President Barack Obama announced today a $8-billion federal plant to modernize the United State's power grid. $3.4 billion will come from the government, and the rest will be put up by private companies. In his words:

At this moment, there's something big happening in America when it comes to creating a clean-energy economy. But getting there will take a few more days like this one, and more projects like this one. Here in this region of Florida, this project will reduce demand for electricity by up to 20 percent during the hottest summer days that stress the grid and power plants,. It will provide smart meters to 2.6 million more customers. And most importantly, it will create thousands of jobs - good jobs, by the way, that can't be outsourced; jobs that will last and jobs that pay a decent wage.

In my words: About fucking time. We need to modernize the power grid not only for the jobs, but for the long term survivability of the country's economy. It's the only way to depend less on other countries, and make production more efficient and competitive.

And it's not only about using renewable energies. It's about increasing the efficiency of electricity transport and consumption at homes. That's why $1 billion is going to smart meters and other consumer oriented technology, which will make more than 5 million homes to consume a lot less. Two billion dollars will go to infrastructure to support those meters, and $400 to modernize power lines, with an additional $25 million to push for smarter, more power efficient devices.

Do you think this is a lot of money? It is, especially since it only covers a small part of the grid. But here's what we are getting in return: $20 billion in savings during the next decade, plus increasing the reliability of the grid to avoid power outages that cost $150 billion a year to the US economy.

I can only hope this goes well, and we keep modernizing the rest of the grid as soon as possible. [Miami Herald and Ars Technica]

The SunCat batteries solve all of these issues while giving the environment a firm pat on the butt by wrapping standard NiMH rechargeable batteries (1.8V) in photo voltaic cells (1.5V). Seen in prototype form here, each battery becomes its own solar trickle charger, constantly topping off its power reserves without ever over charging.

Now if only Duracell, Energizer or some other major manufacturer could swoop in and mass product this idea... [Notes from Knut via OhGizmo!]

Like other solar materials, the hybrid version relies on light that frees electrons emitted from atoms. However, in the hybrid, electrons remain free much longer than before. In fact, it emits electrons in two different energy states—a singlet state and a triplet state. Electrons emitted in the singlet state remain free for a time that is comparable to other solar materials, but electrons in the triplet state stay free up to 7 million times longer. The new material is currently in the development stages, but Ohio State has enough faith in the project to set aside $100 million for the research team to develop a commercial product within the next five years. [Ohio State via Nano Techwire via CleanTechnica via Inhabitat]

From what else I can gather from reading the blurb, Triumph is going into the household energy business. Expect to see a bunch of dome-shaped solar panels on the top of Japanese building soon. [Impress]

The Mercury News says:

In a typical scenario for a 2.8-kilowatt system, Rive said, a customer with a $150-a-month electric bill before installing solar would end up with a $60-a-month electric bill, an $80 or $90 monthly lease payment to Solar City, and thus "positive cash flow" of as much as $10.

The appeal of the system is its low cost and high scalability. MIT's Technology Review says that, according to one expert, "solar thermal power will become cost competitive with other forms of power generation decades before photovoltaics will." And even though solar thermal costs more than wind power (around 15 cents per kilowatt versus wind's 8 cents per kilowatt), solar thermal energy, trapped in the form of heat, is much more easy to save up. Energy can be generated even when the sun isn't shining—in the case of Abengoa's Arizona plant, part of the heat doesn't directly boil water but is transferred to molten salt tanks, where it can be stored to power the turbine for up to six sunless hours.

The plant goes operational in 2011, and will generate 280 megawatts, enough to provide energy for 70,000 homes, customers of the Arizona Public Service in Phoenix. [Technology Review; Abengoa]