On a sun-baked, remote stretch of desert 40 miles south of glitzy Las Vegas, construction crews are building one of five solar power plants that First Solar has slated for Southern Nevada. When completed in early 2016, NextEra Energy Resources (NEE) will own and operate the 250-megawatt (MW) plant, which can generate electricity for 80,000 homes. Near Santa Nella, Calif., on agricultural land in the center of the state, SunPower (SPWR) is
Online retailers might be getting their wish for a green Christmas. Early tallies from the holiday shopping season appear to match forecasts for 13% to 16% growth, even as activity tailed off. Winners include Amazon (AMZN), which also offers a third-party marketplace for smaller retailers, along with traditional brick-and-mortar chain Best Buy (BBY). Consumers, though, shopped early this holiday season, lured by deep online discounts that sprang
Xsens Technologies is a Hollywood star, but Fairchild Semiconductor saw much more when it proposed a marriage. Netherlands-based Xsens designs 3D motion-tracking technology and body-tracking software. Its technology has helped enable Hollywood to superimpose actors onto virtual green-screen backgrounds to create on-screen magic. San Jose, Calif.-based Fairchild Semiconductor (FCS) announced in April it would pay $60 million for Xsens, giving it