In a word, the draft energy bill unveiled yesterday by House Democrats, is “terrific.” That’s according to Erik Straser, who leads cleantech investment for Mohr Davidow Ventures. “Who knows if this will resemble what actually gets passed,” he said, “but we actually have a roadmap… Read More »
Cleantech
While there is funding available for U.S. cellulosic ethanol companies in the form of grants or loan guarantees from the departments of both Energy and Agriculture, these days, it doesn’t come close to matching demand. And without help from the federal government, some projects may never… Read More »
The economic stimulus package opens up a world of opportunities to clean technology startups. With billions of dollars in grants, direct loans, loan guarantees and a host of incentives for smart grid and efficiency technology, renewable energy, and electric-car battery research, development and manufacturing, it… Read More »
With many of the next-generation ethanol makers being forced to drag their heels on plant construction during the downturn, it’s becoming rare to hear about progress on cellulosic ethanol plants. But here’s a small step for a small demo plant: Next-gen ethanol maker ZeaChem… Read More »
The Indium Problem: Doping silicon photovoltaic cells with indium can push efficiency up to around 40 percent — but the metal is rare enough that the world’s reserves would be exhausted within a decade if we continue using it at current rates. — Fast Company How… Read More »
In an inauspicious building on a strip of offices in Menlo Park, Calif., I recently met with the team behind ZeaChem, a 25-person startup that’s using a common microbe found in termite guts and regular soil to breakdown trees and plants into the next-generation of… Read More »
Helping to produce more coal to run turbines and power plants sure doesn’t sound like a clean aim, but a startup called Laurus Energy says its coal gasification technology can produce a gas that releases less carbon when burned than natural gas and costs between… Read More »
The shift to more electric vehicles on the roads means we’ll need more lithium to make batteries. And companies with innovative ways to mine the metal could end up being hot commodities themselves. Monday morning, lithium extraction startup Simbol Mining is announcing that it’s… Read More »
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s green energy platform has gained him fans among that industry’s most powerful players — its investors (see chart below). According to the presidential campaign donation database of the Center for Responsive Politics, the investors backing cleantech companies are backing Obama… Read More »
