Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Fuel cells and hydrogen were the buzz for years in U.S. automotive industry, until foreign competitors began making waves with hybrids.

Problems with the H included the high cost of infrastructure and the fossil-fuel energy needed to make hydrogen stations work.

That could change if new research on enzymes is realized. A team of scientists from Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Lab and the University of Georgia has developed a way of producing hydrogen gas by combining enzymes and cellulosic materials from non-food sources with good old water, according to a news release.

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Smart, Eager and Cost Effective...

This weekend is important as both IESE (Barcelona) and Wharton (Philadelphia) are holding competitions and conferences surrounding sustainability.

Thinking locally (for me anyway):

Bay Area startups looking for some “cost effective” strategic help, here is some free strategic help: Invest a couple of hours in mid-March, and send someone to talk to students looking for some experience and a chance to prove their mettle.

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Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Gwynne Rogers of the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI).  NMI is a market research and strategic consulting firm with expertise in health, wellness & sustainability.   Gwynne is the LOHAS Business Director at NMI.  She focuses on strategic analysis and planning for LOHAS related companies.  She holds a Masters in Environmental Management and an MBA from Duke University. She brings five years of specific experience in environmental marketing where she served various companies such as Pitney Bowes, Advanced Coal Technologies, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Yesterday, First Solar announced it had reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules in the fourth quarter to 98 cents per watt – that is big news because the company won the race to produce under the $1 per watt price barrier.  This news didn’t come as a surprise to many, and perhaps we can get Brad to write a note about the true significance of the announcement.

Other big news was PG&E’s proposal for 500 MW of solar PV – half of which PG&E would develop on its own.  This is worth noting because traditionally Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) in California, like PG&E, have had to rely on Independent Power Producers (IPPs) since the deregulation of the State’s energy market in the 1990’s. 

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I remember being a senior in high school using Prodigy (!!) to connect to the Internet and thinking that this “Internet thing” was never going to catch on. It was way too slow and I felt like a loser for spending so much time not really accomplishing anything. I had no idea that the Internet was slowly and steadily on its way to transforming all other forms of entertainment- music, movies, toys, and even books to become a gateway into more sustainable industries.

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Came across a report from the Congressional Research Service (pdf) on biofuels. Dated Jan. 5, 2009, it’s a decent summary of federal incentives (pre-stimulus).

cursed thing, via flickr

Some numbers: There are 24 U.S. programs that support biofuels, mostly ethanol and biodiesel. They were established over the last 28 years and are administered by five government agencies: Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Energy, IRS, and Customs and Border Protection.

If policy drives business, it looks like there are 101 reasons to develop cellulosic biofuels (from plant waste rather than people food). There’s a $1.01 per gallon credit from the IRS for producers.

The appendix has a summary by agency. Something to chew on.

The Pew Center also has a guide to state incentives.

Check out our links page for these and other great CleanTech Links

Last week, Mackinnon gave a great overview of the Stimulus incentives for Cleantech. The impact of over $80 billion (yes, BILLION) will be an unprecedently leap in commercialization of clean technologies, putting us well on the way to reduced carbon emissions and energy independence.

However, there are many trade-offs that are inherent to “shovel-ready” economic stimulus that do not make us greener, cleaner or more energy independent. Last week, NPR discussed the Green goals of the stimulus package. In particular, the fact that $29 billion (also, BILLION) will be dedicated to building new highways is polluting in the near-term, but also “means more cars, more development, and more greenhouse gas pollution.”

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Courtesy of BP

Exciting news on the cellulosic ethanol front. The promise of next-generation biofuels is moving from the lab to the factory.

BP has announced a joint venture with Verenium to make cellulosic ethanol from grass and other non-edible plants.

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Yesterday, two days after President Obama signed the stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or ARRA) into law, DOE Secretary Steven Chu announced a reorganization of how the Department of Energy will disperse loans, loan guarantees and funding contained therein.

Obviously, the idea is that there will be a disbursement of money to begin investments into the economy which will put Americans back to work and create millions of new jobs. What is good for CleanTechies like you and me is that there’s a leader at the helm Department of Energy that is keen on energy efficiency and renewables because it is the DOE that will be in a position to bring relevant projects to the table. More great news is he’s added ex-McKinsey consultant Matt Rogers to the team, a long time analyst of energy issues and climate change. It is great to have such strong representation from the business community within the DOE.

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It is no secret that we need global participation in order to substitute our polluting ways. The World needs innovative and passionate leaders to bring about the change.

Athgo and UCLA are calling for Social and CleanTech entrepreneurs (or wannabes) with a passion for sustainability: On March 4-7 there will be a great event taking place in Los Angeles. If you’re a college student or young entrepreneur, this is the place to be. The 6th annual Global Clean Technology Forum at UCLA provides a platform for 200 selected young minds across the globe to learn and advance their causes toward achieving environmental sustainability. If you’re between the ages of 18 and 32 you might want to try and get one of the open slots. The deadline for applications is coming up fast, February 24.

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