Spotlight

CE Features
CE Picks
CE Top 10

In this section you will find monthly features; CE Top 10 lists of global and U.S. clean-tech developments and investments; and CE editorial picks of the best powerpoints, videos, books, blogs and other resources from across the web.

CE Features

Videos from the Clinton Global Initiative: Poverty Alleviation , Clean Energy, and Health

For those of us that were not as fortunate as Clean Edge contributing editor, Clint Wilder, to attend the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), the CGI website provides videos of all of the major speeches and roundtable discussions. In reviewing these sessions it is immediately apparent that poverty alleviation, clean energy, and health dominated the event. It should come as no surprise as the world�s greatest challenges also provide the world's greatest opportunities. Below is a selection of some of the most interesting:

- A Call to Action
- Energy and Climate Change: Local Leadership
- The Global Impact of Rural Innovation
- Energy and Climate Change - Renewables Revolution - Part 1 | Part 2
- Energy & Climate Change - Clean Transport - Part 1 | Part 2
- Climate Change and Poverty

Big Ambitious Plans Worthy of a Look

This month we thought it would be interesting to point out some of the most ambitious clean-energy initiatives in the works. These plans mostly fall into 2 buckets: the 'roadmap' category and the 'this is a challenge/opportunity, not a roadmap' category. If you're a policymaker, entrepreneur, investor, or other interested party looking for big ideas and inspiration, this is the place to start. Though costly at the onset, ideas of this scale would generate long-term economic growth for U.S. companies while hopefully reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to the levels required to stave off the worst effects of global warming.

- Al Gore's Challenge to Reach 100% US Clean Energy by 2010
- The Pickens Plan - 20% of Total US Electricity from Wind by 2030
- Utility Solar Assessment: 10% of Total US Electricity from Solar by 2025
- Masdar Initiative
- A Solar Grand Plan: 69% of Total US Electricity, 35% of its Total Energy by 2050

Senate Voting Records on Extension of the PTC/ITC

Last week was the most recent of 8 failed attempts by Congress to extend the federal investment and production tax credits since June 2007. The Solar Energy Industry Association has published a list of how all Senators voted on those bills. In a very disturbing trend, John McCain did not cast a 'yea or nay' vote in a single one of those attempts. In the painfully close 59-40 defeat of the motion to include the incentives in the December 2007 energy bill, McCain was the only one in the entire Senate who registered 'not voting' into the historical record.

Barack Obama, despite voting 'yea' in that narrow defeat of the energy bill and in the first three attempts at extending the PTC and ITC, has not voted in the last five attempts. Together, Obama and McCain account for 40 percent of the 32 'not voting' tallies in those 8 attempts since last summer. The only other Senators to record more than one 'not voting' were Senators Ted Kennedy (4 - likely due to recent bout with cancer) and Hillary Clinton (3).

Only by candidates casting their votes on important issues do we get the opportunity to see through the campaign fog and hold them accountable. Congress is now taking a month long vacation while clean energy companies hustle to complete projects before the end of the year when the PTC and ITC expire. At the root of many of our country's economic and political ills, America needs a candidate that is going to take clean energy seriously - and consistently show us where they stand. In an election where we have heard so much about 'change' - 'not voting' sounds a lot like the status quo.

BLM CSP Gold Rush in Jeopardy?

In a potential setback to utility scale solar project developers, the US Bureau of Land Management has suspended any new applications for large-scale solar projects in the Southwest until the completion of an expected 2 year "Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement." During the work on the PEIS, according to a BLM press release, "the BLM will focus attention on the 125 applications already received for rights-of-way for solar energy development" on a 'case by case' basis.

The California Energy Commission website shows close to 6 GW capacity of solar projects have been proposed via press release, started the application process, or are under review by the CEC . While we do not know how many of these projects are on BLM land, the impact of the BLM decision could be considerable. Concentrating solar power (CSP) companies such as Solel, BrightSource Energy, and Ausra have all announced major plans in the Southwest.

The BLM has setup a website dedicated to the PEIS, and the last public meetings are scheduled for July 8, 9, and 10. There is also a web-based comment form.

Report: "Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost?"

The McKinsey and Company report "Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost?" really drives home the need for comprehensive national action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an end to fragmented policies. Looking at over 200 abatement strategies, the report paints the clearest and most compelling picture to date of how no one single policy alone can be deemed the solution to the climate crisis. The report demonstrates that we need a rapidly enacted slate of efficiency measures across buildings, electricity generation, transmission and distribution, and transportation; a regulatory environment with a price on carbon that creates enough incentives to actually change consumer behavior; and predictable, long-term incentives for investment in renewables. This 'silver buckshot' approach at the national is the only way to make a major impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and unlock the real long-term economic opportunities inherent in shifting to a clean-energy economy.

Download the report

The Vulcan Project (Click here for video)

The University of Purdue recently released maps showing carbon emissions across the United States. The maps are the result of three years of work and provide an unprecedented level of detail. The Vulcan project offers maps that show emissions data at the level of individual factories, powerplants, roadways and neighborhoods and is quantified at the level of fuel type, economic sub-sector, and county/state identification.

The project is complementary to NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory project which is collecting carbon data via satellites and is expected to provide a similar worldwide carbon map later this year, or early 2009.

Since you can't manage what you can't measure - the Vulcan Project is an excellent contribution to crafting effective carbon policy. The new maps will not only help in providing a baseline for emissions, but could provide a critical 'check' to data reported under any future regulatory system.

For more information visit the Vulcan website where you can actually download portions of the data that went into the map. Also be sure to check out the video.

2008 Presidential Candidates Environmental Scorecards

As we approach the end of the 2008 presidential primaries and caucuses, renewable energy and conservation are becoming major campaign issues. In recent months, the House has passed extensions for renewable energy tax credits twice, but the Senate has fallen just short of being able to send the bill to the President's desk. Bush has said he would likely veto either of those bills. But with the election this November the public is increasingly looking ahead to see what each party's nominee would do if elected into office. The League of Conservation Voters publishes a 'Scorecard' that clearly compares each candidates record on important environmental issues including carbon cap and trade, investment in renewable energy, and conservation. See their rankings and overviews for Senators Clinton, McCain, and Obama for more information.

Clean Energy Trends 2008 - Free Report

Amid a challenging economic outlook - plummeting housing prices, rising foreclosure rates, record-high oil prices, sinking consumer confidence, looming recession - 2007 was another banner year for clean energy, with no signs of a slowdown in 2008. Solar, wind, biofuels, geothermal, energy intelligence, hybrid- and all-electric vehicles, advanced batteries, green buildings, and other clean-energy-related technologies and markets provided bright spots in an otherwise sluggish economy.

Download the full report.

CE Picks

The following lists are CE editorial picks that we think provide key insight into the clean-tech space, organized in alphabetical order. We will update and add new lists regularly as we come across new material.

(Click on a category or use the scroll bar below to view all the lists.)

Powerpoints | Books | Blogs | Videos | Competitions

Powerpoints
1. Carbon Policies and Renewable Markets
Lori Bird, NREL (July 2007)
2. Energy Efficiency Resource Standards: The New Kid on the Block
Steven Nadel, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (July 2006)
3. Overview of Venture Capital/Private Equity Investment in Clean Energy
Michael Liebreich, New Energy Finance (May 2007)
4. PV in 2012
Michael Rogol, MIT (January 2007)
5. Renewable Energy Technology Opportunities: Responding to Global Energy Challenges
Dan Arvizu, NREL (January 2007)
6. State of Renewable Energy
Mike Eckhart, ACORE (January 2006)
7. Ten Things You Should Know About Green Power Markets
Blair Swezey, NREL (May 2006)
8. The Future of Geothermal Energy: Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)
Jeff Tester, MIT (March 2007)
9. The Investment Community's Relationship with the Clean Energy Industry
Andrew Kinross, Navigant Consulting (March 2007)
10. Will High Priced Oil Revolutionize the Energy Industry
William Steigelmann, Aspen Systems (September 2005)

Clean Tech Business Books
1. Biomimicry
Janine Benyus
2. Capitalism at the Crossroads
Stuart Hart
3. The Clean Tech Revolution
Ron Pernick & Clint Wilder
4. Cradle to Cradle
William McDonough & Michael Braungart
5. Ecology of Commerce
Paul Hawken
6. Garbage Land
Elizabeth Royte
7. Green to Gold
Dan Esty & Andrew Winston
8. Natural Capitalism
Paul Hawken & Amory Lovins
9. The Prize
Daniel Yergin
10. Winning the Oil Endgame
Amory Lovins

Blogs
1. Breakthrough Institute Blog
Several Contributors
2. Clean Break
Tyler Hamilton
3. Cleantech Investing
Rob Day
4. Cnet Green Tech Blog
Michael Kanellos
5. Earth2Tech.com
Katie Fehrenbacher & Others
6. EcoGeek.org
Hank Green & others
7. The Energy Blog
James Fraser
8. Green Wombat
Todd Woody
9. Gunther Portfolio
Edgar Gunther
10. R-Squared Energy Blog
Robert Rapier
11. Two Steps Forward
Joel Makower

Videos
1. Biofuels - The Holy Grail of Clean Energy
Onsite Power Systems (12/1/2006)
2. Biomimetic Design
Jane Benyus, Biologist, Ecological Design Consultant (October 2005)
3. Energy Independence & Climate Protection: The Business Case
Dan Kammen, Others (January 2007)
4. Green Investment
Bill Joy, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers (September 2006)
5. Greening the Ghetto
Majora Carter, Sustainable South Bronx (February 2005)
6. Necessity and Invention
Terry Tamminen, US Energy and Environmental Strategist (March 2007)
7. Power to the People
Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Journalist (June 2004)
8. Renewable Solutions
Matthew Simmons, Chairman of Simmons & Company International (February 2007)
9. Renewables Future
Mike Eckhart, ACORE (4/13/2005)
10. (no title)
Dr. Hermann Scheer, GABA/MIT of Northern CA (July 2007)

Competitions
1. California Clean Tech Open
Acterra - Action for a Sustainable Earth
2. Clean Technology Business Plan Forum & Competition
Global Plastics Environmental Conference
3. Cleantech Venture Challenge
University of Colorado Business School
4. Global Social Venture Competition
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
5. ICE - Ignite Clean Energy
MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
6. Intel + UC Berkeley Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge
Intel & UC Berkeley
7. NCIIA Sustainable Visions
NCIIA
8. Rice Business Plan Competition
Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship

CE Top 10

The CE Top 10 lists track the largest installations and financial transactions that we have come across in our research and want to share with the clean-tech community. We will update and add new lists regularly.