ABB successfully commissioned the subsea transmission link connecting one of the largest offshore wind farms in Europe to the Belgian grid. The Thornton Bank project, executed for the Belgian company C-Power NV was completed on schedule. The transmission link was constructed as part of an expansion of the Thornton Bank wind farm.

British Gas announced a deal worth £600 million for Landis+Gyr to supply the majority of the 16 million smart meters British Gas will install in its customers' homes. By 2020 smart meters will be rolled out as standard to homes and businesses across the country as part of a government initiative.  

US Power Generating (USPG) entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger with Tenaska Capital Management (TCM). Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, USPG will become a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of TCM. Under the terms of the merger, TCM will purchase USPG, with the final price being determined by a number of business and tax adjustments. Consummation of the merger is subject to customary conditions including approvals of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the New York Public Service Commission.

The Carlyle Group agreed to acquire the Red Oak power generation facility in Sayreville, New Jersey, and has separately closed on the purchase of five power plants in California. The acquisitions were executed in conjunction with Carlyle’s power affiliate Cogentrix. Red Oak, which is being acquired from Energy Capital Partners, is an 823-MW natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant located in Sayreville, New Jersey.

Consumers Energy signed a contract with Barton Malow Company for engineering, procurement and construction services at its $255 million Cross Winds Energy Park, a 105-MW wind farm in Tuscola County, Michigan. The contract is subject to approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The contract includes designing, engineering and constructing the park's turbine foundations, access roads, an operations and maintenance building; erecting the park's 62 wind turbines; and building the infrastructure that connects the turbines to the electrical grid.

Ballard Power Systems and its consortium partners received approximately $6.7 million in funding from the U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the National Fuel Cell Bus Program for the deployment of two next-generation fuel cell buses as well as for extended operation of two existing Ballard-powered buses. Ballard will deliver its next-generation fuel cell power module - the FCvelocity-HD7 - to BAE Systems for incorporation into its HybriDrive propulsion system, with the final bus assembly to be completed by ElDorado National.

Duke Energy Renewables began construction on a 5-MW utility-scale solar power project in Beaufort County, N.C., adjacent to its 12.5-MW Washington White Post facility. As in the initial project, the solar energy generated from the Washington White Post II site will be sold through a 15-year agreement to North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA). Duke Energy Renewables has contracted with SunEnergy1 to build the 27,450-panel photovoltaic project. It should be complete by the end of 2013.

First Solar and BELECTRIC Holding, GmbH launched a joint venture (JV) that will realize solar energy projects on three continents. The JV - PV Projects GmbH & Co.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted new performance incentives to promote energy efficiency goals.