Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power, in partnership with Turner Renewable Energy, began commercial operation on the Spectrum Solar Facility, located in Clark County, Nevada. The 30-MW solar PV installation utilizes tracking technology that enables greater efficiency by directing solar panels to track the sun as it moves across the sky. The 311-acre site was built and will be operated and maintained by SunEdison.

Siemens and Accenture formed Omnetric Group, a joint venture in the smart grid field to develop solutions and services that allow utilities to improve efficiency and achieve greater supply security. Its business operations will focus initially on Europe and the U.S., with further global expansion planned in the future. Omnetric Group will focus on solutions and services for system integration and management of the growing volume of data created as part of power grid operation.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) selected the EnergyAxis advanced metering infrastructure and EIServer meter data management systems from Elster Solutions for the first phase of their smart meter deployment. EnergyAxis enables meter data collection, analysis, reporting, and network management for all three services using a single head-end system. This simplifies system management, and reduces the total cost of ownership.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) directed Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to keep its natural gas pipeline number 147, which runs through the City of San Carlos, out of service until CPUC staff verifies the safety of the pipeline. The CPUC’s safety and enforcement division has initiated a staff investigation to determine whether any immediate safety concerns are posed by the pipeline. This investigation will result in public findings, required corrective action if necessary, and citations for any violation of law or regulation.

As part of its Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action, Enphase Energy has partnered with Beacon Power Services to provide a clean and reliable energy alternative in Abuja, Nigeria, through piloting a solar energy microgrid system.

Google partnered with Silver Ridge Power, formerly known as AES Solar, to invest approximately $103 million in Silver Ridge Power’s 265.7-MW Mount Signal Solar project. The project, also known as Imperial Valley Solar 1, is a utility-scale solar PV generating plant under construction in Imperial County, California. Mount Signal Solar is expected to be fully operational in 2014 and will sell its output to the San Diego Gas & Electric under a long-term PPA.

CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas distribution business will install Itron advanced metering technology across the utility’s six-state service territory by the end of 2015. Communication modules to nearly 1.3 million gas meters have already been installed in parts of the company’s service territory in Minnesota, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. Upon project completion, 3.3 million communication modules will be installed in these states as well as Arkansas and Mississippi.