Banking on the popularity of solar and clean energy in Hawaii, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D) has introduced and or signed on to a number of solar and renewable energy bills that were introduced into the Senate this week. One that would have a direct impact on Hawaii—moreso than many other states—is The Federal Energy Savings Enhancement Act (S. 1277), which would allow the General Services Administration (GSA) to enter into 30-year renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPA).

Yesterday (May 12) Greenpeace released an update to its report on the greenest tech companies. The list was led by companies including Apple, Facebook and Google. The report, “Clicking Clean: A Guide to Building the Green Internet,” celebrated the companies for their efforts to “green” the Internet. Meanwhile it found that other Internet companies like Amazon need to do more as do coal-dependent utilities that support their energy needs like Dominion Power and Duke Energy. 

One of the big things that has hindered greater adoption of renewable energy in the U.S. and across the U.S. is a lack of federal policy that supports renewable energy across the country. In states that have developed such Renewable Energy Standard (RES) legislation like California, Colorado and Massachusetts, for instance, solar and wind power have taken off, creating not just a requirement that utilities source electricity from renewable sources but also thousands of jobs. 

California’s cap-and-trade program has about $832 million to support energy efficiency, public transit, affordable housing and other greenhouse gas-cutting programs statewide in 2015. Recently the program supported one of its first solar arrays at a low-income home. At least 25 percent of that will be invested in disadvantaged communities like Fresno. The solar installation was made possible through California’s Low Income Weatherization Program (LIWP).

The team behind Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane, is preparing for its most perilous journey yet—a five or more day trek across the the Pacific Ocean, which will be the longest leg of the worldwide flight. The plane and its pilot will fly for at least five straight days and nights as it crosses the Pacific Ocean and arrives at Hawaii. It will be the longest duration of flight by one pilot—ever—not just the longest duration flight for a solar-powered plane.

SunEdison has largely focussed on the commercial and utility-scale solar market. However, more recently the solar company has been getting into the residential solar market. Now its launched a new power-purchase agreement (PPA) product across seven U.S. states, will use it’s TerraForm YieldCo to purchase residential systems and partnered with residential solar reseller Evolve Solar.

The flat pack giant has done it again, its help push solar into a place that isn’t known for it by installing a new array in Kansas. The company installed a 730.17 kilowatt solar array on its recently opened store in Merriam, Kans., which is the largest commercial installation in the state.

A new report out from MIT’s MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), “The Future of Solar Energy,” found that solar energy is likely the best option to meet humanity’s energy needs in the future. But it cautions that we need to make changes to realize the potential. Chief among the recommendations in the report is an emphasis on revisiting incentive programs.

The Mass Solar Coalition today (May 4) commended the work of Massachusetts’ Net Metering and Solar Task Force. The task force sent a final report to Massachusetts’ state legislature last Friday in which it advocated that the state lift its net-metering cap, among other solar energy positive recommendations. 

Earlier this week The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) released a poll conducted on its behalf by Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research, looking into how Nevadans felt about how politicians vote on solar issues. The poll comes as the state’s energy suppliers are reaching an arbitrary cap on net-metered solar power.