Daily Green Technology and Business News for 7/9/09

Today’s headlines are topped by the Pope, Toyota’s glitch, and a look at all the money falling to states for green projects.

1. The Pope Goes Green
   These are not just empty words for the Vatican. Just recently the Vatican installed photoelectric panels on the 5,000-square-meter roof of the Paul VI Hall. And, according to a story on Bloomberg.com, the next step is for the Vatican to build Europe’s largest solar power plant, on a 740-acre site near the medieval village of Santa Maria di Galeria, at a cost of 660 million dollars. The proposed solar plant would generate enough energy to power all of Vatican City’s 40,000 households, and then some—eventually it would export electricity to the surrounding nation.
2. A Few Bumps in the Road for Toyota and Green Auto Dominance
   This last one should be of real concern for Toyota. Toyota is in the midst of a critical launch of its third generation of the Prius. Honda is gunning for the Prius with its new Insight. So far, the Prius looks safe with very strong sales out of the gate, but these kind of little quality problems that get ignored are just the sort of problems that drove GM’s reputation in the wrong direction.
3. GM to Go Green as it Exits Bankruptcy
   The U.S. government is expected to provide about $50 billion in aid to the automaker as it exits bankruptcy and tries to become profitable even in a depressed world auto sales market. That won’t be easy for a company that has lost more than $80 billion in the past four years.
4. Green Plains Purchases Two Nebraska Ethanol Plants
   The plants, which are near Central City and Ord, add 150 million gallons of ethanol production capacity per year, making Green Plains the fourth largest ethanol producer in the United States with 480 million gallons of annual expected capacity.
5. Thompson National to Launch Green Property Found
   Thompson National Properties plans to launch a fund worth several hundred million dollars focusing on real estate assets across the United States and Asia, its chief executive Tony Thompson said.
6. $500 Million aims to prepare for Green Jobs
   A new $500 million green jobs initiative is expected to help prepare workers for energy efficiency and renewable-energy industry jobs.
7. Green Briefs More Solar Highways Coming
   ODOT completed the nation’s first highway-based solar project in December, a 104-kilowatt system near Tualatin and the Interstate 5/Interstate 205 interchange.
8. S. Korea state energy firms to spend $2.35 billion on green energy
   Under the new investment, the state-run companies will supply 1,330 megawatts of renewable energy facilities including solar, wind and hydro power generating facilities.

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