Solar Power Portal: U.K. Minister's Claims That Solar Wrecks Farm Land Have 'No Evidence' 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was informed by the CAP Direct Payments Team that solar farms do not have a “serious” impact on the U.K.’s agricultural output ahead of its controversial decision to remove CAP payments for solar farms.

A freedom of information request filed by Solar Power Portal reveals that the CAP Direct Payments Team told Defra in September 2014 that “[g]iven the small areas of land covered [by solar farms] currently, it is not possible to argue that, at the national level, there is yet a serious impact on agricultural output.”

However, just one month later, environment secretary Elizabeth Truss proclaimed that her department was removing CAP payments for solar farms because she did not want to see English farmland’s “productive potential wasted and its appearance blighted by solar farms."

KUSI News: SDG&E $5 Million Grant Will Expand Solar-Power Microgrid

San Diego Gas & Electric announced Tuesday that a $5 million state grant will allow the utility to expand a solar-powered microgrid in the desert to provide for all of the electricity needs in Borrego Springs.

The funding from the California Energy Commission will allow the utility to make the Borrego Springs microgrid one of the largest in the country that relies solely on renewable energy.

"This funding will create a true renewable energy microgrid, one that not only bolsters local electric reliability, but does so by using the cleanest resources available," said James Avery, SDG&E's senior vice president for power supply.

Orlando Sentinel: Florida Senators Back Effort to Cut Ties Between Utilities, Regulators

A measure intended to curb the appearance of cozy ties between state regulators and electric utilities easily passed its first Senate test Tuesday, while the proposal's primary target remained low-key.

The Senate Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities Committee gave unanimous support to the proposal (SB 288), which sponsor Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said puts "teeth" in the oversight of the Florida Public Service Commission. However, Latvala said the bill is the product of dissatisfaction with Duke Energy Florida.

Dallas Business Journal: Billions in Texas Wind Power Waiting for Final Go-Ahead From Feds

Billions of dollars in Texas wind projects remain in a holding pattern, just waiting for the final go-ahead on the federal production tax credit.

John Billingsley, CEO, chairman and founder of Tri Global Energy, has nine wind farms totaling 1,240 megawatts and $2 billion in investments that qualify for the wind production tax credit.

Business Insider: Elon Musk Gets $3.5 Million Book Deal

Elon Musk, the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, is taking on a new project.

He is writing a book for Penguin. It will be half about the issues facing us on Earth -- sustainability issues in particular.