Here are some notable clean energy news items for the week of May 4, 2008.

Start-Ups Race To Produce ‘Green’ Cars “Spurred by the belief that the market for fuel-efficient vehicles is about to take off, a slew of tiny car companies is springing up in Europe and the U.S. They are racing to produce the next “green” car, betting that soaring demand will allow them to survive alongside the giants of Detroit, Stuttgart and Tokyo.”

DOE Helps Greensburg, Kansas, Rebuild as a Wind-Powered City “DOE’s work with the city of Greensburg, Kansas, over the past year is bearing fruit, as the city is now rebuilding with a new emphasis on energy efficient buildings and renewable energy, particularly wind energy.”

U.S. wind industry installs 1,400 MW in 1st quarter “With the fate of a key federal incentive in the balance, the U.S. wind energy industry continued new installations at a breakneck pace in the first quarter of 2008, putting 1,400 megawatts (MW) or approximately $3 billion worth of new generating capacity in place, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today in its quarterly market report.”

EBay opens building with largest solar roof in San Jose “ Building 17, which will get a name like Earth or Eco today, has the largest commercial solar roof in San Jose, the company says. It’s the first new building the 13-year-old online auction company has ever built.”

Energy Secretary Talks About Future Gen Alternatives “Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said Thursday he scrapped a plan to build a $1.8 billion clean-coal power plant in central Illinois when its projected price tag ballooned, but he couldn’t explain the cost increase.”

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