#ICYMI Cleantech News 2/6/15

By: Stephanie Kays

Welcome again to our series of regular In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) cleantech news blog posts. These blog posts feature some of the most interesting, compelling and/or impactful cleantech news of the week, compiled by the Eastwick team.

This week, budget and project numbers dominated the headlines. Highlights include President Obama proposing a $4 trillion budget with an entire section on combating climate change, Apple announcing a $2 billion solar-powered data center and a $2.7 billion clean coal project being shut down.

Here are some of the top stories in cleantech this week.

· BUDGET: President Barack Obama proposed a $4 trillion budget that would accelerate emissions targets for states and make permanent the federal tax credits targeting solar and wind generation.

· The FY16 Budget Rollout fact sheet highlighted President Obama’s $30 billion FY 2016 Budget for the Department of Energy.

· COAL: The White House shut down FutureGen2.0, a $2.7 billion project aimed at demonstrating the potential of clean coal.

· UTILITIES: Breaking Energy reported that utility executives and regulators are exploring new business models to avoid the “Death Spiral” some analysts predict.

· RESEARCH REPORT: According to a recent report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, wind and solar energy has tripled since 2008.

· SOLAR: Apple announced it will open a $2 billion solar-powered data center in Arizona.