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Clean Energy and Job Creation Go Hand-in-Hand in San Antonio

Clean Energy and Job Creation Go Hand-in-Hand in San Antonio

written by CleanTechies.com Contributor

While many are prophesizing the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) as doomsday for the electricity sector, Texas utilities are telling a different story. The CPP will limit – for the first time ever – carbon emissions from existing power plants. One utility in particular, CPS Energy in San Antonio, “has already embraced a low-carbon strategy that anticipates this rule,” making it the most well-positioned utility in the state, if not country.

Homegrown energy, literally

CPS Energy has excelled using its commitment to create local, clean energy jobs. In its Request for Proposal (RFP) for a 400 megawatt (MW) solar energy plant, the utility included a specification for the creation of local solar jobs. And it worked. Most recently, the utility announced the launch of the Mission Solar Energy Plant – a 240,000 square foot manufacturing plant that will employ upwards of 400 San Antonians. To assist with future expansions, CPS also helped create a program at Alamo Colleges to train its future workforce for clean energy jobs and, admirably, almost one out of every five employees is a veteran.

Follow the jobs

CPS Energy is a national leader in its ability to recruit cleantech companies to San Antonio by tying the RFP to manufacturing. When the utility requests proposals for clean energy projects, it gives preference to companies willing to relocate offices to Texas – much like OCI Solar Power, the solar developer for the 400 MW Alamo solar plant. When CPS Energy selected OCI Solar Power to install the solar panels in San Antonio, the company moved its headquarters to San Antonio, bringing 800 permanent jobs and investing at least $115 million locally.

OCI Solar Power is not an outlier either. Consert Inc., a smart home energy management company, moved to San Antonio (and pledged to create 150 jobs) after CPS Energy selected the company to help reduce San Antonians’ electricity bills – by as much as 250 megawatts over the next four years, or enough energy to power 50,000 homes. So far CPS has recruited cleantech companies OCI Solar Power, KACO, Sun Action Trackers, Consert, and Greenstar for a total of 957 new jobs through its resource procurement process.

Not only is CPS Energy bringing more jobs to the city that can’t be outsourced, it is also saving money for residents and businesses. This is a win-win for everyone.

Time to take the bull by the horns

EPA’s Clean Power Plan presents an opportunity to grow and sustain Texas’ economy through clean energy. Much like CPS Energy has trail-blazed a new business model that serves its community in several ways, Texas needs to take the bull by the horns and create a plan that serves Texans and local industry. This is not rocket science and it’s not end-of-the-world superstition. The CPP is a smart policy well within Texas’ reach. All we have to do is amplify current trends – rely on more West Texas wind, take advantage of the state’s abundant natural gas supply, widen the use of Texas’ largely untapped solar potential, and use electricity more efficiently. We can start by looking at San Antonio and other progressive utilities in El Paso, Austin, and elsewhere, as well as by coupling Texas ingenuity with clean energy to give us more jobs and clean air. Let’s seize this opportunity, lest we lose economic growth to other states embracing the clean energy future.

Article by Jim Marston, Vice President, US Climate and Energy Program, Environmental Defense Fund.



November 24, 2014 0 comment
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Rockefellers to Divest from Fossil Fuel Investments

Rockefellers to Divest from Fossil Fuel Investments

written by

In a highly symbolic gesture with real bottom line impact, the Rockefeller family has announced that its eight hundred sixty million dollar philanthropic organization will sell off its assets linked to fossil fuel companies and invest in renewable energy. The Rockefeller fortune was, of course, originally earned from Standard Oil, the first great oil company.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund joins 180 institutions and hundreds of individual investors who have pledged to divest significant dollars, more than fifty billion from group portfolios and more than one billion from individual holdings in oil and gas companies, according to the New York Times. These investments are being pulled out of coal and other environmentally controversial fossil fuel-related developments, such as tar sands oil and shale natural gas, and re-directed to capital-hungry renewable energy startups, such as wind, solar, and hydro power.

Taking on the creation of cleantech and addressing climate solutions by moving investments in this way makes these divestment decisions doubly meaningful. The actual impact may be initially minor, compared to the major oil and gas companies’ huge market capitalizations and large cash flow. Also, divestment is a complex process and can take years to complete. But as a values-driven shift for the long term, it’s a strong signal for investment in the energy of the future.

Article by John Howell



September 23, 2014 0 comment
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New York Energy Week 2014 Startup Showcase

written by Sarah Backhouse

Future360 covered the Cleantech Startups Showcase which featured 40+ of the most innovative and exciting cleantech companies developing groundbreaking, carbon-reducing technologies. A handful of the companies competed pitch-style in front of the live audience, for the opportunity to win an Audience Award and Judges Award.

This was a rare opportunity to see many high quality, cutting edge cleantech companies from the Northeast (and some international) all in one place, and meet the founders who are making it all happen. In partnership with the Northeast’s top organizations working in cleantech – including NECEC Institute, NYC ACRE, PowerbridgeNY, and Cleantech Open Northeast – this event was a can’t-miss regional summit for investors and startups alike.



August 11, 2014 0 comment
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Where are America’s Greenest Buildings?

Where are America’s Greenest Buildings?

written by Elisa Wood

Ok, no surprise to see Washington, D.C. or San Francisco ranked high in a list of the cities with America’s greenest buildings. But Atlanta?

Georgia’s capital was the only southern state to make the top ten in the 2014 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index, released July 15 by Clean Edge. The cleantech research firm tracks the cleantech progress of the 50 largest metro areas and the 50 states.

“A good deal of Atlanta’s performance can be chalked up to the city’s green-building requirements, having passed an ordinance that all new city construction and major renovations must be Silver-LEED certified,” said Ron Pernick,  Clean Edge managing director.

Atlanta knocked out Milwaukee to take over the number ten spot in the green building ranking.

The South has been notoriously slow to pursue green technology. But Atlanta is different. This is not the first time the city made Clean Edge’s top 10 list.   It was number #8 in 2012, but then dropped to #12 in 2013, according to Pernick.

With the exception of Atlanta’s entry, the green building list showed little change over 2013. Clean Edge attributed the lack of change to the long lead times for new construction.

This year’s top spot went to Washington, D.C. , driven by efficiency efforts in federal buildings. Boston and Minneapolis also made the top ten. Otherwise  the usual suspects, Western cities, dominated the top slots: San Francisco, Denver, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, Sacramento. The five cities at the bottom of the green building list were: New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis, Birmingham and Oklahoma City.

Why cities are important

Energy use by cities is gaining increased attention because of the dramatic population growth in metro areas. Cities accounted for almost all US population growth from 2012 to 2013.Worldwide, 7 out of 10 people are expected to live in cities by 2050, up from today’s 5 out 10.

Meanwhile, city leaders are increasingly pursuing green energy to attract jobs and meet carbon emissions goals. They are also looking for more control over their power supply, which is contributing to growing interest in microgrids and other forms of decentralized energy.

Green-Building-City-Ranking-e1405239060319

Green building was just one aspect of the green tech market analyzed in the detailed 49-page report. It also looked at electric vehicles, renewables, patents, policies, investment and other factors that signify progress by cities and states.

Across all categories, the top three cities were all in California: San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, which jumped four places. California was the top state for the fifth consecutive year, with Massachusetts and Oregon repeating their #2 and #3 rankings from the 2013 state index. Vermont and Connecticut moved into the top 10 this year, while Hawaii and Minnesota dropped out.

For overall energy efficiency, California continued with the lowest annual per capita consumption, 6,704 kWh, followed closely by Hawaii. 6,767 kWh. The remaining top states were all in the Northeast, with the exception of #9 Alaska

Other significant findings from this year’s report are:

  • Colorado, Vermont, Oregon, and Washington each now exceed 100 LEED projects per million people for the first time
  • Eleven states now generate more than 10 percent of their electricity from non-hydro renewable energy sources, with two – Iowa and South Dakota – exceeding 25 percent.
  • U.S. solar installations climbed more than 40 percent year-over-year
  • Registrations of all-electric vehicles more than doubled from last year to nearly 220,000 nationwide
  • At least eight states now have more than 50 percent smart-meter market penetration; California leads with 70 percent.

“Net-zero building and energy-storage mandates and new public-private investment vehicles are just a few of the emerging policies that are dramatically shifting the energy landscape,” said Clint Wilder, Clean Edge senior editor. “While there have been some regional attacks against cleantech supportive policies, such as net metering and renewable portfolio standards, for the most part, the clean-tech industry and its allies have successfully fought off such efforts.”

Issued July 15, the 2014 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index is available here.



July 16, 2014 3 comments
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Global Green Patent Filings Fell in 2013

Global Green Patent Filings Fell in 2013

written by Eric Lane

Berkeley-based IP Checkups recently published its 2013 Annual Report on cleantech patenting trends.  Based on the firm’s proprietary green patent database –  Cleantech PatentEdge™ – the report contains much interesting analysis driven by this powerful data analytics tool.

The major finding of the report is that, after several years of growth, worldwide published cleantech patent filings declined in 2013.  This is measured by the number of cleantech patent documents published, which typically means a lag time of 18 months from application filing date for published patent applications, and may reflect the decrease in cleantech venture capital funding in 2013.

More particularly, the number of worldwide patent documents published in 2013 decreased by 6% from 2012.

Against this global backdrop, the share of U.S. patent grants grew over the last several years from 16% of the worldwide total in 2009 to 22% last year.  Interestingly, the share of U.S. published patent applications has remained fairly steady over this period, comprising about 1/3 of worldwide cleantech patent publications.

The report also looks at green patent documents by industry sector and found that Renewable Energy Generation is the leading sector with 23% of the patent documents.  This lead is attributable to growth in solar and biofuels patents, according to the report.

Other sectors that have seen growth in the past several years are Transportation, Green Materials, Energy Storage, and Efficiency.

You can read the complete report here.



April 30, 2014 0 comment
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Genomatica Recognized as Game Changing Company

Genomatica Recognized as Game Changing Company

written by CleanTechies Staff

Genomatica might be a cleantech company that you’ve never heard of.  Far from the glamorous world of solar, wind, or electric vehicles, Genomatica specializes in developing and commercializing bio-based processes for intermediate and basic chemicals.  What does that mean?  Chemicals that would normally be produced by a conventional petroleum-based process can now be done using renewable feedstocks such as conventional sugars, sugars from cellulosic biomass, or syngas. That means better economics and a lower environmental footprint.

In recognition for its innovation, the company was recently named a winner of the 2014 Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers Award.  Every year, Bloomberg recognizes ten game-changing companies for innovation, momentum and potential global impact in industries including bioenergy, energy efficiency, digital energy, solar and water. Winners are judged by industry experts that are advised by Bloomberg New Energy Finance technology experts. According to Bloomberg, “Genomatica caught the judges’ attention for its technology, innovative licensing strategy and the fact that it is already disrupting the market, with fast-growing revenues and impressive partnerships in place.”

Genomatica CEO, Christophe Schilling, Ph.D., noted that “Customers want more sustainable everyday products and the chemical industry is eager for technologies that make it easier to deliver those products.”  The company has raised $125 million in financing from Alloy Ventures, Bright Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Mitsubishi Chemical, Mohr Davidow Ventures, TPG Biotech, VantagePoint Capital Partners, Versalis and Waste Management.



April 7, 2014 0 comment
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UCSD Microgrid Showcases Smart Grid Opportunities

UCSD Microgrid Showcases Smart Grid Opportunities

written by Debrah Dubay

National infrastructures from the grid, and bridges to pipelines in major urban areas are aging and in serious need for redesign and rebuilding. Mission critical microgrids at universities are a leading example of what is possible for the nation’s grid security and the savings they provide to a community could pay for other infrastructure repairs that will be necessary in the coming years.

The University of California at San Diego (UCSD) is taking the lead in developing one of the most sophisticated community power grids in the nation. The ability to island from the local grid in times of peak demand or other crisis is critical for universities to guarantee power for valuable research taking place on campuses, to guarantee the welfare of its students and faculty and other mission critical infrastructure on its campuses.

National and local incentives and grants helped the university purchase some of the new technology that provide financial savings, increase energy efficiency and energy security benefits. The systems now save the school as much as $850,000 a month in utility bills. Across the US conversations about the growing necessity for grid security and smart grids are a growing interest.

UCSD started to diversify their grid in 1962 with two natural-gas cogenerators for the central plant designed to provide gas-fired electricity as well as district heating and cooling for the school’s buildings. Over the years, UCSD gained self-sufficiency by adding steam turbines, solar photovoltaic panels, fuel cells and energy storage.

Power resources across the campus now operate under the control of a sophisticated energy management system, enabling the campus microgrid to generate, store and dispatch electricity as needed for the university and ultimately providing 92 percent of electricity used on campus. The school has become a magnet for new technology and continues to diversify and add to its grid capacity.

Byron Washom is a solar and cleantech entrepreneur who came out of semi-retirement to work at UC San Diego when his son came to the university as an undergraduate. Washom is the chief organizer, fundraiser, motivator and connector of the microgrid. A recent article by Energy & Environment News noted a conversation with David Weil. “When Washom came to campus six years ago, his eyes lit up, and he said, ‘This is the perfect place to do a microgrid,’ said David Weil, a former sustainability director at the university.”

Diverse and innovative technology including CHP, solar PV, backup storage and charging stations in use at UCSD provide a test market showcasing smart grid opportunities that increase energy efficiency, provide energy security and have the ability to save communities millions of dollars annually.

 



March 24, 2014 0 comment
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Chinese Eco-mark Lawsuit Ends Well for Tesla

Chinese Eco-mark Lawsuit Ends Well for Tesla

written by Eric Lane

A previous post reported on Tesla’s Chinese trademark problem. Apparently, a businessman named Zhan Baosheng had registered the TESLA (or “Te Si La” transliterated) trademark in China, blocking the American automaker from using the mark there.

Mr. Zhan was also operating a web site using the Tesla China domain (www.teslamotors.com.cn), and operating a Tesla-branded account on the Chinese microblog site Sina Weibo.

As part of a recent press release announcing its plan for growth in China the company said it resolved the trademark issue. More particularly, Tesla obtained a court decision granting it the right to use the TESLA mark in China (see the story here on Green Car Reports and covered by Clean Technica here).

Veronica Wu, Tesla’s vice president for China operations, said the company had won this right without the need to pay Mr. Zhan (who had apparently hinted that he would sell the trademark for millions of dollars). According to Wu, “we went to court and won.”

Though technically Zhan may have been the first user of the TESLA mark in China, the court decision seems right because his apparent high asking price for the mark signals bad faith on his part and that his use may not have been bona fide.

This decision bodes well for American and other non-Chinese companies who may need to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights against local competitors in China.

The highest profile cleantech IP dispute in China is the trade secrets and copyright case between American Superconductor and Chinese turbine manufacturer Sinovel, which made it all the way to, and is (as far as I know) still pending in, the Chinese Supreme Court.

Eric Lane is a patent and trademark attorney and the Principal at Green Patent Law in San Diego and the author of Green Patent Blog. Mr. Lane can be reached at (619) 818-6043 and at elane@greenpatentlaw.com.



March 5, 2014 0 comment
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U.S. Trade Agency’s China Focus Good for Cleantech Companies

written by Walter Wang

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is the federal agency responsible for conducting trade negotiations and developing and coordinating U.S. trade policy.

As it did last year, the USTR will again make intellectual property rights (IPR) a top priority in

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February 12, 2014 0 comment
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CBS’s 60 Minutes’ Hatchet-Job on Cleantech

written by Walter Wang

The CBS news show “60 Minutes” sports a history of hatchet-jobs that goes back almost half a century. They’re phenomenally good at selecting a certain conclusion and then supporting it with misleading reporting, trick camera-work, and quotes taken out of context.

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January 7, 2014 1 comment
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Best Places for Post Grad Cleantech Education

written by Walter Wang

Post grad work in the field of cleantech education has widened in the past few years. While still a niche program, universities are catching on to the importance and need for higher education within the field. Currently, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, many institutions are making

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January 6, 2014 0 comment
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Predictions for Cleantech in 2014

written by Walter Wang

Continuing a tradition since 2007, once again we bring you some end-of-year thoughts about where we think the cleantech investment theme is going.

This year, we’re of the opinion that industry-watchers should take heart. Especially if you’ve been on the page that cleantech is past its prime or otherwise

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December 23, 2013 0 comment
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Optimizing Green Patent Protection: A Study in Energy Storage Service

written by Walter Wang

Stem is a Millbrae, California, startup that sells and leases its battery energy storage system, which is marketed as a way to reduce consumers’ energy bills. Specifically, the company makes a lithium-ion battery connected to analytics software that determines the best times to draw energy from the battery, thereby reducing electricity demand

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December 6, 2013 0 comment
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Solar Surge: Report Shows Solar Patents in Top Spot

written by Walter Wang

The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) recently released its Second Quarter 2013 Results. Researched and published by the Heslin Rothenberg law firm, CEPGI is a quarterly report on green patents issued in the United States.

CEPGI has been tracking green patent trends by

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November 21, 2013 1 comment
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