Cleantech Update

This interesting piece was posted in the Linkedin Cleantech group  pormoting research white paper.com. Promoting commerce is a great thing if its good stuff.  Its an exec summay of  global meta analysis whitepaper on what kind of cleantech each country will be meeting in the future. Thanks, Karen Zang -Editor CleanTech &  Environmental: Emerging Markets Part 1 Our research has highlighted a number of emerging opportunities and markets for different environmental applications; with new opportunities in emerging markets, let us look at China and Gulf States in Part 1. Visit http://researchwhitepaper.com for Global CleanTech & Environmental Capital Providers Guide We had interviewed a number of CleanTech /Environmental professionals in emerging markets last month as well as meeting with the Government policymakers to find out what their “priorities” are in terms of cleantech / environmental tasks. China (National and Health Issues) • H...

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved two solar energy contracts for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG & E). Both plants are being developed by BrightSource Energy Inc. The first project, Ivanpah 1, features a 25-year contract length and is expected to be in service in July 2012. Planned for Ivanpah, Calif., the solar thermal plant will have a 110 MW generating capacity and produce 284 GWh per year. Ivanpah 3, which will also be located in Ivanpah, Calif., will have a capacity of 200 MW and generate 516 GWh per year. PG & E has signed a 25-year contract for the energy generated by this project, which has an expected operation date of July 2013. Through its agreements with BrightSource, PG& E will receive deliveries up to 800 GWh of energy per year from two new solar thermal facilities, with deliveries beginning in 2012. PG& E also negotiated a royalty agreement with BrightSource for payments based on sales and licensing fees of its technolo...

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) filed an objection with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to a proposal by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator that would dramatically increase the cost of wind farms grid connections, according to a report by James Murray in Business Green Under the new proposal, energy generators (including wind farms) in 13 midwest states would be required to pay 90% of the cost of any new transmission lines. Previously, the cost was split 50-50 between energy generators and transmission line owners. “At a time when the wind industry is one of the few bright spots of the US economy, having created 35,000 new jobs last year, this policy is saying the Midwest is becoming less friendly for the wind business, and that will clearly have an impact on not only wind development but manufacturing and supply chanin jobs throughout the region, ” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode, quoted in Business Green. The Rest @  Business Green

AltaRock Energy , which received $6.25 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for the first demonstration project of enhanced geothermal energy, is facing major delays according to an article by James Glanz of the New York Times. Unidentified scientists told the New York Times that after two months of drilling the company has only reached a depth of 4000 feet. AltaRock started drilling at 3200 feet, the bottom of one of the older holes at The Geysers in Northern California. According to the New York Times, the drill bit snapped off at least once and the company has had to start drilling the hole again. AltaRock originally expected to reach a final depth of 12,000 feet after 50 days of drilling. Enhanced geothermal energy appears to hold great promise for replacing electric power plants run on fossil fuels. It is, however, not without problems. The initial investment needed to develop enhanced geothermal is steep. In addition, technological advances are needed for development...

Augsut 5th The Energy Information Agency (EIA), has issued a draft analysis which makes the case for chartering a Green Bank/Clean Energy Deployment Administration. A Green Bank would, according to John Podesta of the Center for American Progress, “enable clean-energy technologies—in such areas as wind, solar, geothermal, advanced biomass, and energy efficiency—to be deployed on a large scale and become commercially viable at current electricity costs.” The establishment of a Green Bank and the Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA) has already been included in the House energy bill and the Senate Energy Committee bill. Reed Hundt, co-chair of the Coalition for the Green Bank said, “CEDA’s low-cost financing can protect consumers state by state from any electricity price increases as well as create millions of new jobs converting our nation from carbon to clean as the basis of our economy.” Podesta pointed out that “China is investing $220 billion of its economic stim...

"Silicon Valley Six" companies are ripe for M&A or IPO * Top four are Solyndra, LinkedIn, Silver Spring, Zynga * Companies have $100 million revenue, proven record By David Lawsky SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Investors, encouraged by a growing number of acquisitions and public floats in the past few months, are keeping a close eye on a coterie of promising startups in Silicon Valley. An informal poll of venture capitalists and others pointed to six privately held companies as the ripest for acquisition or readiness to go public, out of 34 cited in industries ranging from alternative energy to social networking. For now, the Silicon Valley Six say they intend to keep growing rather than agreeing to be acquired or go public during the recession. The top four are business social network LinkedIn, solar panel maker Solyndra, smart grid company Silver Spring, Zynga, a casual games company whose products run on social networks like Facebook. Two others ...