Welcome to the Green Chip Review Weekend Edition — our insights from the week in everything alternative and cleantech, as well as links to our most-read Green Chip Review and sister publication articles.  

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Last week, we covered the emergence of China as a cleantech stalwart during a time in which the U.S. has shown scant progress.

The theme isn't much different this week, though there is more positive news to report on a global basis...

For starters, maturation of the cleantech market was evident this week by the number of mergers and acquisitions taking place, and the number of new initiatives announced by blue chip companies.

SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWRA) announced they're buying European solar integrator SunRay in a $277 million deal.

The world's largest nuclear plant builder, Areva, is buying the much-hyped solar startup Ausra for an undisclosed amount. But you can bet it was a hefty sum, as venture capitalists alone had more than $130 million tied up in the company.

And there were other announcements showing cleantech's maturation...

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is building a green distribution center in Vancouver. The refrigerated warehouse will be 60% more efficient than current centers, thanks largely to improved forklifts, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and solar panels.

United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) said they're on the verge of making "bigger bets" in the space, including a possible takeover of turbine maker Clipper Windpower (LSE: CWP).

And while litigation is rarely a good thing, GE's decision to sue Mitsubishi over wind turbine patent infringement shows just how big the financial implications of cleantech have become.

But despite the positive announcements, all cleantech roads are still leading to China.

Solar companies based there came out swinging as earnings season got underway. JA Solar (NASDAQ: JASO) and Renesola (NYSE: SOL) each beat estimates, sending shares higher.

Europe is scaling back its feed-in tariffs (FITs) — which is also a sign of market maturation — and solar integrators are rushing to buy discounted Chinese modules before the subsidy cuts take place later this year.

The rest of the group will be reporting over the next few weeks, and good results are expected across the board.

And Datang Corp., China's second-largest power producer, said this week that it plans to float shares of its renewable energy unit in a $1 billion Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO).

If that weren't enough, we learned this week that China has finished design work on three Westinghouse nuclear plants. Construction will begin this year on all three plants.

Westinghouse, a unit of Japan's Toshiba, already has four reactors under construction in the Middle Kingdom. Areva (the company that bought Ausra) is building two.

Nuclear growth in China — and elsewhere — is the reason Green Chip began covering the space this year.

We'll continue covering that story — and all other green business trends — as it develops.

You can catch up on the rest of this week's Green Chip coverage below...

Call it like you see it,

Nick

The Rooftop Solar Market: Local Solutions Crack the Solar Financing Nut
Green Chip Review Editor Chris Nelder sees the pieces falling into place that will set the stage for an explosion of distributed rooftop solar in the United States.

Thank You, Mr. President: How Obama has Made Green Investors Rich
Green Chip reports: How what started as a campaign promise to be ‘greener' has become the surefire investment of our lifetime... and how those who invest appropriately are going to make an absolute fortune over the next four years.

Geothermal Energy in Iceland: Could Magma Heat Power Your Car?
Green Chip Editor Sam Hopkins breaks down key lessons from his meeting with the head of Iceland's National Energy Authority.

Chinese Cleantech Companies — Made in the USA (by China): Where China's Spending $12Mil/Hour
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses China's clean energy spending, how they're outpacing the U.S., and why they'll soon emerge as a cleantech powerhouse.

Investing in Green Chip Stocks: 5 Green Chip Stocks to Buy While They're Cheap
Editor Jeff Siegel reviews 5 Green Chip Stocks to buy while they're still cheap.

The Monster Metal: The Most Profitable Nuclear Advancement in 50 Years
Short of nuclear fusion (which is still decades away), this discovery could prove to be the greatest advancement to the world's energy crisis in 50 years! Green Chip reveals the company with the worldwide monopoly on this monster metal - and why you should buy this stock while it's still selling for less than 20 cents.

Maryland Offshore Wind Power: New Study Says 12,000 Turbines Could Go Offshore
Energy and Capital Editor Sam Hopkins reports on the latest news over Maryland's clean energy capacity. According to his research, 20% of the state's electricity will come from renewable sources within the next decade. Sam targets one opportunity that Marylanders are focusing on right now.