Pacific Future Energy plans to build and operate the world's greenest refinery on British Columbia's north coast. The $10 billion refinery is being designed to be built in modules, each processing 200,000 barrels of bitumen per day. The bitumen will be converted into gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other distillates. When all of the project modules are complete, the facility will process up to 1,000,000 barrels per day, starting with the first phase of 200,000 barrels per day. 

Vista Solar completed a 118-kW high efficiency SunPower solar power system for national builder DPR Construction. The system, which was designed, engineered and installed by Vista Solar, is expected to generate at least 158,000 kW hours of energy each year. To generate the maximum amount of power within limited roof space, Vista Solar installed high-efficiency SunPower X21/345 solar panels.

Landis+Gyr signed a definitive agreement to acquire GRIDiant Corporation, a utility analytics company focused on the electric distribution grid. GRIDiant's analytics suite will be integrated into Landis+Gyr's advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), distribution grid management and cloud-based solutions for utility customers. The influx of data from advanced metering, intelligent sensors and other distribution devices can challenge a utility's ability to utilize data for planning and operational performance.

PPL Corporation and Riverstone Holdings LLC announced a definitive agreement to combine their merchant power generation businesses into a new stand-alone, publicly traded independent power producer. The new company, which will own and operate 15,320 MW of generating capacity, will be called Talen Energy Corporation.

Abengoa, together with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), has been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a new solar storage technology for thermo-electric plants. The program will last for two years and will require an investment of EUR1.3 million by the US Department of Energy.

Terra-Gen Power (Terra-Gen), an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners and Global Infrastructure Partners, signed a purchase and sale agreement with NRG Yield for the sale of its 947-MW Alta Wind I-V, X & XI, and Realty projects (Alta Wind). Terra-Gen expects to close the transaction in the third quarter of 2014, pending customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approval by FERC and the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) named Jim Spiers v.p. of technology, engineering and economic analysis. In this position, Spiers will lead NRECA’s Cooperative Research Network (CRN). Spiers currently serves as senior v.p. of business strategy/chief technology officer for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

First Wind finalized seven 20-year PPAs with Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp. As part of the purchase agreements, Rocky Mountain Power will buy the output of the planned 20-MW Seven Sisters projects under its obligation from the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA. The Seven Sisters portfolio includes seven separate solar photovoltaic projects, four of which are to be sited in Beaver County and three to be located in Iron County, Utah.