The US Department of Defense (DoD) needs to engage private investors if it wants to tap the more than 7GW of solar energy potential on its California properties, according to a study by consultancy ICF International.

The imposition of tariffs on Chinese solar imports by the US would have a “devastating” effect on the sector and the overall economy, which could be worsened if the Chinese retaliate, according to a new report.

The decision by Spain’s government to suspend its renewable energy subsidy scheme will add to pressure on developers and equipment manufacturers, but is likely to be a positive for the country’s clean energy generators, according to analysts.

Mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals in the renewables market rose 40% last year, “driven by industry shake-out”, says consultancy PwC.

The US Congress should extend the production tax credit (PTC) for wind before the end of the first quarter of 2012 to keep the industry growing at its current robust rate, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

Securitisation may be a “viable option” for solar photovoltaic (PV) developers, says rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P), but it has set out a list of concerns that are likely to prove daunting to structurers and credit ratings firms.

Renewable energy will grow almost four times faster than natural gas in the 20 years to 2030, but its share of the energy mix will remain small, according to BP, contributing to a 28% rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Carbon Disclosure Project and Environmental Defense Fund were among the organisations which shared the $3 million Zayed Future Energy Prize in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

New investment in clean energy increased 5% to $260 billion in 2011, with solar technology investments surging and the US roaring ahead of China, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has asked federal regulators to clarify and reconsider a December ruling siding with wind developers over the agency’s dumping of wind power generation in favour of extra electricity generated by hydropower dams.

The expiration of the 1603 US cash grant programme is likely to slow but not stop the solar industry’s fast march toward grid parity, as solar costs continue to decline rapidly, said industry experts.

Competition for financing for US renewable energy projects will become fiercer following the expiration of the cash grant programme, but its absence will see alternative financing mechanisms take hold and new tax equity investors courted, financing experts said.

Portugal's sale of its state-owned stake in the country's largest utility has been welcomed by a leading analyst as a "brilliant" opportunity that will boost renewable investments in Europe.

The factors behind Vestas’ profit warning yesterday are company-specific, said analysts, but they warned that other wind turbine makers are likely to struggle this year.

China and Vietnam are unfairly subsidising wind tower exports, according to a coalition of US wind tower makers which has filed a complaint with the Department of Commerce – firing the latest salvo in a growing clean energy trade war.

Solar module maker SolarWorld has rejected a request to drop its trade complaint against the Chinese solar sector, made by US developers concerned about sparking a trade war.

Google and private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) are teaming up to invest in solar power projects.

US support for renewable energy pales in comparison to subsidies and tax benefits historically enjoyed by the oil and gas and nuclear sectors, according to a new study.

The US solar sector is on course for a record year in 2011, but financing projects will be challenging in 2012 and beyond if the US cash grant programme is allowed to expire, solar experts warned.

Investment in the US wind sector will drop by nearly two-thirds to $5.5 billion in 2013 if the production tax credit (PTC) for wind projects is not extended, according to a Navigant Consulting study.