In a White House blog post, Chopra asked, "Why can’t the same common-sense concept be applied to the energy industry with a 'Green Button'?  Consumers should have access to their energy usage information.  It should be easily downloadable and in an easy-to-read format offered by their utility or retail energy service provider." Just recently, as Jeff St. John reported, California's largest utilities have risen to the occasion to work on safe, secure ways to share their customers' energy data.

No successor to Chopra has yet been chosen.

Jeannine Sargent was appointed president of Flextronics Renewable Energy, a division of Singapore's Flextronics (NASDAQ:FLEX).  Sargent is executive chairman at AstroWatt, EIR at Crosslink Capital, and former CEO of Oerlikon Solar.
 
 

SolarCity, the solar financier and installer firm, appointed Toby Corey as chief revenue officer. Corey was co-founder and former president and COO of USWeb. (See "Who Reigns Supreme in Residential Solar".)

As part of the completion of production for the massive 30-megawatt CPV installation in Alamosa, Colorado, Amonix contractor Flextronics laid off about 200 people, or two-thirds of its workforce. However, the move is less a layoff and more a retooling of the factory for its next-generation CPV product, according to the company.

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Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) saw two high-level engineers leave the electric vehicle manufacturer, according to Bloomberg. Share price fell on the news that Peter Rawlinson, VP and chief engineer, and Nick Sampson, who guided vehicle and chassis engineering, were leaving the Elon Musk-led firm.

Brian Stone, a long-time senior employee of Nanosolar, is no longer with the company. (Credit a commenter on GigaOm for pointing this out.) Stone was the VP of Sales and Marketing at the CIGS thin-film roll-to-roll firm. We've learned that Stone has joined C3 — Tom Siebel's Energy Resource Management software company — to lead the Products division.

BrightSource Energy, the solar thermal power tower firm, named Richard Kelly as chairman of the board of directors. Kelly served as the CEO of utility Xcel.

Jan van Dokkum, a partner at KPCB, has been named interim CEO for Amonix, according to a press release. Van Dokkum held leadership positions at UTC Power's on-site power generation group and at Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution.

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Rubenius, a firm that aims to build massive amounts of utility-scale electrochemical energy storage in Baja Mexico for the U.S. and Mexican grids, has had layoffs, according to sources close to the firm.

Paul De Martini has left his role as Cisco's Chief Technology Officer and electric utility pro. De Martini is moving to a new consulting firm, Newport Consulting Group. He will continue to work with Cisco on a contracted basis in the area of gridonomics, Cisco’s smart grid business architecture framework.

Tom Cheyney, former editor and blogger at PV-Tech, has joined the dark side as director of the solar industry practice at Impress Labs, a public relations firm.

Rockport Capital, a greentech venture firm, has promoted Abe Yokell, Daniel Hullah, and Dhiraj Malkani to the partner level. Yokell serves on the boards of EcoFactor, Qnovo, and Solar Universe and is an observer at Enphase.

Soladigm, a developer of electrochromic glass for buildings, appointed Jim Pape to the role of Chief Commercial Officer. Pape was most recently president of SunPower’s global residential and commercial business units. Soladigm’s product electronically switches glass windows from clear to tinted. The firm claims the ability to "reduce HVAC energy usage by 25 percent and peak load by 30 percent in commercial buildings."

***
Send anonymous tips on personnel moves to wesoff@greentechmedia.com.

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Hoku Corporation's CFO, Darryl Nakamoto, resigned.

Hoku (Nasdaq:HOKU), in a case of questionable timing, is opening up a long-threatened polysilicon plant in Pocatello, Idaho. Hoku is a subsidiary of Tianwei New Energy Holdings, which is an affiliate of China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC). CSGC is a mammoth firm with 191,000 employees. Tianwei manufactures polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules. Hoku manufactures, well, nothing. Hoku started out as a fuel cell company, went public in 2005, and pivoted into being a solar manufacturer with $ 2 million in "service and license revenue" in 2011 according to its most recent 10-K filing. The document reveals that the firm had "cash and cash equivalents on hand of $ 3.2 million and current liabilities of $ 241.8 million" as of Sept. 30, 2011. The firm's stock trades at $ 0.57 with a market cap of $ 31.3 million. All of those figures seem to provide good reason for a CFO to resign.

The utility supplying power to the Hoku polysilicon plant being constructed in Pocatello, Idaho Power, has threatened to shut off power by next week if Hoku doesn't pay its November electric bill, according to the AP.

SolarCity, SunRun, Sungevity, SunEdison, Clean Power Finance and other solar installers will hire more than 1,000 people in 2012, according to an article from Lindsay Riddell, reporter at San Francisco Business Times.
 

In a recently issued statement, Suntech announced: "Suntech has reduced its workforce over the last few months amidst challenging market conditions for PV manufacturers and as part of an ongoing global restructuring. In an effort to optimize our operations and continue focusing on production efficiency,  we are working to decrease our 2012 operating expenses by 20 percent compared to this year."

Newly appointed Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) CEO Anthony Earley dismissed the utility's entire corporate strategy and development group. A Bloomberg article quoted the CEO as saying that the company "will no longer be making tax-equity investments in solar projects." The utility had invested more than $ 100 million into solar installers and financiers SolarCity and SunRun.

David Edwards, formerly Director of Strategy and Corporate Development of SunPower, has left to helm solar startup Koru as CEO. Koru provides a SaaS platform for the retail electricity industry, according to Edwards' LinkedIn profile.  More details on that company in the new year.

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If you’re looking for updated articles, blogs, and
advice on living lighter on the planet, check out Yahoo! Green’s new home — Shine Green.

New content is posted on Shine Green frequently from Yahoo!
writers and our favorite contributors like Care2
Healthy Living, ecomii, Mother
Nature Network, and Networx,
plus new content providers such as EcoSalon.

We’re in the process of moving the archives over to Shine Green,
so this site will remain live but with no updates.

Please join us at Shine
Green for new articles such as:

• The
  truth about the new light bulb law — Get the facts, avoid fear-mongering
  (and incandescent hoarding).
• Five
  unhealthy drinks to avoid at the supermarket — You may be surprised that
  they’re not just sodas.
• Top
  eco-friendly magazines — Add these to your reading list for environmental
  entertainment.
• 50
  uses for disposable chopsticks — Love the takeout, hate the waste? Here
  are some clever ways to reuse chopsticks around the house.

See you over on Shine
Green (and don’t forget, you can also find us on Facebook)!

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Why would a COO leave one of the more successful and potentially lucrative greentech companies?  Since the firm will not comment, a smart grid expert colleague offers these potential reasons: He's being forced out for a more IPO-ready COO, he's ditching a leaky ship, he's got personal problems, the Dresselhuys clan has it out for him. No new COO has been announced on the company website.

Last week we reported that EcoFactor was replacing its CEO and that founder and now-former CEO John Steinberg would likely take another role at the firm. This week we learned that Roy Johnson is coming to EcoFactor as CEO. Johnson comes to EcoFactor after four years as CEO at Calisolar, a manufacturer of solar silicon. Terry Jester, former EIR at Hudson Clean Energy and Director at Sunpower is now the CEO at CaliSolar.

Terry Jester, former EIR at Hudson Clean Energy and Director at Sunpower is now the CEO at Calisolar. Calisolar has been working on UMG solar cells for some time, raising $ 102 million in 2008 to build a factory in California, back when UMG silicon was about one-sixth the price of the higher-grade polysilicon going into the solar industry.

Lunera Lighting, a maker of LED-based fluorescent light replacements, recently collected a new funding round and a new CEO, Michael Keddington.

Sunlogics, a solar developer appointed Charles Bryant, former EVP of Finance as Interim Chief Executive Officer. Sunlogics is working with General Motors on a variety of solar projects. GM Ventures is an investor in the firm.

Brice Koch was appointed head of ABB’s Power Systems.

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Julian Hawkins, former Senior VP at Abound Solar has joined the precariously functioning Energy Conversion Devices as CEO. Energy Conversion Devices (Nasdaq:ENER) is a long-struggling supplier of flexible amorphous silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic laminates, with a deflated stock price amidst a "Restructuring Plan" and recent suspension of its manufacturing operations. It is difficult to envision ECD surviving much longer as an independent public entity.

Cobalt Technologies, a developer of next generation bio n-butanol, appointed Bob Mayer as chairman of its Board of Directors and CEO.  Mayer was the former executive vice president of Danisco.

John Carrington assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at MiaSolé, the third gentleman to assume that position since the firm's founding. Carrington was EVP of global marketing and business development at First Solar and before that at General Electric. He replaces Joseph Laia, who despite having his issues with the board and company morale, was responsible for raising money for the firm in difficult times and raising the efficiency of the firm's CIGS thin film solar panels.

In October, Next Autoworks (formerly V-Vehicle Company) named auto executive Kathleen Ligocki as CEO, replacing Interim CEO Ray Lane (a partner at investor Kleiner Perkins), who will continue in his role as Chairman of the Board. Ligocki previously served as CEO of Tower Automotive and GS Motors and led several global divisions of Ford Motor Company.  Next Autoworks' fate is uncertain after the recent loss of a DOE loan guarantee.

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With the economy tanking and unemployment skyrocketing, where are the green jobs?

What is a green job?

According to the United Nations Environment Program a green job would be “work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development, administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality.”

Can green jobs help our ailing economy and bring us closer to a cleaner future?

The Rocky Mountain Institute says, “Efficient energy use and clean energy production are the foundation of a market-based, cost-effective pathway for American businesses to out-innovate competitors, revitalize the economy, boost exports, and ultimately, create jobs.”

Check out this great infographic that shows how to gain this without oil, coal, nuclear energy, one-third less natural gas, and no new inventions.

In a recent post I wrote about the TRAIN Act bill that will be voted on in the next few days and could block the EPA’s proposed standards to control mercury and power plant pollution, a commenter said, “Killing jobs? Why can’t there be greener jobs?” Well, there are green career paths, and that might be just what our planet needs (and also our bank accounts).

Top 10 Green Jobs (adapted from this Fast Company article)

1. Farmer

America has only two million farmers, and their average age is 55. Since sustainable agriculture requires small-scale, local, organic methods rather than petroleum-based machines and fertilizers, there is a huge for more farmers and related workers such as: urban gardeners, farmers market and CSA coordinators, and artisanal cheesemakers.

2. Forester

Modern forestry is a complex combination of international project finance, conservation and development. According to the World Bank, a staggering 1.6 billion people depend on the forest for their livelihoods. Deforestation, which causes around a quarter of all global warming, is also likely to be a leading source of carbon credits worth tens of billions of dollars.

3. Solar Power Installer

Making and installing solar power systems already accounts for some 770,000 jobs globally. Installing solar-thermal water heaters and rooftop photovoltaic cells is a relatively high-paying job–$ 15 to $ 35 an hour–for those with construction skills. And opportunities are available all over the United States, wherever the sun shines.

4. Energy Efficiency Builder

Buildings account for up to 48 percent of US energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. LEED, the major green building certification, has over 43,000 accredited professionals. Greening the U.S. building stock will take not only skilled architects and engineers, but also a workforce of retrofitters.

5. Wind Turbine Fabricator

Wind is the leading and fastest-growing source of alternative energy with over 300,000 jobs worldwide. Turbines are 90% metal by weight, creating an opportunity for autoworkers and other manufacturers to repurpose their skills.

6. Conservation Biologist

The urgent quest to preserve the integrity of ecosystems around the world — and to quantify the value of — ecosystems services — leads to opportunities in teaching, research and fieldwork for government, nonprofits, and private companies.

7. Green MBA and Entrepreneur

A recent report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayors Climate Protection Center found that business services like legal, research and consulting account for the majority of all green jobs — over 400,000. This includes everything from marketing to the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) segment, to serving as a VP of sustainability within a large company.

8. Recycler

Although the market for paper and plastic has slowed down recently due to the economic downturn, demand for steel is still strong — 42 percent of output came from scrap in 2006 — and recycling remains the economical alternative to high disposal fees. There’s a need for specialized companies that can close the loop by recycling and repurposing e-waste, clothing, plastic bags, construction waste, and other materials.

9. Sustainability Systems Developer

The green economy needs a cadre of specialized software developers and engineers who design, build, and maintain the networks of sensors and stochastic modeling that underpin wind farms, smart energy grids, congestion pricing and other systems substituting intelligence for natural resources.

10. Urban Planner

Urban and regional planning is a linchpin of the quest to lower America’s carbon footprint. Strengthening mass transit systems, limiting sprawl, encouraging use of bicycles and de-emphasizing cars is only part of the job. Equally important is contingency planning, as floods, heat waves and garbage creep and become increasingly common problems for metropolises.

More healthy and green articles from Care2:

• Styrofoam Ban
• Toyota and Tesla Join Forces to Build Electric Cars
• Green Jobs Offer Youth A Way Out Of Poverty

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Clean Power Finance (CPF), a provider of services and financing for the solar market with funding from Kleiner Perkins and Google, appointed Nicholas Mack as Senior VP General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Mack joins Clean Power Finance from Sungevity, a residential solar finance provider. He was still listed on the Sungevity website as of Friday. Robert “Nat” Kreamer, co-founder of SunRun, is now the CEO of CPF, while former CPF CEO Joseph Brakohiapa is now Chief Commercial Officer. Former Chairman and founder of the firm Gary Kremen is now listed as an advisor.

Robert Koch, former venture investor at NGEN, has joined the board of PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), a solar panel test lab. He joins Dan Shugar of Solaria on the board.

IControl Networks, a home energy monitoring firm, placed Robert Hagerty as the firm's new CEO, replacing co-CEOs Jim Johnson and Paul Dawes, both of whom will remain with iControl as "Executive Officers." Hagerty was formerly the CEO at Polycom. Investors in iControl include Charles River Ventures, Cisco, Comcast Ventures, Intel Capital, the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers iFund, Rogers Communications, and Tyco International. It's a pretty big hire for iControl, which has raised more than $ 100 million in VC.

Ener1's CEO, Charles Gassenheimer, has been replaced by Christopher Cowger, the firm's President. Gassenheimer is also no longer on the board of directors of this troubled battery firm.

EnOcean, an energy harvesting wireless sensor firm in the building and industrial automation market, named Laurent Giai-Miniet, a 20-year Texas Instruments veteran, as its new CEO.
 
Hyperion Power named David Carlson as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nuclear Officer. Hyperion, one of the few VC-funded nuclear startups, is looking to develop a small 25-megawatt nuclear reactor for isolated communities and remote industrial operations.
          
Ashutosh Misra, Senior VP at troubled CIGS solar firm Ascent Solar (Nasdaq : ASTI), has left the firm, which has made major strategic changes amid new financing.

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By Rebecca Lange, Planet Green

Many of us love to travel but don’t love the negative impact our traveling has on the environment. All the cars, trains and planes we use require energy and are ever-increasing our carbon footprint. And while going on vacation may still require hopping on a plane or getting in the car, there are plenty of destinations to visit that can contribute to saving the environment.

We’ve picked out the top choices for eco-tourism destinations throughout the world. Not only are these spots home to some of the rarest species of plants and animals, but a visit to them could help preserve their beauty for years to come.

1. Botswana

Best known for its savannas teeming with wildlife, Botswana is a top destination for nature lovers looking to go on safari. From the lush vegetation in the Okavango Delta up north to the deserts down south, the country has a variety of habitats and wildlife ready to explore. With a growing number of eco-tourism groups, there is ample opportunity to explore the many national parks and nature reserves by boat, four-wheeling or backpacking.