Is Areva Really Involved in Solar? We Can Live With the Truth Either Way.

I’m at a loss to understand something, and I’m wondering if I could appeal to readers to help explain it.

Last year, Areva, the French energy giant, best known (at least in the US) as a nuclear energy company, bought Ausra, the up-and-coming US-based solar thermal company.  More than a year later, we Americans hear almost nothing about Areva’s work in solar.  In fact, the Wall Street Journal’s article this morning detailing the ouster of Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon didn’t mention the word “solar” once.

One might suspect the worst: they bought the company only to nullify the threat it represented.

Yet if you Google “Areva” you find dozens of mentions of their accomplishments in solar all over the world.  It’s almost as if some sort of disinformation campaign was being waged.  Any insights?