British Columbia

A new report card for British Columbia's cleantech industry touts the tremendous economic growth and opportunities in Canada's West Coast province. 

Fortis Inc. (TSE: FTS.TO), the largest investor-owned distribution utility in Canada, said Monday it was acquiring Central Vermont Public Service Corp. (NYSE: CV), the largest electricity utility in Vermont, for approximately $700 million. Fortis also announced a Canadian common share offering of C$300.3 million (May 31 exchange rate U.S.$1.00 = C$0.97) that would also raise an additional C$45 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full.

Mortenson Construction, a large family-owned builder and power contractor in Minneapolis, Minn., has announced it is building 13 wind projects in North America this year totaling over 1,600 megawatts, enough to power an estimated 400,000 households.

BC Hydro, the British Columbia (B.C.) government-owned power utility, said Tuesday it had signed an agreement with the Tahitan First Nation on benefits and impacts to the aboriginal nation of the 215-mile 287-kilovolt northwest transmission line (NTL). Tahitans voted 82% in April in favor of a benefits and shared-decision agreement with the Government of B.C. over the passage of the NTL through their tribal lands.

The largest power authorities in the United States rate the dependability of wind projects to deliver electricity during periods of peak demand at between 8% and 18.5% of their rated power capacity, according to a survey released Friday by the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA). 

Here are the Top 10 Renewable Energy News Stories You May Have Missed this Week:

[Editor's Update, May 12, 2011]: Christy Clark won her by-election by a narrow margin.  She defeated her primary candidate, the NDP's David Eby, by 595 votes.

Christy Clark, British Columbia's new Premier has wasted little time affirming her plan to build the province's leadership in developing a new energy economy.

Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OTC: VWDRY.PK) said Saturday it has won a contract to supply 34 V90 3-megawatt (MW) turbines to a 102 MW wind energy project in Tehachapi, California, owned by Brookfield Renewable Power and Coram Energy Group.

Canadian geothermal power producer and developer Magma Energy Corp. (TSX: MXY.TO) said today it will sell a 25% share of its 98.5%-owned Icelandic geothermal power company HS Orka hf to a group of Icelandic pension funds for approximately C$71.5 million, approximately equal to Magma’s original cost of the acquisition.

Here are the TOP 20 performing companies on the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index during Q1 2011 (January 3 through March 31).