from Christian Science Monitor

We have within our grasp automotive technology to reduce US oil dependence dramatically. Its development and use, however, requires a coordinated effort between the nation's public utilities and car manufacturers. Now is the time for the electric power industry to apply its expertise and clout to the development of new automotive technology that relies to a greater degree on domestic energy resources.

The prospect of millions of vehicles plugging into the nation's electric grid in coming decades has never been better. In 2005, the number of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) reached 1.2 percent of new cars sold in the United States, more than doubling the number of the previous year. Spotting a trend, carmakers are rushing to bring hybrids into their dealers' showrooms.

It would be a natural step – and a great benefit – to allow hybrids to charge their batteries via the electric grid. Indeed, there is a growing movement to bring plug-in hybrids to market. This is driven by the economic and national-security benefits that result from displacing gasoline with electricity. Dozens of businesses, utilities, municipal governments, and environmental groups have joined a grass-roots campaign called Plug-In Partners to demonstrate to automobile manufacturers that a national market exists for plug-in vehicles.

from RenewableEnergyAccess.com: Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) today introduced legislation to stimulate investment in America's most abundant renewable resource - solar power.

"We are seeing renewed interest in expanding and investing in solar energy and fuel cell technologies. The long-term extension of the credits will help companies plan for and acquire new equipment, creating a stable investment picture for these innovative technologies." - Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR)

from GWEC.net: The booming wind energy markets around the world exceeded expectations in 2006, with the sector experiencing yet another record year. On the day of the publication of the 4th Assessment Report on Climate Change by the IPCC, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) released its annual figures for 2006. These figures, which include wind energy developments in more than 70 countries around the world, show that the year saw the installation of 15,197 megawatts (MW), taking the total installed wind energy capacity to 74,223 MW, up from 59,091 MW in 2005.

Despite constraints facing supply chains for wind turbines, the annual market for wind continued to increase at the staggering rate of 32% following the 2005 record year, in which the market grew by 41%. This development shows that the global wind energy industry is responding fast to the challenge of manufacturing at the required level, and manages to deliver sustained growth.

In terms of economic value, the wind energy sector has now become firmly installed as one of the important players in the energy markets, with the total value of new generating equipment installed in 2006 reaching €18 billion, or US$23 billion.

The countries with the highest total installed capacity are Germany (20,621 MW), Spain (11,615 MW), the USA (11,603 MW), India (6,270 MW) and Denmark (3,136). Thirteen countries around the world can now be counted among those with over 1000 MW of wind capacity, with France and Canada reaching this threshold in 2006.

On the day that the world's climate scientists released a report concluding definitively that humans are the cause of global warming, Bank of America (BAC) Friday announced the nation's largest corporate rebate program to encourage employees to switch to planet-friendly hybrid cars like the Toyota (TM) Prius, Honda (HMC) Civic and Ford (F) Escape. More than 185,000 Bank of America workers in the United States will be eligible for the $3,000 reimbursement if they buy a low-emission, fuel-efficient hybrid. The offer expands a pilot program launched last June for employees in Boston, Charlotte and Los Angeles. BofA spokesperson Eloise Hale told Green Wombat that the financial giant won't disclose how many workers have bought hybrids so far but noted that purchases have more than quadrupled since the pilot program began.  While offering the largest program of its kind, Bank of America isn't the first company to make hybrid cars a fringe benefit.  Google (GOOG), for instance, gives its employees $5,000 toward the purchase of fuel-efficient cars. Silicon Valley software firm Hyperion (HYSL) also will put $5,000 worth of green in workers' bank accounts if they ditch the gas guzzler for a super fuel-efficient car. In Green Wombat's Prius-clogged hometown of Berkeley, Clif Bar in December began offering $5,000 to workers who buy a biodiesel-fueled vehicle or a hybrid. Meanwhile, outdoor gear company Timberland (TBL) hands over $3,000 to employees who go hybrid.