STUFF

MiaSole raised $106M of a $125M VC round at half the valuation of '08. A CIGS thin-film solar maker. 2H11 IPO planned. Modules up to 14% efficiency - cost ~79 cents/w, looking for 70 cents in '12 using Si efficiencies. Got $102M manufacturing tax credits in '10. Sees $413M revs in '12. Working with WalMart, Solar City; a patent issue with Solanex.

Cushing OK - WTI crude - running out of storage space. Holding 38M bls, capac ~45M.

By the by, some biotech from the last year or so:
USC scientists created cells in mice immune to HIV.
Intrexon pioneered a DNA drug that kills cancer from within.
And a Peruvian doctor established method to grow new organs/limbs on demand (already in phase II trials).

AEP getting $4M from Global CCS Institute (Australia) for 1st commercial scale CO2 capture and storage system (CCS) at WV power plant. 1.5M met tons/yr to be captured. '15 start. DOE funding 50%, up to $334M. AEP/Alstom started in '09 to capture 90% of CO2 from 20MW of gen cap. This new project to capture 235MW of plant's 1.3GW cap. Chilled ammonia system.

AZ's largest utility - AZ Public Service - contracted FSLR for a 17MW plant in Gila Bend. APS will own. Online in Sept. 1 of 5 plants now under devel by APS, going for 100MW from 6 plants. They have 288MW clean E online today. This project their first in thin-film solar.

Last Thursday, DOE made a $197M loan guarantee to Solo Power to retrofit, expand its CIGS thin-film solar plant in OR. Expected to make 400MW/yr, 500 permanent jobs. Last month, Solo raised $51M from investors. DOE total clean E guarantees so far $26B for 30 projects.

DHS awarded Raytheon a $22M contract to fix the wind turbine/doppler radar problem. >9GW of wind devel on hold in US because of the prob.

OPEC crude exports fell 2% Nov to Dec. Saudi fell to 6.02mbpd from 6.36 as their production rose to 8.37. May explain recent rise in Brent, besides the Arab revolutions going on. O yea, will the wave hit Saudi Arabia?

Libya exports ~1.5mbpd, most to Europe.

World wind turbine orders rose 75% in 2H10, 48% for all of '10.

Happy Presidents Day, A? And what is Congress doing taking this week off? What a country. Next week the possible government shutdown. After the checks go out. And the market pretty much straight up since Sept. Time for a change? Yes we can. And, finally, with all these MidEast countries going through revolution, seems probable we will have an oil problem and at least 1 Islamic state emerge. Hopefully not. Out and over pards.