Duke Energy

The weird story of a Chinese solar firm & Nevada politics

Nevada has tried very hard to attract solar energy investments and one of its latest efforts is both grandly ambitious and peculiar: Chinese energy company ENN Group promises to invest $5 billion to build a solar panel factory, a solar power plant, and an “eco-community.”

The rise of the big solar power plant owners

While 2011 will be remember as a troubling year for solar manufacturers, it also is a year when major U.S. power companies such as Duke, MidAmerican and Exelon took a plunge into investing and owning solar power plants.

Solar + storage can defend the grid from attack

The emergence of the smart grid has raised concerns about cybersecurity among utilities; two-way digital networks are more vulnerable. But according to utility executives, distributed power generation technologies, such as solar, particularly combined with energy storage, could help minimize the impact of an attack.

Duke Energy, Verizon Link Buildings via LTE

Utility Duke Energy has opted for the most advanced wireless connection pretty much available for a new building efficiency program in Charlotte, N.C.: Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network. Verizon’s LTE network could help building owners in Charlotte reduce energy consumption by 20 percent.

A Requirement for Greentech: The Big Get Bigger

The bigger the better for the greentech sector. Is 2011 the year of the Godzilla greentech company? On this news-laden Monday, there’s some particularly interesting evidence of the market advantages of being a massive company today selling into the energy, fuel and chemical markets.

5 Ways To Make Sure Smart Grid Pilots Succeed

What makes a smart grid pilot a success — even when it’s a failure? General Electric and Accenture spent an hour Wednesday with some energy industry big shots at the World Economic Forum in Atlanta and explained it all to us.

Duke Energy: Cleaning Up Coal Even Pricier Than Expected

Duke Energy says cost estimates for an Indiana coal plant (designed to test carbon capture and storage technology and use what’s called integrated gasification combined cycle tech) have ballooned to $2.88 billion, up from original estimate of less than $2 billion.

Report

Networking the Smart Grid

We are currently at an inflection point with regard to smart grid upgrades. For the first time, the smart grid movement has the backing of the U.S. government and increasing buy-in from state public utility commissions; utilities themselves are beginning to aggressively push smart meter deployments and broader smart grid initiatives; new advancements in technology promise to revolutionize the capabilities of the grid; and a robust technology vendor ecosystem has begun to form. Within the IT and telecommunications industries in particular, the utility sector is seen as a market ripe for innovation and expansion.

Daily Sprout

Going Gets Tougher for Newbies: Despite the long-term promise of clean energy, a new report from Clean Edge forecasts revenues will “remain…

Duke, Progress to Test Smart-Charging Electric Cars

Duke Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy, two major utilities in the Southeast, have partnered to test a fleet of smart-charging plug-in electric Priuses in what they say will be the country’s first interstate electric car-charging scheme involving multiple utilities.

The Daily Sprout

RGGI Auctions, But Will it Work?: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative started selling carbon credits in the Northeast today but don’t get…

And Earthlink Cuts 900 Jobs

As we had reported earlier, Earthlink (ENLK) announced a major restructuring. They will hold a conference call tomorrow morning. According to their…

Mossberg reviews EverNote

Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal recently reviewed the great note-taking app, EverNote.  EverNote is an innovative note-taking and organization program…

MCI up for sale?

MCI is prepping itself up for sale? That’s the word fromThe New York Times which reports that “MCI has hired three investment…