"There will be no cuts in the EEG for existing installations," were the words of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) as she started to lead the discussion over electricity prices.

China, forecast to become the largest solar-power market this year, may abolish subsidy programs for some of its largest projects and target the money instead to smaller ones, an industry official said.

Romania will "certainly" reduce incentives for solar power generation from 2014 to avoid overcompensation, according to Zoltan Nagy-Bege, a board member at the country's energy regulator, also known as ANRE.

Contract chipmaker Globalfoundries chief executive Ajit Manocha said European governments should do more to encourage chip manufacturers to set-up shop in the region, rather than going to Asia where they receive large subsidies.

A tiny solar company named SoloPower will flip the switch on production at a US.= factory Thursday, a major step toward allowing it to tap a US$197 million government loan guarantee awarded under the same controversial program that supported failed panel maker Solyndra.

The US central bank has moved to kick-start economic recovery by restarting its policy of pumping money into the economy via quantitative easing.

The German Federal Council has determined that that the bill earlier adopted by the German Parliament for the reduction of solar subsidies will be going a the mediation committee, which will allow for the federal and state governments to negotiate finding a comprise.

Italy is to cut the tariff it pays to solar energy installations by 35% on average, according to decrees approved by the industry and environment ministries.

Italy will scale back financial incentives for solar and other renewable energy that have inflated consumer power bills more than expected, and also will raise national renewable energy targets for 2020, two ministers said on Wednesday.

SMA Solar, Germany's top solar company, forecast sales and operating margins will fall significantly in 2012, blaming the German government's March 9 decision to slash state-mandated incentives for photovoltaic electricity.

Germany, the world's biggest solar- power market, may delay a plan to cut subsidies in the industry by at least three weeks to allow developers to complete projects, a lawmaker said.

Germany, the world's biggest market for solar power, plans record reductions in subsidies for the industry as part of a program to rein in a boom in installations.

In September alone, some 16,000 households had solar panels installed - twice as many as in June - as everyone from farmers to vicars to Mick Jagger (plus thousands of other canny home owners with 瞿12,000 to spare) scrambled to take advantage of generous government subsidies.

Fears Germany will cap or cut green energy subsidies is boosting demand for solar panels, and uncertainty about the shape of the measures could give the country's battered solar sector an advantage against Chinese rivals.

Following the amendment to the Quarto Conto Energia, GIFI, the Italian PV Industry Association, has said manufacturers are rising up to urge the government to repeal its decision on cutting FiTs for solar plants on agricultural land. Panic has spread through the PV manufacturing industry, where already financed projects will now not provide as much of a return as under the original legislation.

US Congressman Bill Owens will arrive in Taipei Wednesday to visit Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to discuss a possible investment plan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Alterations to Germany's green policy are causing outrage. The country's environment minister, Norbert R繹ttgen, has rejected the economy minister's calls to cut renewable energy subsidies further.

Germany's Economy Ministry released a paper on Thursday with a proposal to reduce the growth of new photovoltaic installations to 1,000 megawatts (MW) a year, a move that would dethrone the country as the world's largest market for solar panels.

Germany's Environment Ministry on Friday dismissed a proposal from the Economy Ministry to reduce the growth of new photovoltaic installations to 1,000 megawatt (MW) a year, saying a 15-percent cut for 2012 was enough for now.

Under fire from angry Republicans, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu denied Thursday that now bankrupt solar panel firm Solyndra leveraged political ties to President Barack Obama for a government loan.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) revealed its latest funding under the SunShot Initiative with a US$7 million effort for the reduction of non-hardware costs of residential and commercial PV installations.

China has unveiled its three-step plan for phasing out energy-inefficient incandescent lamps. The announcement caused shares in US-based LED maker Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) to surge by almost 10% on November 4.

India's solar power costs could fall by more than 40 percent by 2015, allowing the industry to compete against domestic oil and gas firms without the help of state subsidies, the head of Lanco Solar told Reuters on Wednesday.

The strong yen has had an impact on several Japanese companies including Toshiba, Honda Motor and Panasonic, which have reported lower second-quarter profits.

The UK government has launched a consultation paper, which is proposing further, significant photovoltaic feed-in tariff (FIT) cuts for systems registered on or after December 12, 2011.