Beijing shuts down auto traffic in preparation for the Olympics; Europe recommits to windpower; and Optisolar proves itself the darling of green investment.
Emergency Beijing Olympic pollution scheme begins: A month before the Summer Olympics, Beijing’s mandatory power-down to improve air quality is underway. While Beijing is one of the world’s most notoriously polluted cities, China has promised clean air in time for Olympic competition. Nearby industry is being shut down for the duration, new construction is being brought to a standstill, and the Chinese government hopes to idle about 60 percent of Beijing’s 3.3 million cars. (Reuters)
Europe’s Largest Single Onshore Windfarm to be Built in Scotland: Scotland has upped the ante when it comes to gargantuan windfarms. With 152 turbines producing 456 megawatts, the Clyde Wind Farm near Abington will be Europe’s largest when it becomes operational. The £600 million project is expected to be online in 2011. (Treehugger)
Tesla Motors Unveils Jaw-Dropping Menlo Park Showroom: With a well-heeled customer base of Silicon Valley kingpins, celebrities, and car collectors capable of dropping $100 thousand dollars on a high-end sports car, it’s not surprising that Tesla Motors spared no expense when it came to hiring decorators for its new showroom. As the star-struck bloggers of Techcruch noted, the company’s swank new Menlo Park showroom — minutes from Palo Alto — features a stylish “industrial chic” look designed to excite the senses and loosen the pocketbook. At Saturday’s VIP grand opening party: Google’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page, plus a handful of Teslas you can’t actually purchase. The company is currently cranking out about four a week, on the way to about 40 a week by early next year. (Techcrunch)
BMW Confirms Electric MINIs Coming to America, but Is No-Comment on Diesels: Yes, American drivers will have a shot at the hotly anticipated electric MINIs, after all. It has been a few weeks rumors began to circulate that BMW might send plug-in versions of the MINI Stateside. Now a company spokesperson confirms that 500 MINIs are, indeed, earmarked for California showrooms. No word on a diesel version, and details on pricing have still not been released. (Green Car Advisor)
OptiSolar Quietly Piling On Cash: Analysts are warning that the solar market may cool off with a reduction in government subsidies, but that not chilling the entire solar energy sector. Take the high-flying OptiSolar, a big-talking, thin film manufacturer that claims it has a huge photovoltaic power plant in the works. The company is raising money faster than it can take it to the bank. Earth2Tech estimates the company has piled on about $200 million in recent months, demonstrating the market’s continued excitement with anything solar. (Earth2Tech)
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