Columbia

There was a clever headline in the satirical newspaper The Onion last week that wouldn’t be so humorous if it wasn’t true.  “300 Million Without Electricity In India After Restoration Of Power Grid,” the headline read.

Riopaila Castilla, Columbia's largest sugar producer by market share (20%), recently announced that its board of directors approved a proposal that would allow the company to build a 35-megawatt biomass cogeneration plant at a cost of around $48 million.

Solazyme Inc. (Nasdaq:SYZM), the South San Francisco-based developer of oils and alternative fuels from genetically modified algae, sold more than 11 million shares, raising $198 million in its long-awaited IPO late last week.  According to a regulatory filing, Company shares surged 15% in their first day of trading on increasing demand for renewable fuel sources and industrial chemicals.

20 communities have been chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to share $60 million in funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI), the American subsidiary of Shimadzu Corporation (TYO:7701), headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, continues to contribute to the new age of energy generation.

Whether you like yours deep fried, boiled or mashed, there may be another use for yuca, also known as cassava:  fuel!

The United States Department of Energy recently announced the selection of 19 projects, specifically targeting geological carbon dioxide storage. These projects will span the U.S., combating and evaluating the risk of the invisible emissions threat.

The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) has put out their 2009 REN21 Renewables Global Status Report(pdf) and the news is positive.