Energy

The MetroWest solar industry has a new competitor in Vivint Solar, a Utah-based company that already has the lion's share of the residential solar market in Massachusetts. A subsidiary of Vivint Inc., Vivint Solar opened its new office at 53 Brigham St. in Marlborough earlier this month.

Devens-based wind energy equipment manufacturer AMSC laid off an unspecified number of employees at its headquarters today as part of a restructuring that will include the closing of a plant in Wisconsin and the opening of a new one in Romania.

After years of preparation and delays, National Grid's smart grid pilot program took a big step forward in February when the utility completed the installation of 14,800 smart meters in homes and businesses in Worcester.

Worcester-based energy procurement firm World Energy Solutions said it has appointed two new, independent members to its board of directors, increasing the size of the board from five to seven members, under an agreement with its investor, asset management firm Ardsley Advisory Partners.

Profits for Framingham-based energy efficiency and renewable energy company Ameresco were down in the fourth quarter and for 2013 overall, according to an earnings statement released Thursday.

Massachusetts could provide a route for more natural gas to flow into other New England states, just as the Bay State seeks electrical lines running through northern states to import wind or hydroelectric power from Canada.

Massachusetts had the fourth-highest number of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in 2013, contributing to a record year for the solar energy industry, with installations nationwide increasing 41 percent compared to 2012.

As snow's piled up around North Central Massachusetts, some residents have found a good reason to be pleased with winter conditions: power outages have been only a minor inconvenience. That's something many local businesses and residents have not taken for granted since the ice storm that hit the region in December 2008.

After agreeing to a plan allowing a new local option water surcharge, the Senate unanimously passed legislation Thursday aimed at addressing some of the unmet funding needs for water infrastructure projects in Massachusetts.

(From Feb. 17 print edition) An influx of new technology has left companies scrambling to determine how best to dispose of outdated machines and the information contained within them.