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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s a good discussion on some points near and dear to us here are 2GreenEnergy, especially the way in which the oil companies have systematically internalized their profits while externaling many of the most obvious and burdensome costs of their operations.   IMO, the most important concept in the whole conversation is the rhetorical position that environmentalism and capitalism as are odds with one another, i.e., that environmentalism comes at the expense of jobs and economic prosperity.  This, of course, is categorically false — yet it’s a theme that we hear constantly.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business
Jobs: in order to examine where we are and where we are going, we need to look at where we have been. To gain perspective on America’s green energy economy, the Pew Charitable Trusts researched the green industry between 1998 and 2007.  “The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America“ analyzes all aspects of the green economy and views the industry as a critical component of our future. (more…)
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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I thought I’d put up a post about my buddies at OnGreen.com, whose purpose is to build the green economy by helping with the creation of innovative businesses. In large measure, OnGreen parallels the work that we do here, assisting entrepreneurs in cleantech to succeed in bringing their ideas to market, and connecting with sources of capital.

I met one of the founders, the much-accomplished Nikhil Jain, at his office in West Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. I’m always impressed with folks who can reel off their mission statement with both complete precision and total effortlessness; it’s obvious how real and deeply abiding it must be in their lives.  And you can’t help liking his ultra-personable style, brimming with well-earned self-confidence.

When you visit OnGreen’s website, you’ll note that anyone can post whatever business plan he wants. I like this type of egalitarianism, though, obviously, it comes at a cost. I’ve certainly been approached with some business ideas that didn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. Having said that, the inquiries I made to some random selections on OnGreen left me far more impressed with what I found than I expected to be.   Again, I hope you’ll check them out.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Solar Thermal

If you check out this little press release on Skyfuel’s new 50-megawatt parabolic trough solar thermal plant 400 kilometers east of Beijing, you’ll see why I favor this technology (concentrating solar power/CSP) as the future of clean energy. The company owns a subsidiary that using a low-cost reflecting film instead of glass. Lower costs, greater “constructability.”

And this is just the start; we haven’t even begun to see the costs come down here.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

We at 2GreenEnergy are back in the groove regarding our monthly webinars. If you’re available Tuesday, March 22nd from 10 AM – 11 AM Pacific Time, I hope you’ll participate in our broadcast in which I’ll be interviewed on the theme: Success in Cleantech — Effective Business Strategies. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

After my recent visit to Kleiner Perkins to conduct an interview for my next book, I’ve decided to keep my finger more on the pulse of these brilliant people.  I note that the other day, KP partner Mary Meeker published an enormous (460 page) research report analyzing the financial situation of the USA as if it were a company.

“Weekend reading.  Depressing,”  wrote my friend who forwarded it to me.  That’s certainly an apt summary.  As the author concludes: “By the standards of any public corporation, USA Inc.’s financials are discouraging.”

I don’t compare my grasp on the situation to that of Meeker.  But I do point out that short-term spikes in federal spending as a function of GDP in times of financial upheaval (e.g., the 1930s) can be justified on the basis that without them, the economy simply has no chance whatsoever to recover.  One could argue that the financial meltdown of 2008 was, in fact, such an emergency.  It’s funny to me how seldom we ask what things would have been like in the absence of such stimulation.

However, the long-term entitlements represent a real problem, largely brought about by an aging population and skyrocketing healthcare costs.  We need a solution there, for sure.  But the current partisan bickering in Congress is equivalent to re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.  The actual “reform” is just as good for the pharmaceutical and insurance companies whose lobbyists made it happen as the one it replaced.

If you want my suggestion, check this out.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I may have mentioned that I’m working on another book. One of the problems I face is that, other than that it further investigates the path to renewables, I really don’t know what it’s about yet.  I’m gathering information, conducting interviews with super-smart and well-positioned people, and so I have reason to hope that an organizing theme will be coming along any time now — but right now it’s eluding me.

It’s certainly possible that the “tough realities” theme (that I invoked in my last book) has more legs.  Each of the major reasons to move off of fossil fuels comes with its own unique challenges.  Let’s take the subject of partiotism as an example.

In my mind, the most patriotic thing anyone can do is to get behind solutions that will lessen the US dependence on oil. Unless you favor war, crushing debt burden, increasing ownership of American assets by foreign entities, empowering terrorists, the erosion of the middle class, etc. you really have to think that electric vehicles, mass transit, and other technologies to reduce oil consumption are good news.  In fact, I would say they’re as patriotic as the 4th of July.

But here’s a piece of tough reality:  you won’t find Fox News and the other right-wing flag-wavers in the US saying anything resembling this. In fact, Fox’s coverage of this subject is essentially non-stop condemnation and ridicule. “What’s the Fisker (high-end plug-in hybrid electric passenger car) product called again?” Bill O’Reilly asks with a mocking sneer. “The Karma? Oooooh, the Karma! Now that’s a product we really need here,” he dismisses smugly. Plus, keep in mind that O’Reilly’s by far the most sophisticated one on the whole team — and the best he can do is a kind of sophomoric name-calling?  Isn’t that odd?  In any case, it’s part of the large ensemble of tough realities with which we live day to day.

Yes, I think I’ll explore this theme further. In fact, each of the reasons to migrate to renewables (environmentalism, healthcare, peak oil, national security, job creation, etc.) is chock full of these controversies. 

While I’m at work developing this more deeply, I hope you’ll let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As reported by The Vector on January 17th, the World Future Energy Summit recently drew together world policy makers, international business leaders, energy providers, and educators into a fast-paced conference in Abu Dhabi.

The Zayed Future Energy Prize for innovation and leadership in green technology awards — a $1.5M total prize — was awarded to wind turbine maker Vestas. Surprisingly, Vestas gave half of the earnings to three of the six finalists: India’s Barefoot College; the group Seventh Generation Advisors; and the thin-film solar manufacturer First Solar. Bravo to Vestas.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

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I was out visiting Bremach, a local electric truck manufacturer yesterday.  When we pulled back into the parking lot after a thrilling test drive, I told the company’s CEO, “Wow, this is terrific stuff.  It’s super-sturdy, offers great performance in a ruggedized package at a reasonable price.  But for once, what may be most  extra-ordinary about it is that it offer both sizzle and steak.  When you think about it, it’s the antimatter of the EV stereotype, i.e., the superized golf-cart that only a tree-hugger could love.  Check out this design!


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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

China has committed to long-term development of green energy, as is evidenced by all. As the world’s largest user of energy – and also it’s largest polluter – it needs energy to power its growth. China’s latest five-year strategy is quite ambitious – to impose heavy environmental taxes on heavy polluters.

Since Copenhagen, China has shown every indication that it intends to live up to its Copenhagen pledge, and has promised to include new policies to curb pollution as part of its overall energy plans. The government plans to close dirty sources of energy: 10,000 MW of small power plants, 25 million metric tons of iron-mill capacity, 6 million tons of steel capacity and 50 million tons of cement capacity, saving equivalent of 16 million tons of coal, said Xie Zhenhua in a press release in the 4th quarter of 2010. Xie is the vice chair of the National Development and Reform Commission.

China has already become a green energy leader, through hydropower, development and manufacture of solar and wind, and through its aggressive energy plan. It also wants to lead in a low-carbon economy and fight (more…)

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