kids choice awards 2009 winners

A sampling of green-tech news with quick commentary.

Economy forces consolidation in solar industry - San Francisco Chronicle
Darwinian forces at work in solar as project developer Recurrent Energy buys project pipeline of another firm.
Valero Energy to Buy 7 Ethanol Plants - The New York Times kids choice awards 2009 winners
Corn ethanol maker VeraSun had to auction off its refineries. Meanwhile, the industry is pushing to increase the mix of ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent from 10 percent.
Oil, Water Are Volatile Mix in West - The Wall Street Journal
Oil firms cause concerns by buying water rights in dry west for oil shale exploration, another example of the close tie between water and energy.
Biofuels, not wind and solar power are Shell's energy future - The Guardian
Shell says that biofuels are a better fit with its fossil fuel business. No more wind, solar, and hydro. AT&T plugs into grid, powers smart meters' conversations - Ars Technica
A deal between AT&T and SmartSynch which uses the cell phone network to communicate smart meter data back to utilities.
"Detroit 3" pressures will impact EV startups - Darryl Siry's Blog
Former Tesla exec argues that the cratering auto industry hurts start-ups as well. Implication is that pace of innovation will slow.
A Rising Tide for New Desalinated Water Technologies - Press release
Lux Research predicts a wave of new water technologies based on reverse osmosis to meet the growing demand for fresh water. kids choice awards 2009 winners
Study finds national standard efficiency can save U.S. consumers and business nearly $170 billion - Press release
An industry group focused on energy efficiency runs the numbers on potential savings. It's lobbying for efficiency mandates for utilities.
Smart grid's growth now depends on states - Stateline.org
Modernizing the grid makes sense and home energy monitoring can help consumers reduce energy use, but it costs money, which is where state utility regulators come in.