Discovery: Electric Planes Make History By Flying Over English Channel

Two French pilots have made separate flights over the English Channel in electric planes, journeys that each represent a historic milestone in the future of aviation.

The first was Hugues Duval, who flew his two-engine, one-seater Cri-cri from Calais to Dover and back.

Twelve hours later, French pilot Didier Esteyne flew a two-seater Airbus E-Fan over the Channel. Esteyne departed from the town of Lydd in the U.K. and flew at an altitude of 3,500 ft., arriving in Calais 38 minutes later.

Reuters: Thailand Ignites Solar Power Investment in Southeast Asia

Come December, Thailand will have more solar power capacity than all of Southeast Asia combined as record sums of money is poured into the sector in the hopes of nurturing a new energy source to help drive the region's second-biggest economy.

Thailand has been shifting away from natural gas as once-plentiful reserves are expected to run out within a decade, forcing it to rely on imported fuel more than any other country in the region except Singapore. A plunge in solar-component costs and subsidized tariffs have also helped feed the country's solar boom.

Keene Sentinel: NH's Solar Boom Faces Uncertainty

They’ve been popping up across New Hampshire in recent years -- clusters of photovoltaic systems that each provide power to multiple homes and businesses. But while solar power is booming because of economic incentives and people wanting to get away from using fossil fuels, its long-term future comes with uncertainty, industry representatives say, especially if those incentives go away.

So what has made harnessing the sun’s power such a popular investment in the Granite State?

The Hill: Senate GOP Wants NRDC's Tax Exempt Status Revoked

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) wants federal officials to revoke an environmental group’s tax-exempt status over a political advertising campaign that the GOP group says violates the tax code.

The Republican group filed an IRS complaint against the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), saying the green organization’s campaign against Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is illegal.

Guardian: Abbott Government Extends Renewable Energy Investment Ban to Solar

A directive banning the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) from investing in existing wind technology will also apply to small-scale solar projects, a move that will effectively throttle the industry, the Australian Solar Council said.

The federal government on Sunday confirmed that the $10B CEFC will no longer invest in wind power, instead focusing on “emerging technologies."