tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143144602010-04-12T17:11:40.617-07:00Energy IndependenceThe 21st Century Energy InitiativeMark Paulnoreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-5357455696947703562010-04-12T17:10:00.000-07:002010-04-12T17:11:40.626-07:00Energy efficiency is key!A very important way to reduce reliance on imported oil: Read the article.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-30281012822413934442010-04-03T10:07:00.000-07:002010-04-03T10:08:44.409-07:00Clean Energy Trends: 2010Clean Edge issues its annual Clean Energy Trends report to track key developments in clean-energy markets. Past reports have been downloaded by tens of thousands of individuals in government, finance, industry, and the media. Clean Energy Trends 2010 is made possible by the support of its sponsors, including premier sponsors Cascadia Capital, Deloitte, and Hobbs & Towne. Major sponsors Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-90762838841879587182009-12-23T17:34:00.001-08:002009-12-23T17:38:48.309-08:00Solar grows over 70% per year (CAGR)According to GTM Research (performed for the report: "Emerging Trends in the U.S. Solar Market), solar has had a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 71%:Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-14184889175680160522009-11-30T18:22:00.000-08:002009-11-30T18:23:48.147-08:00Saft confirms location for lithium-ion battery factoryFollowing receipt of a $95 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and successful negotiations between Saft, the state of Florida, and the city of Jacksonville, construction will soon begin in Jacksonville for the lithium-ion (Li-ion) factory of the future. More, here.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-49096040343139390972009-11-05T22:28:00.000-08:002009-11-05T22:29:47.645-08:00Webinar: Solar updateThe solar market in the United States is poised for explosive growth over the coming years. As the market expands, it will be increasingly impacted by technologies and policies that today lie on the periphery. This webinar will look toward the future of solar in the U.S. by showcasing innovative developments that have the potential to disrupt the market.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-53227484920095140112009-11-05T22:26:00.000-08:002009-11-05T22:27:03.390-08:00California Signs Solar-Power Feed-In Tariff Bill Into Law California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Sunday that will create a European-style above-market tariff, called a feed-in tariff, for small solar-panel generators.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-7794453911232400222009-11-01T11:21:00.000-08:002009-11-01T11:22:43.280-08:00Politics trumps science. Again.Regarding tax policies: "It's not based as much on technical merit. It's based on politics."Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-5649800790128826902009-10-24T17:20:00.001-07:002009-11-01T11:20:37.083-08:00Oreogn and Electric VehiclesElectric vehicle advocates have been laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a breakthrough year for bringing the environmentally friendly vehicles to Oregon.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-45724795852622255112009-10-17T13:26:00.000-07:002009-10-17T13:41:30.959-07:00CleanEdge Publishes two new reportsCleanEdge publishes reports on Cleantech financing and job trends:=> Five Emerging U.S. Public Finance Models: Powering Clean-Tech Economic Growth and Job Creation=> Clean Tech Job Trends 2009Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-76883597905449365602009-10-14T08:31:00.000-07:002009-10-14T08:35:23.879-07:00Bad news... or good news?Until / unless there is a public market for renewable energy, private money will be difficult to find. That said, according to recent reports (see image, below) for the first time, venture capitalists are putting more money into renewable energy, than bio-tech or info-tech.(Click on image to see larger version.)Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-90922996130988478882009-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:002009-08-09T09:41:52.263-07:00Cash for Clunkers or Sustainable Capitalism? The choice is ours.It is fascinating to watch the fiasco that is Washington, D.C. It is an indication of the decline of Western Civilization. To wit:[1] Not enough cars are being purchased due to the down economy.[2] The U.S. Government (with its resources*) bails out (buys) GM & Chrysler.[3] The U.S. Government pours billions into a program** to encourage people to buy cars[4] The program is so successful (Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-71054624085138801302009-08-02T20:29:00.000-07:002009-08-02T20:30:29.046-07:00Cleantech investment...Cleantech industries are poised to benefit as an infrastructure play and job-growth driver in President Barack Obama’s push for a new energy economy, boosting opportunities for cleantech investors, producers and adopters.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-58215905611068831462009-07-07T05:52:00.001-07:002009-07-07T05:52:51.840-07:00110 years' worth of natural gas - at present use levelsAccording to the Potential Gas Committee, a team of experts that analyzes natural gas supply every two years, the U.S. has 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. That amount represents over 110 years of supply at current levels of consumption and is the largest estimated amount in the 44-year history of the report.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-89258054583418972332009-05-23T09:53:00.000-07:002009-05-23T10:00:37.476-07:00Alternative energy alone won't meet US needsInteresting perspective: "Red, white & blue jobs" vs. "Green jobs". How about a discussion on how to solve our energy problems from a bi-partisan perspective?Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-17822324176211527802009-05-06T11:34:00.000-07:002009-05-06T11:35:37.575-07:00Smart Grid Roadmap DevelopmentJoin Portland State University and other community leaders at an interactive conference focused on building a sustainable Smart Grid Community Roadmap.Portland State will facilitate discussion around the recent outcomes and findings from their class, “Designing the Smart Grid for Sustainable Communities”. Participants will collaborate to create essential Roadmap elements and outcomes for a Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-14446689147089463112009-05-04T15:00:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:03:36.142-07:00Seminar on Smart Grid Systems: in PortlandThe smart grid has become a rapidly growing movement to design and implement the concept of an intelligent energy system that is more efficient, robust, flexible and sustainable. Join a distinguished panel to gain a basic understanding of how the systems we use for electric energy generation, distribution and consumption are evolving to better meet the needs of society and entrepreneurial Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-45849538389987401002009-05-03T10:20:00.000-07:002009-05-03T10:32:21.149-07:00Regular power outages likely in just a few yearsOnce our economy rebounds, the U.S. electricity market is very likely to see disruptions (increasing power outages). The underlying cause is due to population growth and lack of investments to overcome this challenge. Adding electric vehicles and reducing the ability of power producers to develop cost-effective production capacity (due to cap & trade / RPS requirements) will dramatically Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-19658510198896088772009-04-26T20:24:00.001-07:002009-04-26T20:27:09.478-07:00Vehicles that reduce the need for foreign oilThe "Top 10" low-carbon footprint cars can be found, here.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-25911855868593050732009-04-23T14:52:00.001-07:002009-04-23T14:59:17.336-07:00Clean-tech investing decreases faster than the DowAccording to an Economist article, investments in clean-technology has dropped off faster than the decline in oil prices. This correlates well with my personal experience in working to raise funds for a clean-technology accelerator (NXergy). Looks like everything's going to be pushed out a year or two... depending on when oil prices creep back up around $4 to $5 (or more) a gallon.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-22073062632509892962009-04-11T12:14:00.000-07:002009-04-11T12:25:48.445-07:00Five Major areas to watchThe following five areas will make a significant difference in our ability to become energy-independent: An intense focus on producing (and storing) low/no carbon electricity, using it more efficiently and distributing it more wisely is needed - especially when electric vehicles will likely be the way the United States gets off of foreign oil.NXergy is focusing on these areas. Links to importantMark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-33360087179227547222009-04-11T11:54:00.000-07:002009-04-11T11:56:41.879-07:00Smart Grid meets Social NetworkingInteresting concept: Whirlpool engineers state that smart appliances could easily be set up to make decisions based on information from the grid without giving control of that device to the utility and without sending information about what decisions were made back upstream. Several companies are exploring how to make energy-efficiency solutions a reality.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-59260505949719759112009-04-11T11:44:00.000-07:002009-04-11T11:52:48.489-07:00Contrarian view about climate actions and jobs"Saving the planet and creating jobs may be incompatible."A recent paper from the Peterson Institute of International Economics and the World Resources Institute notes that investment in green-tech may just redirect capital from one use to another, indicating that the number of jobs created might not be so great as being touted.This needs to be addressed analytically, to determine the true value Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-63220617891650032742009-04-11T11:41:00.001-07:002009-04-11T11:43:55.033-07:00Reduction in renewable investments in the UKInvestments fell from £377 million to £79 million in British renewable energy, including wind, solar and wave power (first three months of last year compared with this year). Story, here.Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-25872368479151221312009-04-10T21:11:00.000-07:002009-04-10T21:12:34.589-07:00Nissan Electric Vehicle to hit marketMark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14314460.post-33382856738522481042009-04-07T14:54:00.000-07:002009-04-07T14:56:59.438-07:00Green-energy investments decline significantly in 2009Information from New Energy Finance indicates that investments into clean energy declined 53% from Q1 2008 to Q1 2009. Read the press release. (Thanks to Michael Rex for this one!)Mark Paulnoreply@blogger.com0