Mainstream Renewable Power closed a deal to sell its 7.65-MW Carrickeeny Wind Farm to IKEA. Mainstream has commenced construction of the project which is located in Leitrim in the North West of Ireland and it is expected to be operational in early 2014 at which point IKEA will purchase the plant. As part of the deal Mainstream will continue operate and maintain the wind farm on behalf of IKEA for its 20-year lifespan. This acquisition will increase the total number of wind turbines that the IKEA Group has committed to owning and operating to 137.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) broke ground on construction of the federal government’s largest wind farm. NNSA awarded a contract to Siemens Government Technologies (Siemens) to construct and operate the Pantex wind farm. The newly constructed wind farm will consist of five 2.3 MW turbines located on 1,500 acres of government-owned property east of the Pantex plant.

ABB delivered the East West Interconnector, the world’s highest capacity HVDC light underwater power link, to EirGrid, the Irish transmission system operator. The 500-MW transmission connection establishes a link between the Irish and U.K. grids, enabling cross-border power flows and enhancing grid reliability and security of electricity supplies. The new link also facilitates power trading between the two countries and connects Ireland to the European grid.

Sensus was selected to provide the core communications technology to support the UK government’s plan to put smart meters in millions of homes and small businesses by 2020. Sensus technology will support the rollout of electric and gas smart meters to ten million locations in the northern region of Great Britain, subject to contract. The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced that communications company Arqiva has been selected to provide the smart metering communications service for Northern England and Scotland.

Addressing an issue reserved from a general rate case proceeding, the Michigan Public Service Commission has accepted an electric utility’s plan for offering residential customers an opportunity to opt out of the company’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program. The utility, Consumers Energy Company, had previously been authorized to commence deployment of smart meters throughout its service area.

The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) ruled that it lacks jurisdiction to approve a merchant transmission company’s plan for providing wholesale electric transmission service in Kentucky. The commission found that the new company, AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, Inc. (KY Transco), did not fit the definition of a utility under the state utility code even though the company had averred that its transmission service would be subject to both PSC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction. Dissenting Vice Chairman James W.