The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on May 14 said it has awarded a grant for approximately $2 million that will help El Salvador establish a geothermal training center for Latin America and the Caribbean.

El Salvador could see the addition of 689 MW of renewable generating capacity through 2026 according to a renewables development master plan.

U.S. Geothermal Inc., a developer, seller and producer of geothermal energy, said that its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, TAS Energy Inc., has started performance testing on the new 8.6 MW San Emidio power plant in Nevada.

Enel Green Power S.p.A., through its subsidiary Enel Green Power North America Inc., has begun construction work of a geothermal plant located in Cove Fort in southern Utah.

Enel Green Power (EGP), the renewable energy unit of Enel Group, inaugurated a 26 MW solar-geothermal hybrid project in Churchill County, Nev.

PNM plans to add geothermal energy and more solar energy to its generation mix in 2013 and 2014 in order to meet New Mexico renewable energy requirements.

Geothermal company Energy Development Corp. (EDC) has pulled out of the 185 MW Calerias energy project in Chile after reportedly encountering disappointing exploration results during a recent resource assessment.

Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. told California regulators April 25 that it was withdrawing a terminated geothermal-power contract from the their consideration.

Ormat Technologies Inc. said it’s subsidiary, Ormat Nevada Inc., was selected by an unnamed company to supply a $61.2 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract.

The Missouri University of Science and Technology broke ground on one of three geothermal energy projects designed to cut the campus’ yearly energy use in half by 2014.

The Newberry Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Demonstration project has undergone a formal Environmental Assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have reached a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced a new goal to deploy 3 GW of renewable energy – including solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal – on Army, Navy, and Air Force installations by 2025.

The Geothermal Energy Association said that the U.S. geothermal industry added about 91 MW of new capacity in 2011.

The government of Japan has guaranteed an initial $30 million to advance Bolivia’s Laguna Colorada geothermal project.

Ram Power Corp. said it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with SNC-Lavalin Constructors Inc. for the construction of the 26 MW geothermal power plant at the Geysers steamfield in Northern California.

Ram Power announced that operations of a 10 MW binary unit at its San Jacinto-Tizate geothermal project in Nicaragua could begin in the first quarter of 2014.

Renewable energy firm GGE Chile submitted an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a $330 million geothermal project planned for its San Gregorio concession in southern Chile.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) reported to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on March 1 that 20.8 percent of the energy delivered to its retail customers in 2011 was provided by renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric and solar facilities.

This year, 2012, Renewable Energy World Conference and Expo is moving to Orlando to run alongside the world’s largest conference and expo for the traditional power generation industry.