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Finding New Frontiers in Energy Investing

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by Thomas E. Cain The progress of major civilizations has depended largely on finding new and better sources of cheap energy. Energy has even functioned as the catalyst for many of the world’s wars and continues to do so today. The need to find resolutions has become so overwhelming and so critical that we believe this situation presents an unusually durable and global opportunity for extraordinary investor returns. Our role as venture capitalists, therefore, is to find, fund and grow breakthroughs that have innovative ways to generate and utilize energy. Prior to the creation of SAIL Venture Partners, there had never been a VC solely dedicated to developing breakthroughs in energy. Based on individual investment history, SAIL’s partners had a 3.7 money-on-money return for a wide variety of alternative energy / clean technology investments, providing the credibility that such a fund was promising. When seeking investments, we always try to find the most innovative forms of technology in the market. We start with identifying large problems that require urgent solutions. We consider the team, technology, maturity, and scalability. SAIL’s portfolio companies focus on providing profitable, global solutions to the world’s resource crisis. Portfolio Companies For example, SAIL’s investment in Xtreme […]

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Organic Food vs. Ethanol

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The good news is that organic farming continues to grow globally – 0.65% of the world’s agricultural lands are now managed organically. That amounts to about 30 million hectares on 700,000 farms in 138 countries, as of 2006, according to The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics & Emerging Trends 2008 report (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), The Foundation Ecology & Agriculture (SÖL), and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)). As in previous years, Australia has the most organic land (12.3 million hectares), followed by China (2.3 million hectares) and Argentina (2.2 million hectares). The U.S. holds fourth place, with 1.6 million hectares in 2005. Organic Monitor estimates international sales reached $38.6 billion in 2006, double that of 2000. Universities, schools and hotels are among the many institutions beginning to offer organic food. Hilton’s new Eat Naturally catering program at Hilton and Doubletree Hotels in Southern California focuses on offering local, organic food choices. Shangri-La Hotel and Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida is another example, having achieved organic certification for its 8.1 acres of property, where it grows food for its hotel restaurant. Mega-supermarket chain Safeway, Inc., has formed partnerships to sell its 300 item "O Organics" line […]

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup May 21, 2008

Former Texas Oilman Pursues the World’s Largest Wind Power Plant Interior Department Allows Offshore Wind and Ocean Energy Testing Report Calls Energy Efficiency an "Invisible" Energy Boom Alliance to Save Energy Launches a New Fuel Economy Campaign Global Sales of the Toyota Prius Hybrid Top 1 Million U.S. Experts Say Biofuels Have a Minimal Impact on Food Prices DOE Stops Filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Former Texas Oilman Pursues the World’s Largest Wind Power Plant General Electric Company (GE) announced last week that it has received an order for 667 of its 1.5-megawatt (MW) wind turbines from Mesa Power LLP, a company founded by billionaire T. Boone Pickens. Pickens, a former Texas oilman and founder of BP Capital, an energy investment firm, launched Mesa Power to build the world’s largest wind power plant, called the Pampa Wind Project. The 4,000 MW facility will be located near Pampa, Texas, which is northeast of Amarillo on the Texas Panhandle, and will stretch to the east, spanning five counties. Mesa Power’s current order for wind turbines-the world’s largest wind turbine order for a single location-will provide 1,000 MW of wind power capacity for the $2 billion first phase of the project, which will […]

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