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Solar energy installations accounted for 100 percent of new power capacity in March, and advanced energy represented all new energy installations in Q1 2013,  according to a new report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission . Natural gas and wind are leading the year with 1,145 megawatts and 1,431 respectively. Overall, advanced energy installations have accounted for more than 78% of new power generation. Download the report  here .

Advises Lawmakers to Transition from Current Patchwork to Technology-Neutral Provisions that Provide Stability, Phase Out Incentives Based on Market CriteriaBe targeted: limit incentives to where innovation is needed to build a more secure, clean and affordable energy future. Rather than providing permanent support to mature technologies that already have significant market penetration, the federal government’s role should be limited to driving innovation and commercializing the next generation of technologies that promise public benefits such as enhancing energy security through fuel diversity and grid modernization, providing cleaner energy that better protects public health, and reducing energy costs for consumers and businesses.Sunset automatically when market-based objectives are achieved. No company or technology should be entitled to permanent subsidies. When left in place too long, tax incentives distort price and market signals and ultimately create barriers to entry for new technologies. Tax incentives should remain in place only long enough to achieve a measurable, market-based objective that represents a point at which emerging technologies have reached sufficient maturity to stand on their own.Provide stability and certainty for businesses and investors. Rules that change frequently or unpredictably are disruptive to markets and harmful to the businesses, investors, and consumers participating in them. The life of many current credits is determined by expiration dates that are short-term, arbitrary in nature, and unrelated to market conditions. When credits are allowed to lapse, or renewed at the eleventh hour – and extended to the next short-term, arbitrary deadline – the result is a cycle of boom and bust. Using meaningful performance metrics tied to maturity in the marketplace, rather than calendar deadlines, to sunset a tax benefit would provide certainty to investors, focus businesses on bringing their technologies to scale and down the cost curve, and allow market dynamics to drive business success.Be technology neutral. Many of today’s energy tax policies were written with one sector in mind, even favoring a single technology. Such an approach distorts market signals and puts the weight of the government behind investment decisions. This is inefficient and it imposes unnecessary risk on taxpayers. In addition, this approach can inadvertently freeze out next- generation technologies. Energy tax benefits should be applied as broadly as possible to stimulate innovation across technologies, including those that have not yet emerged.

Wind energy had a huge year in 2012, representing 42 percent of all new electricity megawatts installed, according to a new industry report from AWEA. Wind energy represents a $25 billion investment of private capital for projects in the U.S. alone. Overall, total installation of wind power in the United States has surpassed 60 gigawatts. Texas and California led the industry in installations: Texas installed 1,826 megawatts and California installed 1,656 megawatts of wind in 2012. Bloomberg quotes AWEA's Chief Economist, Elizabeth Salerno:

Maryland's Governor O'Malley signed the state's first ever offshore wind measure passed through the legislature earlier this year. Graham Richard, CEO of AEE, released the following statement:

The world's first solar-powered plane has announced its first U.S. trip. It will take off from NASA's Mountain View, CA campus and fly to airports in Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New York. Wall Street Journal reports:

First Solar (FSLR) saw a jump in stock prices after the company announced full-year 2013 guidance, as well as the acquisition of TetraSun. The company also announced of their financial targets through 2015. In 2013, First Solar projects it will sell between 1.6 and 1.8 gigawatts of solar systems, and the company expects to generate between $0.8 and $1 billion in operating cash flow. The Motley Fool wonders, "Did First Solar just upend the solar industry?":

When Governor Beebe signs SB640 into law, Arkansas will be the twenty-ninth state to authorize Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs. This program authorizes the creation of energy improvement districts to fund loans for efficiency projects. The loans are then repaid via a special assessment on the property. Because the loan payments are generally lower than the total energy savings from the installed efficiency, businesses often make money off the deal. Arkansas Senator David Johnson said:

Tesla announced Monday that first quarter sales of the Model S exceeded expectations and the company expects to turn a profit. Tesla expected to sell 4,500 Model S cars, but sales as of April 1 exceeded 4,750 automobiles.

Apple Inc. announced this week that fully three-quarters of the energy it consumes in its data centers and corporate facilities comes from advanced energy sources. The company committed to using renewable energy for its facilities in North Carolina, and eventually Apple would like to be powered entirely by advanced energy. Fox News reports:

San Antonio's CPS Energy, which is the nation's largest municipal utility, has announced a partnership with Silver Spring Networks to deploy smart grid technologies to its 740,000 electric and gas customers. Initially, CPS is implementing features like distribution automation and advanced metering, but the utility is laying the groundwork to be able to implement further smart grid features in the future. GovTech reports: