The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has long been seen as a clean technology pioneer. After all, this is a utility that shuttered a nuclear reactor after a public vote in 1989, and has since blazed trails on wind, solar, and energy efficient technologies. (more…)

Québec is Canada’s largest province in terms of area and it’s second largest in terms of population. Quebec is well known for its creativity and high-tech industries, such as aerospace and life sciences. However, Québec’s clean technology sector has remained a well-guarded secret for too (more…)

Gas prices continue to rise at local gas stations. I generally try to stay on the sidelines of politics, but simply cannot do so anymore. The partisan bickering is Washington is enough to give anyone a headache.

Last week, House Majority Leader John Boehner suggested that incentives for the oil industry ought to (more…)

On April 18, 2011, Molycorp, a U.S. based producer of rare earth metals and owner of the largest rare earth mine outside of China, announced that it has acquired a processing facility to manufacture rare earth magnets. According to CNET, Molycorp paid $17.5 million to Japan-based Santoku for its U.S. (more…)

In a previous post, I wrote about the Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s (CIPO) proposal to implement an expedited examination program for green tech patent applications.

Last month CIPO launched the program. Now applicants can have their green patent applications advanced out of turn (more…)

This week I’ve been examining the rare earth materials critical to a host of clean technology applications. The intention is to produce an accurate forecast of rare earth demand from the clean technology industry.

As we’ve talked about before, several rare earth metals with unique chemical and (more…)

Los Angeles is known first and foremost for its colossal influence on the entertainment industry but aside from Hollywood, LA is a bustling, massive industrial hub where labor, business and government efforts are working together to make the city’s industries sustainable as well. With access to the ports, a strong, skilled workforce, a robust university presence, and industry (more…)

Is renewable energy more cost effective than fossil fuels? Or is it more expensive?

Well, a recent Los Angeles Times article reported that, according to the results of a draft report issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in 2009, incoming governor Jerry Brown’s goal of 33 percent renewables by the year 2020 (more…)

China’s influence over the global rare earth metals (REM) markets has come under increased international scrutiny following recent measures by the Chinese Government aimed at strengthening control over its fragmented REM industry.

China currently accounts for 36 percent of REM reserves and 97 percent of worldwide (more…)

“Our project takes clues from the way the wind caresses a field of wheat, or reeds in a marsh; our hair on a gusty afternoon”. With these words, the team that presented the “Windstalk concept” at the 2010 Land Art Generator Initiative competition described the aesthetics of a project that gave them the second place mention from the jury. (more…)