The CleanTech Week in Review: A short-lived moratorium on solar power development is lifted; Tesla announces a new sedan; and green investment hot.

US Solar Moratorium Canceled: Last week, we reported on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s bizarre decision to suspend solar power development on public land in six western states. Despite earlier BLM studies endorsing solar development, the Bureau inexplicably decided to take two years to study its environmental impact. While the move was predictably supported by some solar companies which already have permits in hand, the BLM was immediately blasted by environmentalists and renewable energy advocates for essentially stopping industrial scale solar energy dead in its tracks. Well — never mind. The Bureau of Land Management reversed its decision Tuesday, and will continue processing new permit applications. The BLM will now take up environmental issues side-by-side with ongoing development. (DeSmogBlog) –Thursday, 3 July

Tesla to build new electric sedan in Bay Area: It’s not exactly a popularly priced electric car for the masses, but Tesla Motors is poised to make good on delivering a passenger vehicle follow-up to its well-received roadster. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined company officials Monday to announce that Tesla had nixed their plans for a New Mexico production facility, and would instead build a new 4-door, 5-passenger sedan called the Model S in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lawmakers crafted a package financing $100 million worth of manufacturing equipment, plus sales tax exemptions and grants for training new Tesla employees. The Model S is expected to enter production by late 2010. (SF Gate) – Tuesday, 1 July

New efficiency benchmark for dye-sensitized solar cells: A Chinese research group says they have achieved a new efficiency record for a type of solar cell which uses no silicon. In a paper published Sunday by Nature Materials, the group claims a light conversion efficiency rate 8.2% using dye-sensitized solar cells. A new process utilizes a triple salt electrolyte mixture, rather than volatile organic solvents. While still well below the conversion abilities of conventional silicon technology, the dye sensitized cells hold out the promise of dramatically reduced production costs for the next generation of solar power. (EurekAlert) – Monday, 30 June

Greentech Investments Jump 60%, U.N. Reports: Despite foundering stock markets, CleanTech investment continues to expand vigorously. That’s according to a new United Nations report, which estimates the green technology sector ballooned by 60 percent last year. Investors pumped $148 billion into renewable energy projects in 2007. Wind power was the biggest winner, tagging some $50 billion in fresh investment. But the solar sector experienced the greatest growth, increasing 90 percent to $28 billion. The report was compiled by the United Nations Environment Program. (Greentech Media) – Wednesday, 2 July

The Chevrolet Beat, America’s New Mini-Car?: While all eyes have been on the development of the Chevy Volt electric hybrid, Chevy’s parent company, General Motors, has been quietly considering a move which may prove to be more radical. The automotive press reports that GM is considering a North American version of its efficient Beat minicar. The Beat’s 40 mpg performance has made it a big hit in Latin America and Asia. And that’s an Old School 40 mpg: the Beat is a gas-burner, not a hybrid. No word yet on a production start date. (Gas 2.0) – Saturday, 5 July