Ted Turner says he will launch a new business venture to provide clean power solutions. Turner plans to partner with Dome-Tech Solar, a leading solar energy developer, based in Branchburg, New Jersey to create DT Solar, a Turner renewable energy company.

DT Solar will initially focus on providing on-site solar electric power systems for commercial and industrial clients, as well as developing larger, utility-scale solar power plants in the southwestern United States.

"Our future depends on changing the way we use energy," said Turner. “We've got to move away from fossil fuels and develop long-term energy solutions that work. Using clean energy technologies, such as solar power, is the right thing to do, and it represents a tremendous business opportunity.”

The new Turner renewable energy company, DT Solar, will build off of the recent success of Dome-Tech Solar, a fast-growing top-tier provider of commercial and industrial solar power systems. The company plans for immediate expansion into several U.S. markets, including California, which has recently launched a $3 billion, ten-year program to increase the use of solar power in the state.

“We are delighted to partner with a business leader of Ted Turner’s caliber,’’ said Tom Kuster, DT Solar’s CEO. “Ted has a passion for protecting the environment, an incredible vision and a proven ability to build a successful business enterprise. We look forward to working with him to bring clean and renewable energy solutions to a broad spectrum of energy users in the U.S. as well as globally.”

Turner is chairman of the United Nations Foundation, the Turner Foundation, and co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (co-chaired with Senator Sam Nunn). He is also chairman of Turner Enterprises Inc., which oversees Turner’s two million acres of private landholdings in 14 western states, as well as his 40,000-head bison herd. In addition, Turner co-founded the restaurant chain Ted’s Montana Grill. Turner is most known as the visionary behind such cable networks as CNN, TBS, TNT and the Cartoon Network. Turner is the recipient of numerous civic and industry awards and honors, including being named Time Magazine's 1991 Man of the Year.

Dome-Tech Solar develops and builds large-scale solar energy systems for commercial, industrial and institutional clients. It was founded in 2003 and has rapidly grown into one of the nation’s largest developers of on-site solar power generation.

Delmarva Power and state officials are contemplating offshore wind power as a new electric provider in Delaware, the Delaware State News reported."

"We know that the onshore wind resource is really pretty poor, we know that the offshore wind resource is really much better", said Phil Cherry, energy program administrator for the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Delmarva's 59 percent rate increase last year spurred action by the state to prevent further increases.It's very appealing from an environmental point of view, Cherry said. The problem is could you afford to build it in Delaware, and if you could afford it, would the public be accepting of these things off the shore of Delaware?According to legislation Delmarva must get 400 megawatts from instate suppliers.

Three energy companies, NRG, Conectiv, and BluewaterWind, entered bids for a long-term contract with Delmarva Power.NRG, a New Jersey company, proposed building a coal gasification plant, Conectiv Energy in Delaware proposed a 300-watt power plant or a 180-watt plant in the state, and the New Jersey based BluewaterWind proposed installing offshore wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean off the Delaware coast or in the Delaware Bay.We'll hope that we are one of the bidders selected for more detailed analysis, said Jim Lanard, Bluewater spokesman.

More than $70bn of new money was invested globally in clean or renewable energy or clean technology last year, according to a specialist research firm.

This represents a 43 per cent increase on the year before, says Michael Liebreich of New Energy Finance, who estimates there are more than 1,246 private equity funds targeting environmental projects.