What Al Gore Hasn't Told You About Global Warming
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How Business Saw the Light in 2006
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Vermont Lawmakers Consider Surcharge on Large Homes
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Canada: Solar Research Park Planned in Toronto
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$2.9 Billion Invested in N. American Cleantech Companies
The Cleantech Venture Network reports that North American venture capital investment in cleantech companies rose by 78% in 2006, for a total of a record $2.9 billion. That’s a 140% increase over the 2004 total of $1.2 billion. About $613 million was invested in cleantech in Q4 2006, a 22% increase over the Q4 2005 investment of $502 million. The fourth quarter 2006 was down from the record invested in Q3 2006 of $933 million. Energy-related investment accounted for $2.1 billion, or 74%, of the total 2006 cleantech venture investment. This represented a 1.9x increase over the $739 million invested in the energy category in 2005 and a 2.9x increase over 2004 energy investment. The Energy Generation segment totaled $1.3 billion, a 2.1x increase from 2005. Energy Storage attracted $354 million, representing a 2x increase over 2005. “While energy was certainly the top area of interest, some other categories posted good gains as well,” said Nicholas Parker, chairman and co-founder of the Cleantech Venture Network. Recycling & Waste deals totaled $192 million, a 2.9x increase over 2005, and Transportation investments hit $164 million, up 2.5x over 2005, indicating growing interest in other cleantech segments. According to a year-end report from […]
BP to Build 5 U.S. Wind Projects
BP Alternative Energy North America Inc. announced that it expects to begin construction on five wind power generation projects in the US in 2007. Located in four states — California, Colorado, North Dakota and Texas — the projects are expected to deliver a combined generation capacity of some 550 megawatts (MW). When complete, the projects will exceed the company’s previously announced target to build 450 MW by end of 2008. BP’s US wind portfolio includes the opportunity to develop almost 100 projects with a potential total generating capacity of some 15,000 MW. These projects are the result of several agreements and acquisitions the company made in the previous year. In July 2006, BP announced a strategic alliance with Clipper Windpower to supply up to 4,250 MW of wind turbines over the next five years. Later in 2006, BP acquired two US wind development companies — Greenlight Energy Inc. and Orion Energy LLC. Construction is already under way on the Cedar Creek project in Weld County, Colorado, a development venture between BP Alternative Energy North America Inc., and Babcock & Brown Operating Partners LP. The 300 MW wind power generation project will be comprised of 274 wind turbines. Initial operation is […]
Whole Foods Named #5 on FORTUNE's '100 Best Companies to Work For' List
FORTUNE magazine ranked Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI), the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, number 5 on its 2007 list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The company made the list for the tenth consecutive year and is one of only 18 companies to be named every year since the list’s inception. “To be ranked in the top five is a fantastic milestone for Whole Foods Market.It is the passion of our dedicated Team Members that has driven the success of Whole Foods Market for the past 26 years. I congratulate and thank our more than 41,500 Team Members who have made this honor possible,” said Whole Foods Market CEO and co-founder John Mackey. The list and related stories appears in the January 22 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands January 15 and at http://www.fortune.com on January 8. Company employees — referred to as Team Members at Whole Foods Market — played an important role in determining the FORTUNE ranking. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on survey responses from randomly selected employees. Among the reasons Whole Foods Market was again named to the “Best Companies to Work For” list in 2007 are the company’s […]
Trex Announces Agreement with Lowe's
Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE: TWP) has entered into an agreement with Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) to sell its ‘plastic wood’ decking and railing products nationally in Lowe’s stores. Beginning in the first quarter of 2007, selected Trex® decking and railing products will be stocked nationally in Lowe’s stores, with the full product line available via special order. About Trex Company Trex Company is the nation’s largest manufacturer of composite decking and railing. Products are marketed under the brand name Trex®. Made from a unique formulation of reclaimed wood and plastic, combined through a proprietary process, Trex decking and railing offer significant design flexibility with fewer ongoing maintenance requirements than wood. Website: http://www.trex.com
Suntech Updates Semiconductor Finger Technology
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), a leading manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, announced the commercial adoption of its latest 18% “semiconductor finger” conversion efficiency technology is proceeding on schedule starting in the fourth quarter of 2006 and that the performance of this technology with respect to lower-grade and poor quality silicon wafers has exceeded the company’s expectations. ‘We are very pleased with our semiconductor finger technology which has increased the average conversion efficiencies of our best monocrystalline PV cells to 18% — well above the industry average of 14% to 15%. At the same time, we have maintained the lowest cost production base relative to our peers,’ said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s chairman and CEO. The company’s semiconductor finger technology, which is co-developed and owned with the University of New South Wales in Australia, overcomes the major limitation of the traditional screen printing process that is the industry standard. Heavily doped semiconductor strips are built into the PV cell surface which more efficiently collects the generated electrical charge without requiring the surface dead layer found in conventional screen printed cells. The technology also potentially enables the company to reduce the number of traditional lines of metal […]
Phoenix Motorcars Takes First Electric SUV Orders
Phoenix Motorcars announced the receipt of 75 fleet orders from several municipalities and an utility company for its new zero-emission, all-electric, sport utility truck. The company says it is on target to manufacture and sell 500 fleet-ready vehicles by year’s end, and will produce 16 pilot-build vehicles next month. Some of the 16 vehicles will be used to continue validation of the federally mandated safety test process. The company is working with Boshart Engineering, an Ontario, California company that specializes in vehicle certification services, to gain its Federal Motor Vehicle Certification. “Boshart has already made substantial progress towards certifying Phoenix’s vehicles,” said Dan Elliott, CEO of Phoenix Motorcars. “Boshart has kept to a very aggressive timetable.” The company also confirmed that in consideration for a three-year exclusivity agreement within the U.S., Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTI), a leading supplier of nanomaterials and high-power battery systems technology, received a 16.6% ownership in the company. The three-year exclusivity agreement provides Phoenix with limited, exclusive use of Altairnano’s NanoSafe(TM) battery packs in four-wheel, all-electric vehicles having a gross weight up to 6,000 pounds. Phoenix must meet minimum battery pack purchases, annually, to maintain the limited exclusivity agreement. The minimum commitment to maintain exclusivity for […]
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