After declined significantly in 4Q08 and 1Q09, cleantech venture investment rebounded in 2Q09, according to newly released figures. Venture capitalists put $1.2 billion into 94 different companies during 2Q. That's up 12% from the previous quarter, although down 44% from the same period a year ago. The transportation sector led with more than $600 million going to vehicles, biofuels and advanced batteries. But solar investments hit their lowest point in more than three years with just over $100 million for companies developing solar technologies.

Riverstone Holdings LLC has purchased the wind development portfolio of Babcock & Brown, marking the private equity group's first foray into wind power. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the 4,000 megawatts (MW) project pipeline will be used to form a new company called Pattern Energy Group LP. The company will retain Babcock & Brown's development staff of about 80 employees. Australia-based Babcock & Brown is selling off all of its assets after being declared insolvent in March of this year. Babcock & Brown's Bluewater Wind LLC was one of three companies awarded exploratory leases last week for federal waters off the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware.

High-profile smart grid company GridPoint, Inc. acquired Lixar, an Ottawa-based company developing user interfaces for smart grid devices. The acquisition adds to GridPoint's software offerings and establishes the company in the Canadian market. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

In other smart-grid news, Itron Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI), an established competitor to GridPoint, announced that it will integrate it's advanced metering platform with applications developed by two separate companies. Massachusetts-based Ambient Corporation (OTCBB:ABTG) will partner with Itron to market an end-to-end system for utilities and customers. And New Jersey-based Comverge Inc. (Nasdaq: COMV) will do the same, with a focus on providing utilities with the tools needed to enable demand response.

ICP Solar Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: ICPR.OB, FRANKFURT: K1U.F) announced that it has signed a three-year global licensing agreement with battery maker Energizer (NYSE: ENR). Financial terms of the deal were not released, but ICP Solar said it will begin rolling out solar-powered battery chargers and related products under the Energizer name in 3Q09.

The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) announced plans to work with Algenol Biofuels, Inc. to build and operate a pilot-scale biorefinery that will use algae to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethanol. The facility will be located at Dow's Freeport, Texas site. Algenol will combine CO2 from Dow's manufacturing facility with seawater and a hybrid algae in sealed, clear plastic photobioreactors. Algenol said the process is capable of producing more than 6,000 gallons of ethanol per acre per year, compared to 400 gallons for corn. Algenol has applied for a Department of Energy grant to support the pilot plant.

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) announced it will fund up to $100 million in commercial-scale solar systems to be built by SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB). SunPower will enter into power purchase agreements with customers and Wells Fargo will finance the systems that will be built on-site. The first projects will be a 1 MW system for University of California, Merced, and a 1-MW system for the Western Riverside County Regional Wastewater Authority in California.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)(NYSE: PCG) has signed an agreement with a subsidiary of NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) for 92 megawatts (MW) of solar thermal power. Alpine SunTower, LLC, will build the power plant using the modular solar thermal system designed by eSolar. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012 and will be located near Lancaster, California.

Lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems has amended its SEC registration for a proposed IPO. In August 2008 the company filed for a $175 million initial offering, but since that time the company has raised $100 million in new funding and announced a supply deal with Chrysler. The company has also applied for about $1.5 billion in federal loans and grants. And since these federal programs require partial matching funds, it's likely that the company will raise the monetary target for its IPO. John Petersen of Alt Energy Stocks said he believes that the IPO is likely to take place in early September and will be a key indicator for the energy storage sector.

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness, publishers of the Progressive Investor newsletter.

Massachusetts on Wednesday released a draft plan for the permitting and management of ocean energy projects, such as tidal and wind power farms.

The state said it is the first such comprehensive plan in the nation. The plan aims to support the development of renewable energy, while maintaining protection of marine resources, by establishing potential zones for projects and mapping zones with sensitive ecosystems.

The draft was mandated by the state's Oceans Act of 2008, which sets a December 31, 2009 deadline for the final plan.

Last week, the U.S. Interior Department awarded the first-ever exploratory leases for offshore wind power development off the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware.

A Pike Research report published in June said marine- and hydrokinetic-generated power from the world's oceans could grow to provide 2.7 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity by 2015

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and New Jersey-based Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTT) in January announced plans to collaborate on utility-scale wave power generation in North America.

Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles spoke to WBUR in Boston about the draft management plan. A transcript of that interview is available at: www.wbur.org/2009/07/01/oceans-management

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness

America's coasts are jam packed with metropolitan populations, but the Midwest consists of plains and rolling hills as far as the eye can see.

Those plains and hills make great ground for clean energy projects like wind and solar panel farms. Much of this prime land is owned by America's backbone: farmers and ranchers.

As clean energy projects make their way across the plains, rural landowners are facing decisions on whether or not to rent their land out for a clean energy project, or to continue to utilize the land for agriculture. For many, the decision comes down to choosing the option that is most profitable. Leasing land for clean energy projects can be a win-win: it provides income for the landowner who has little to manage and operate, and it provides America with much needed energy.

But, there is a rub. The leases are not run-of-the-mill agreements: they often include complex payment terms and varying degrees of the amount of money distributed to the landowner, the local community, government, utility, and the initial investors/owner of the project. Requiring an attorney adds to the cost and complexity of leasing valuable land to clean energy projects.

Sure, clean energy is great for the environment, but is it the superior choice? Windmills can have impacts on birds and add metals and plastics to what would have been farm or ranch land. On the other hand, if leasing land for clean energy is the alternative to using the land for agriculture, and spraying pesticides, or for caging livestock (rather than free range), then perhaps from an environmental perspective, leasing the land is more worthwhile.

What does this mean for other energy or infrastructure projects that inherently work toward a safer relationship with the environment? Once again, the environment is second to profitability. Whether it is installing windmills, a transit project from one metro to another that passes through the countryside, or a green farm building, while doing something favorable for the environment is at the heart of the project, what matters first is whether or not that project will reap financial income or significant cost savings for the landowner. Landowners must read the fine print of these lease agreements to clearly understand if they can profit. If landowners find lease agreements more troubling than farming or ranching that land, the nation might see slower clean energy infrastructure development than currently expected having many implications for the green economy and America's dependence on oil.

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) development could be bringing illuminated wallpaper closer to living rooms. General Electric is working with student concepts at the Cincinnati Institute of Art (CIA) as the company continues to develop paper-thin OLEDs.

Students created hundreds of concepts taking advantage of the slim technology to bring light to safety clothing, stairs, signs and store displays. GE researchers and project management are currently reviewing them in Ohio and New York, with commercial dates being set in late 2010 or 2011.

Students were led by Douglas Paige, associate professor of industrial design at CIA, engaged students in a "Future Design Center" class, where GE held brainstorming sessions. A video released by GE covers the concepts, albeit with music less revolutionary than the ideas contained within the sketches.

OLEDs have been manufactured by giants like Samsung and Toshiba, who are working to refine the technology. They could allow for rollable screens or improvements on electronic book devices, as they require no backlight to function, adding to energy efficiency and reducing size.

The matrixes could find themselves in wallets or a remarkably fluid flexible lamp. OLEDs are challenged by the limited lifetime of the organic materials employed, but efforts like the student "consultants" at CIA may bring fresh ideas that will be as flexible as the technology aims to be.

The long cassava root has been refined into popular treats, such as bubble tea (or Boba), but now promises to efficiently contribute to biofuel production. A municipality in the Philippines has begun to consider cassava as a viable source for bioethanol.

Sorsogon province is on the southern tip of the Bicol Peninsula and in the middle of the the islands. Tourism has provided impressive profits in the area, as could the cultivation of the cassava root.

A ssudy on cassava-based bioethanol production, conducted by the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences, estimated 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) could meet the needs of a distillery with a 30 million liter (7.9 million gallon) capacity per year.

Vice Governor Renato Laurinaria has emphasized the need for large-scale cassava production to not only satisfy feedstock needs, but also for bioethanol. His administration had already started to develop half of the required land space for a bioethanol plant, building plantations in Castilla.

Currently the municipality supplies cassava to the San Miguel Corporation for animal feedstock production. By increasing cassava production, Laurinaria expects new jobs and additional revenue for farmers.

The Philippines requires a 1-percent coconut biodiesel blend for diesel engines, with an increase to 2-percent this year along with a 5-percent bioethanol blend for gasoline engines. Currently, sugar cane is one of the most productive bioethanol sources and is abundant in the area.

Cassava can be grown in the same areas as sugarcane and has a high starch to sugar ratio-- and is durable to boot, requiring minimal maintenance and resistant to typhoons and droughts. According to the study, these high feedstock yields result in comparatively better ethanol results than sugar cane or sweet sorghum.

The root could be expensive, but that applies more to cassava that could be used as food rather than industrial purchases. Cars could be running on cassava in areas with abundant land, supported by a growing global awareness towards efficient sources of biomass.

However, on a global scale, millions of people still rely on the cassava root for food and cultivating the plants could potentially require the destruction of areas releasing more carbon. Though, with its similarities to sugar cane, it might be cultivated in shared areas, perhaps even to the benefit of both crops.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced grants totaling $7.6 million to nine universities in seven countries to establish new Master's in Development Practice (MDP) programs.

The Foundation has committed $15 million to seed the creation of such programs at up to 15 universities worldwide over the next three years. With MacArthur support, Columbia University is creating the first MDP Program, which will launch this fall.

MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the typical focus on classroom study of economics and management found in most development studies. The program's core curriculum combines classroom study in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition with field training experiences.

"Through our work around the globe, we at MacArthur understand that poverty, population, health, conservation, and human rights are all interconnected, requiring sustained and comprehensive interventions," said Foundation President Jonathan Fanton. "These new programs are a model for training the next generation of these critically needed professionals."

A Global Master's in Development Practice Secretariat, supported by MacArthur and based at Columbia University's Earth Institute, will help manage the MDP network of universities, develop an open-source repository for the MDP curriculum and other teaching materials, and will offer an online, Global Classroom on sustainable development for students worldwide.

The universities that will receive funding to establish the nine MDP programs are:
:
--Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) will emphasize the health and governance-related aspects of sustainable development through its work with partners that include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CARE and the Carter Center.

--The Energy Resources Institute University (New Delhi, India) will emphasize energy and climate sciences, building on its contributions to scientific and policy research in energy, environment, and sustainable development.

--James Cook University (Cairns and Townsville, Australia) will offer coursework at its two campuses and field training in the Philippines and Indonesia, focusing on the challenges to sustainable development and governance in tropical island nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

--Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland) will integrate their teaching in international development and also partner with the National University of Rwanda to offer field training and coursework in conservation and sustainable development.

--Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) will build on its English-language degrees and Master's programs in international development and public administration to focus on development models for China.

--University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal) will focus on current development challenges facing Africa by integrating health, social and natural sciences, engineering, information technology, and management.It will also serve as a MDP program hub for French-speaking West African nations.

--University of Botswana (Gaborone, Botswana) will create a modular program designed for working professionals. Rigorous independent study will be complemented by two to three weeks of on campus training each semester. University of Botswana will partner with University of Florida to offer field training experiences in Botswana.

--University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) will implement a program that includes the core curriculum, building on University of Florida's expertise in conservation and sustainable development, especially in Latin America. The program also incorporates faculty and student exchanges and a field-training program in Botswana, in partnership with University of Botswana.

--University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria) will build on existing graduate programs in health, science, and natural resources with the long-term goal of creating a Centre for Development Studies. It will also serve as a MDP program hub for English-speaking West African nations.

The universities are expected to produce 250 graduates with a Master's in Development Practice degree by 2012, with a total of 750 students enrolled. They were selected based on five criteria, including support from top university leadership, excellent infrastructure and academic programs, and the ability to serve as regional hub; geographic representation among students and exceptional faculty across the four core competencies of the natural, health, and social sciences and management; and a timeline and business plan for financial sustainability when funding ends in three years.

In 2010, MacArthur will fund up to five additional universities to create additional MDP programs.

The creation of the Master's in Development Practice Program was a key recommendation of the International Commission on Education for Sustainable Development Practice, whose report was released in October 2008. Established in 2007, the year-long Commission was co-chaired by John McArthur, CEO of Millennium Promise, and Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and comprised of 20 top thinkers in the field of sustainable development from around the world.

Website: www.macfound.org

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness, publishers of the Progress Investor newsletter.

Private equity group Riverstone Holdings LLC has purchased the wind development portfolio from Babcock & Brown LP to form Pattern Energy Group LP.This is Riverstone's first foray into wind power.

The project pipeline exceeds 4,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power spanning 11 states and 4 countries in addition to several power transmission projects.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Riverstone, which has approximately $17 billion under management across six investment funds, said it is committing $400 million to expand and support Pattern Energy’s renewable energy business.

Pattern Energy is set up as an independent energy company to develop, construct, own, and operate renewable energy and transmission assets across North America and parts of Latin America. It will retain the 80 staff members that put into operation more than 2000 MW of wind for Babcock & Brown's North American group.

“We are highly impressed with the extensive renewable energy and transmission experience of the Pattern Energy team and are fully committed to Pattern,” said Chris Hunt, Managing Director of Riverstone Holdings. “We welcome the Pattern Energy team as an important new part of our renewable energy platform in North America.”

Pattern's first wind project is expected to be the 103-MW Hatchet Ridge Wind Farm in northern California, will begin construction in the next few months.

Australia-based Babcock & Brown, which was founded in 1977, is divesting all assets after failing to renegotiate debt in March 2009 and being declared insolvent.

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness

By Jerry James Stone

Segway inventor Dean Kamen is developing a hybrid electric scooter that can run on almost anything that burns.

According to the patent, the bike has a small two-piston Stirling engine right under the seat. Though with an engine of that size, it really isn’t going to provide much juice - not much more than 5bhp.

A Stirling engine is based on tech which predates internal combustion engines by almost 100 years. It’s kinda like a steam engine in the sense that it uses external combustion. They use pistons for the crankshaft, but unlike the alternatives they have no valves for no gas ever enters or leaves the cylinders.

Since there is no need for a fuel to be injected, it can run on almost anything that burns - everything from wood chips to old Barbies. This really opens the door for renewable fuel technologies and the standards they would have to meet.

With the engine’s low output, it won’t provide much of the bike’s performance on its own. But it can keep the rechargeable battery packs, which are located in the floor of the bike, topped off. Those reserves can be used for an extra kick in the pants!

Multimillionaire Kamen has already sunk more than $50 million into developing the Stirling engine technology.

A prototype of the bike has yet to be seen unlike Kamen’s Stirling-engined car. Though, rumor has it that Kamen rides one around his own estate.

But Kamen isn’t the only one looking at the Stirling as a viable solution. Honda has patented concepts using the Stirling to extract more power from a conventional internal combustion engine. Yah, say that three times fast. Other applications include autonomous robots for the US military that can “feed” themselves to remain active for years.

Um, anyone else thinking…SkyNet?

Reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0

The US Environmental Protection Agency today announced the next steps in a coordinated strategy to reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels. The EPA is proposing a rule under the Clean Air Act that sets engine and fuel standards for U.S. flagged ships that would harmonize with international standards and are expected to lead to significant air quality improvements throughout the country, especially near ports.

"These emissions are contributing to health, environmental and economic challenges for port communities and others that are miles inland. Building on our work to form an international agreement earlier this year, we’re taking the next steps to reduce significant amounts of harmful pollution from getting into the air we breathe," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Lowering emissions from American ships will help safeguard our port communities, and demonstrate American leadership in protecting our health and the environment around the globe."

Air pollution from large ships, such as oil tankers and cargo ships, is expected to grow in line with port traffic increases. By 2030, the domestic and international strategy is expected to reduce annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from large marine diesel engines by about 1.2 million tons and particulate matter (PM) emissions by about 143,000 tons. When fully implemented, the coordinated effort would reduce NOx emissions by 80 percent and PM emissions by 85 percent compared to current emissions.

The emission reductions from the proposed strategy would yield significant health and welfare benefits that would span beyond U.S. ports and coastlines, reaching inland areas. EPA estimates that in 2030, this effort would prevent between 13,000 and 33,000 premature deaths, 1.5 million work days lost, and 10 million minor restricted-activity days. The estimated annual health benefits in 2030 as a result of reduced air pollution are valued between $110 and $280 billion at an annual projected cost of approximately $3.1 billion - as high as a 90-to-1 benefit-to-cost ratio.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental News Network

Wi-Fi lets you work around the house or check kitchen recipes, but it does have its issues. Wi-Fi was recently outed as being slowed primarily by interference between devices, rather than congestion in an area, according to a recent report Estimating the Utilization of Key License-Exempt Spectrum Bands.

The new ePlug series from Hercules will connect users to the Internet without the potential for network interference by utilizing existing home electrical wiring, and it will save some power in the process.

Hercules' device features smart chipsets that power down to standby mode, lowering consumption by 50 percent, and the company claims that it uses 20 percent less energy overall than competing products.

Once a router is connected to an electrical outlet via one of the Ethernet extending units, any paired ePlug in the house will be able to connect.

Linksys and D-Link produce similar devices, which lacked the power-saving or security functions of the ePlug. The ePlug, although replacing perfectly viable Wi-Fi and cable solutions (needlessly, one might say) could prove a pleasant alternative to wireless interference or if cables are simply to problematic or if you are extremely concerned about your 'net security.

The ePlug is sold in pairs, offering 85 or 200 Mbps, for the price of an expensive router ($99-$149).

By Mridul Chadha

During a recent meeting of the environment, ministers of EU member countries sidestepped the issue of declaring carbon dioxide a pollutant. While the ministers agreed on a proposal to reduce industrial pollution, various environmental groups criticized the ministers’ inaction on what seemed an essential and significant decision in Europe’s fight against climate change.

According to the deal reached, heavy industries like power plants and oil refineries will have to comply to new and stricter sulfur and nitrogen emissions as well as the release of dust particles, asbestos and heavy metals into the environment. Obviously, carbon dioxide has been left out which is why the environmentalists have been fuming. European leaders should have sent a strong message by classifying carbon dioxide as a pollutant keeping in mind the Copenhagen Climate Talks scheduled later this year.

Classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant would have added teeth to the EU goal of 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 by adding the health aspect it. European Environment Bureau, a coalition of local environmental groups voiced its concerns saying:

Shouldn’t environment ministers be more concerned about ensuring better health and environmental conditions for their citizens rather than securing additional profits for operators by prolonging the period during which underperforming plants can continue being heavy polluters?

These groups have every reason to be dissatisfied. The proposal is all but strict. It allows the member nations to delay the implementation of already weak emission standards up to 2020, thus negating the very purpose of the proposal. The lack of agreement between the member nations is due to the fact that a group of nations is unwilling to move away from fossil fuels given their low cost and easy availability; this is not only hampering the fight against climate change but also setting a bad precedent for the rest of the world.

Divisions within the EU are primarily responsible for the lackluster approach towards taking bold and meaningful actions to tackle the problem of rising greenhouse gas emissions. While one group of members demanded that stricter measures be adopted keeping in mind the upcoming negotiations for the next climate treaty others like Britain and Poland opposed the same.

Poland has been opposing tougher emission reduction goals from the very beginning. 95 percent of it power generated comes from domestic coal reserves which is why it has expressed reservations in moving to expensive renewable energy systems. In addition, giving up coal as primary source of energy could potentially make Poland dependent on Russian gas supplies which would be a geopolitical nightmare as Europe has witnessed in the recent past. It was a group comprising of Poland and Britain, among others, which argued and successfully negotiated a clause in the agreement to delay the implementation of stricter emission standards.

With Poland reluctant to make the transition and Britain proposing new coal-fired power plants there opposition to such agreements is understandable but they must see the bigger picture. Ambiguous approach would only hurt the global effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. On one hand, the British Prime Minister calls for a $100 billion climate fund while, on the other hand, his government opposes measures to fight climate change.

Carbon intensive industries cannot be given a free hand and they must be penalized for not meeting emission standards. The situation today calls for urgency in our actions. The opportunity that awaits the world in the form of the next climate treaty must not be wasted away by running away from our responsibilities. Carbon trading mechanisms should be revamped in order to provide a smooth transition from fossil fuels to clean energy but delaying crucial measures or deliberately weakening them would solve no purpose but by doing so we would only be fooling ourselves.

Reprinted with permission from Red Green and Blue