Brazil’s Rubens Ometto , Germany’s Aloys Wobben and Elon Musk of the US all made Forbes Magazine list of the world’s greenest billionaires this year, and according the magazine, they and their counterparts on the list breath a rarified air, being but a fraction of the 1,226 billionaires currently inhabiting the Earth.

The first of three new structures being constructed at the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in Blyth, Northumberland (England) has been completed, representing a milestone in the development of Narec’s £80 million plus investment in world-class facilities for the testing of offshore renewable technologies.

The 2012 EurObserv’ER Photovoltaic Barometer has been released, focusing on developments in Europe regarding solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation for the year 2011. According to the report’s authors, growth continued, prices fell, and cell efficiencies rose; all of which indicate that grid parity is just round the corner for this renewable energy source in some countries.

Biopower, which uses biomass for electricity generation, is a niche market but one that is expected to grow rapidly in Europe as utilities turn to the technology as a source of reliable and cost-competitive renewable power, according to a new market study from IHS Emerging Energy Research.

An underwater turbine that is set to be used in Scotland’s first and only consented tidal power project has successfully completed an initial testing period in Orkney, and is providing electricity for homes and businesses on the island of Eday, one of Orkney’s northern isles.

The energy ministers of the 27 EU Member States have agreed to cut the energy savings targets for 2020 outlined in the proposed Energy Efficiency Directive by almost 62%. For Spain’s Renewable Energy Foundation, this sharp reduction confirms that the criteria of the major utility and consumer lobbies have been imposed on these savings and efficiency targets.

Last year Zero Carbon World, a charity striving to "decarbonize" the world, announced that it was donating 1,000 free electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to hotels and other businesses in the tourism and leisure industries in the UK.

In this exclusive interview, Juan Verde, Sustainability Advisor to the President of the United States, gives us an insight into his experiences, his vision for the sector and the boost the US government has given to renewables. "In a second Obama term, energy reform will probably be the priority for his administration," he says.