OAKLAND, Calif. -- The continent's largest photovoltaic testing facility opened its doors in San Jose Monday. The development holds the promise of helping solar technologies reach the market faster and accelerating the growth of green collar jobs in the region.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Rolls-Royce Group and British Airways will test up to four alternatives to kerosene. In a related announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration will work with the X Prize Foundation to develop a reward for alternative jet fuels.

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Putting $100 million into three New York wind farms pushed renewable energy investments past the $4 billion mark this week for GE Energy Financial Services.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A study by the Worldwatch Institute shows how renewable energy jobs have expanded and are projected to grow throughout the world.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The guarantees are part of a $30.5 billion package announced June 30, marking the second round of solicitations for the DOE's Loan Guarantee Program, which encourages the commercial use of new or significantly improved energy technologies. The package includes $18.5 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear power projects and $2 billion for advanced nuclear power projects focusing on the "front-end" of the nuclear fuel cycle.

ALBERQUERQUE, N.M. -- The four largest utilities in New Mexico want to build the state's largest commercial solar power generating plant. The announcement coincides within days of the government reversing itself on a moratorium on new solar power plant applications.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- National Semiconductor Corp. is the latest technology company getting into the renewables industry with a chip that can make solar panels work more efficiently.

More investors are seeing the benefits of buying solar stocks, whether to diversify portfolios or to champion an energy movement.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- A major new package of incentives designed to deliver tenfold increase in U.K. renewable energy capacity.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- GE Energy and GAF Materials Corporation are working together to provide simplified access to solar energy systems and roofing.

ELGIN, Ill. -- The Munich-based company unveiled plans Monday to spend $20 million expanding an existing plant in Elgin to build mechanical drives for wind turbines. Last week, Siemens said it would shell out nearly $280 million in Germany expanding production of items that serve the energy and resource processing sectors.

MIAMI, Fla. -- The project will draw from an earlier model tested in Miami with the support of Mayor Manny Diaz. A private-public partnership there delivered a mass tree planting, solar energy system, lighting retrofit and storm drain filter installation, helping earn Miami the designation of “America’s Cleanest City” by Forbes.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Renewable Energy Scorecard evaluates solar, wind, biomass and geothermal for a given location and offers information for each on the payback, tax implications, rebates, subsidies and other incentives.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new study, released by Clean Edge and Co-op America, finds that utilities play a vital role in helping solar power reach the same cost level as conventional energy sources.

The business case for energy efficiency at Dow is simple: Saving energy makes the company money. Dow benefits from wider uptake of energy efficiency standards through less upward price pressure on the hydrocarbons it uses as feedstocks, and greater demand for its efficiency-related products.