Nine countries set record high temperatures this year — the largest number of national heat records ever set in a single year, reports ClimateProgress.

Officials from over 20 countries who gathered in Washington, D.C. this week produced 11 clean energy initiatives that Energy Secretary Steve Chu says “will promote economic growth, create jobs and cut greenhouse gas emissions.”

United Steelworkers delivered over 100,000 letters to Congress yesterday that call for manufacturing policy to stimulate clean-energy development.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency will decide today whether or not to give a 30-month Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans pilot program the go-ahead. The agency virtually froze PACE financing earlier this month.

A new Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study says light-colored roofs and roads could significantly offset global climate change.

Google announced it will buy 114 megawatts of wind energy a year from a NextEra Energy facility in Iowa.

Preliminary research conducted by George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication indicates that presenting climate change as a public health issue may elicit positive responses.

Local Green: The U.S. could miss massive opportunities for economic growth if it fails to learn from the clean-energy example set by Colorado, says Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

Democratic candidate for the Montana State Senate Russ Doty says increasing the state’s renewable energy portfolio to 30 percent would produce huge economic benefits.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of PR®

“I believe it’s possible in the next 20 years for vehicles to use half the fuel and produce half the pollution that they do today,” said President Obama, upon introducing a campaign to extend fuel economy standards through 2025, as well as introduce the first efficiency targets for large trucks.

“There’s too much capital sitting on the sidelines for lack of an energy policy,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, warning that the U.S. could fall behind China in clean energy development if legislation is not soon passed.

Duke Energy says it is turning to China in search of new clean energy technologies, worried that stalled attempts to pass clean energy legislation in the U.S. will stifle domestic development.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar blasted BP for missing “deadline after deadline” regarding Deepwater Horizon oil spill clean-up efforts.

“The competition between pragmatism and principle” is pitting green against green in the battle to pass or defeat the American Power Act, writes U.S. Climate Action Network’s Keith Schneider.

Scientist J. Craig Venter says he has synthesized an entire bacterial genome. Among many other uses, “synthetic cells” could help generate new biofuels.

GE says its “Capture the Wind Tour” - which traverses nearly 2,500 miles through nine states - is meant “to build greater awareness of the benefits of renewable energy technologies and the impact that wind power has on our daily lives.”

Toyota will invest $50 million in California electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors. The two companies will collaborate on vehicle design, production systems, and engineering support.

Local Green: The electric Chevy Volt may be GM’s best chance to regain California drivers after two generations of distrust, says a piece at Grist.

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert declared this week “Wind Works Week” in recognition of the Windpower 2010 Conference and Exhibition being held there from May 23-26.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Archives

The National Academy of Sciences released three climate change-related reports that call for a price on carbon emission and declare that the possibility that human-induced climate change is not occurring is so “vanishingly small” that climate change is a settled “fact.”

In an effort to end “cozy industry relationships,” the Obama administration is breaking the agency responsible for offshore oil drilling into three separate organizations.

The Deepwater oil spill is one of those “rare seismic events that create the possibility to energize the country to do something really important and lasting that is too hard to do in normal times,” writes Thomas Friedman.

Though the new Senate clean energy and climate bill was introduced last week, it remains unclear whether Congressional leaders will step up to the challenge of getting the legislation passed.

The Natural Resources Defense Council argues that supporters of the bill should look to “brown dog” senators from industrial states to help turn the draft legislation into a bill that will benefit a wide range of manufacturers.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and a delegation of representatives from 24 clean energy companies continued their 10-day trade mission promoting clean energy and technology partnering between the U.S. and China.

BioSolar has developed a solar panel backing made partly from castor bean resin that could lower installation costs.

A piece at CNET wonders if wind energy could be the next big farm subsidy.

Looking several decades into the future, researchers at MIT designed an airplane that uses 70 percent less fuel that today’s commercial airliners.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of bricksandbread / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is in the midst of a ten-day trip to China to promote clean energy and encourage Chinese leaders to enact policies that Locke says would invite foreign technology investments.

The White House will create an independent commission to investigate the origin of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A BP executive claims the first successful attempt to slow the flow of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico is diverting only about 20 percent of the leaking oil.

Federally sponsored home mortgage operations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are discouraging banks from participating in the Obama administration’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, according to the Wall Street Journal. The PACE initiative is part of the administration’s Recovery Through Retrofit program that seeks to create jobs and rebuild the economy through home energy retrofits.

Calling the American Power Act a “gorgeous mess,” the Los Angeles Times expressed strong feelings, both positive and negative, about the recently introduced Senate legislation.

Carl Pope reflects on America’s feelings on climate change, in light of recent media hype surrounding a Stanford poll indicating a “loss of public concern” on the issue.

Two of the world’s largest lighting companies will introduce LED lights that can replace 60-watt incandescent bulbs this year.

The new Eco Chic exhibit at Scandinavia House: Nordic Center in America “illuminates high-fashion alternatives to much of today’s environmentally harmful clothing.”

Local Green: The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill that would require the state to generate 15 percent of its power through renewables by 2015.

The Natural Resources Defense Council explains how the American Power Act would affect California climate and clean energy regulations.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of the Department of Commerce

The cost of installed solar energy systems in the U.S. dropped by 30 percent over the last decade. The Associated Press listed some state-by-state solar power installation costs, factoring in government rebates and tax breaks.

The automotive industry is likely to agree on an industry-wide standard for a plug-in electric vehicle charging system this week.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke warned that the Silicon Valley of clean energy development may end up in China if the U.S. does not pass clean energy legislation that attracts investors and entrepreneurs.

A piece at YaleE360 explains how cutting carbon emissions is smart economic policy for the United States.

December’s global climate negotiations in Copenhagen are more likely to yield “interim steps” toward a CO2 emissions reduction agreement, rather than a comprehensive new set of regulations.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has experienced a mass exodus of members in recent weeks, due to its opposition to Congressional climate legislation. But the Chamber’s recent attacks are  one strand in a 20 year history of opposition to clean energy efforts.

Local Green: Businesses across Wisconsin criticize the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to clean energy legislation.

Indian-based electric car maker Reva plans to open a vehicle manufacturing plant in Syracuse, New York.

The Port of Long Beach reached an agreement with the American Trucking Association regarding efforts to clean up the air around the nation’s second busiest seaport.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of Wayne National Forest / CC BY 2.0.

An International Energy Agency report says global greenhouse gas emissions will likely fall by three percent in 2009. It’s the steepest decline in 40 years and is largely due to the economic recession. The unplanned dip in emissions will give countries an opportunity to avoid the most devastating aspects of climate change.

An Energy Information Administration report projects that America’s CO2 emissions will fall this year, in part due to the adoption of clean energy.

The UN and the Center For American Progress found that 75 percent of necessary global emissions reductions could be met while saving $14 billion.

The We Can Lead campaign brought 150 CEOs to Washington to advocate for the passage of congressional climate legislation.  Apollo Alliance was part of this effort.

The green computer market is set to quadruple by 2013, according to NextGen Research.

Local Green: After a devastating tornado hit in 2007, a small Kansas town is rebuilding with an appetite for green even many big cities can’t match.

Washington state is using $20 million in stimulus money for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke told attendees of the Midwestern Governors Association’s Jobs and Energy Forum in Detroit that clean energy is crucial to the region’s economic recovery and growth.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm agreed with Mr. Locke’s assessment.

Suniva Inc. says its new solar energy facility in Michigan will create 500 new jobs.

Wyoming debates the issue of wind rights.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of kumasawa / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The Department of Energy and U.S. Treasury announced over $500 million in cash grants to companies developing clean energy projects. The grants are part of a federal effort to put “Americans back to work in good construction and manufacturing jobs,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Ten of twelve projects under the grant program will be wind energy projects. The American Wind Energy Association pointed to a recent study that found government investment in wind projects would create green-collar jobs.

At this week’s Regional Clean Energy Economy Forum in Michigan, Obama administration officials connected CO2 emissions regulations, government incentives for renewable energy projects, and jump starting the economy. Other countries will take the lead in clean energy development “if we don’t provide these incentives for American companies to do it,” warned U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

A poll of likely voters in climate bill swing states found 60 percent of respondents would vote for their incumbent senator if he or she supported the legislation.

A U.N. report says an annual investment of $500 billion will be needed to help developing nations transition to clean energy sources.

Duke Energy is breaking with the the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, because of the organization’s opposition to Congressional clean energy and climate legislation.

New federal regulations will slash vending machine energy consumption by over 40 percent.

United Steelworkers International president Leo Gerard envisions a twenty-first century, green industrial revolution.

Local Green: Colorado laws that take effect this week boost funding for solar energy projects and tech start ups.

–Christopher Greenspan

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Faye / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.