Energy Roundup: Warren Buffett Goes Nuclear, DoE Awards $17.6 Million to Solar Startups, and More

Warren Buffet may go nuclear on EDF-Constellation deal – Billionaire icon Warren Buffett is dealing with shareholder protests over the planned merger between the French electricity firm EDF and Constellation Energy, the U.S. nuclear energy company he recently agreed to buy for $.7 billion. [Source: The U.K. Guardian]

DoE to award up to $17.6 million for to solar startups — The U.S. Department of Energy will award up to $17.6 million to six startups that are developing technologies to increase the efficiency of photovoltaics. The firms are: Innovalight, Sunnyvale, Calif.; Skyline Solar, Mountain View, Calif.; Solexel, Milpitas, Calif.; Solasta, Newton, Mass; 1366 Technologies, Lexington, Mass., and Spire Semiconductor of Hudson New Hampshire. The companies will receive about $3 million each [Source: StrategyEye Cleantech]

Zambia alters law to help attract foreign oil developers — The African nation of Zambia is revising its petroleum laws to help the troubled nation to attract international oil exploration companies. [Source: Rigzone]

Ausra closes $60.6 million funding round — Ausra, a solar thermal startup planning to build a solar thermal plant near Bakersfield has raised $60.6 million in its third funding round led by Canadian investor KERN Partners. Investors included Generation Investment Management, Starfish Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. [Source: StrategyEye Cleantech]