop and improve the efficiency, applicability and versatility of the company's hybrid renewable energy technology to expand its application throughout the power industry.

In 2012, U.S. installations of photovoltaic ("PV") solar generation reached 3,313 megawatts, an industry record and an increase of 76 percent over 2011, according to a recent announcement by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The number of solar installations in the U.S. in 2012 exceeded 90,000, and the rent payment schedule included 83,000 installations of distributed solar generation in the residential market. GTM Research and SEIA expect that the residential market for solar generation will surge in 2013 and beyond, as third-party solar financing options become more widely available.

TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo

MODEC Inc., a maker of floating oil production platforms, and theSaga prefectural government have announced that what they call the world's first experiment to generate electricity from a combination of tidal and wind energy systems will start this fall off the coast of the prefecture.

The Bonneville Power Administration issued the following news release:

Enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month could be stored in porous rocks deep underground for later use, according to a new, comprehensive study. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration identified two unique methods for this energy storage approach, and two eastern Washington locations to put them into practice.

Compressed air energy storage plants could help save the region's abundant wind power - which is often produced at night when winds are strong and energy demand is low - for later, when demand is high and power supplies are more strained. These plants can also switch between energy storage and power generation within minutes, providing flexibility to balance the region's highly variable wind energy generation throughout the day.

The renewable power generated by 66 megawatt (AC) Alpine solar photovoltaic facility is being sold to PG&E under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Located in northern Los Angeles County, Alpine will generate enough energy to meet the annual needs of approximately 53,000 homes at peak daytime capacity. Because the facility produces electricity without fossil fuels, it helps avoid the annual emission of 36,000 tons of carbon into the atmosphere, or the equivalent of taking 6,600 cars off the road. "The opening of Alpine marks a dramatic shift in the way energy is generated in California," said Randy Hickok, senior vice president of NRG Solar. "As the largest operating photovoltaic facility in the state, Alpine is not only providing PG&E with a renewable source of energy, but contributing to cleaner air and a smaller carbon footprint for the state, ultimately helping meet California's renewable portfolio standards."

Chinese solar panel manufacturer Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) will supply panels to the first solar energy field, which is under construction at Sde Boker. As part of the $20 million deal, Suntech will also supply panels to another solar energy field, which is under construction at Kibbutz Hatzerim.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 21 -- United States Patent no. 8,446,034, issued on May 21.

"Electric power generation using a wind chute" was invented by Geoffrey Stevens (Tacoma, Wash.). According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "This device will generate electric power using wind current as long as the wind is sufficient to inflate and move a chute to a predetermined point. The chute is then inverted and retrieved by the device to start the cycle of inflation over again. The device will enable the generation of power that is reusable and clean and environmentally friendly." The patent was filed on Oct. 13, 2011, under Application No. 13/272,900. *For further information, including images, charts and tables, please visit: