I’ve read that Congress has passed a new US $100 million program for geothermal research. I have been working on some new ideas for the huge geopressured resource in the Gulf and would like to get support. Who do I contact about helping my geothermal project? — Russell, Laporte, Texas

Good weather and an appetite for sustainability appear to be the main factors driving the formation of a world-class “clean energy cluster” in the Pacific Northwest. Skilled workers with strong creative talent are attracted to the area, and it’s no coincidence that a range of renewable energy firms are setting up shop here as a result.

The Northwest is becoming a hotbed of solar energy development as home and business owners discover the huge potential for this limitless source of clean energy. The Northwest Solar Expo April 18 - 20, 2008, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, is a great place to go to learn more. Whether you are a homeowner interested in doing more to combat global warming, or a business owner
looking to manage your energy consumption and costs, the Northwest Solar Expo has information to help you make your next move to clean, renewable energy from the sun.

UniRac Inc., North America’s leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting solutions, is proud to have been selected for the second consecutive year by Managing Automation as one of the 2008 Progressive Manufacturing 50 Award Winners, recognizing organizations whose technology-driven processes drive extraordinary business accomplishments.

The largest collection of solar air heated buildings in the world can now be found at the military base of Fort Drum, in upstate New York. 50 SolarWall® systems (totaling over 110,000 ft2) have been installed on 27 military buildings and will collectively generate over 4MW of peak thermal energy. The project is extremely significant in terms of the sheer magnitude of energy and CO2 savings, and shows the tremendous potential for solar thermal when it is deployed on a large scale.