Researchers from University of Illinois conducted a study and found that grass that grows all year round will yield more ethanol output and lesser greenhouse gases emissions. The least productive farmlands in many parts of the United States are planted with corn used for ethanol production. Grasses like miscanthus, a hybrid grass used in Western Europe and switchgrass, which is native in the United States.

The latest report of the United States’ Department of Agriculture showed that the largest volume of corn produced this year is going to be used for ethanol production. According to the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates of the U.S.D.A, 5.05 billion bushels of corn from the 2010/2011 crop year will be used for ethanol and byproducts while 5 billion bushes will be used as animal feed to help produce food for people.

Demand response company Enernoc, Inc. continues its long, steady acquisition streak started six years ago as it buys Energy Response P.T.Y., the largest provider of demand response energy management services in Australia and New Zealand, for .9 million Australian dollars (.9 million). The company paid .5 million in Enernoc common shares for the deal, paying the rest in cash.

The state of Arizona, armed with new legislation favoring renewable energy businesses, will try to woo solar investors at the upcoming Intersolar North America industry exhibition in San Francisco. Arizona is banking on a set of incentives, enabled by the newly passed Arizona Competitiveness Package, to attract solar businesses at the yearly solar industry exhibition for photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies, which will run from July 12 to 14.

German energy provider E.ON has completed the construction of 20 electric vehicle charging stations in Munich as part of an electro-mobility project in the region, under the name eflott (efast).The charging stations were predominantly on park-and-ride car parks next to the area’s suburban railways. It enables E.V. owners to use the city’s public transport as they charge their cars temporarily. The hydro-electric charging stations were designed to simultaneously charge two electric cars.The

.jpg” />Google is increasing its investment in California’s 1.55-gigawatt Alta Wind Energy Center by 2 million. The money will finance the so-called fifth phase of Alta Wind in the Tehachapi Mountains, one of the largest planned in the globe. This is the second time Google is investing in the wind farm together with Citigroup Inc. which will also invest 2 million. The Internet giant and Citigroup previously invested million each in the 102-MW Alta IV. Google has now invested 7

G.E. and its venture capital partners will invest million in 10 companies in household communications, solar and energy efficiency as part of its 0 million “Ecomagination” funding program.The amount represents the second funding round of G.E.’s “Ecomagination Challenge” launched in July 2010 to invite innovators to submit ideas which G.E. could help finance.The second phase of the challenge seeks to fund household energy efficiency innovations.

RWE Innogy GmbH announced that it has laid the first foundation of the Thornton Bank wind project in Belgium, continuing the construction of Europe’s largest project-financed offshore wind farm in the region. The foundation laid on the 10-square kilometer Belgian coast is the first of 25 foundations to be laid for the second phase, each weighing 550 tons. The second phase is set to compose of 24 6-megawatt turbines.

Vinod Khosla-backed biofuel start-up Kior, Inc. comes out short of its expectations to earn 1 million after it opened and closed at per share on its first day of trading on the Nasdaq Global Market last week. The Texas-based firm made 0 million in the initial public offering by selling 10 million Class A shares. It previously priced the offering at to each according to an amended S-1 filing.