Aerospace conglomerate’s Spectrolab subsidiary claims new solar cell gets better than 40 percent efficiency. [click to read article]
December 6, 2006
Friday, December 8
Cleantech Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans
Industry waters say the ‘Holy Grail’ of feedstocks for biofuels could be years from reality.
[click to read article]
December 7, 2006
By Jennifer Kho
[click to read article]
December 7, 2006
By Jennifer Kho
Tuesday, December 5
Future of Wind Up In The Air?
Wind turbines at 10,000 feet? Next thing you'll tell me is that they floated up there on balloons. It sounds crazy, but there are companies trying to commercialize airborne wind turbines. Check out Magenn [click here] for more.
Mercedes Green: Biodiesel-Powered Recyclable Concept
The Mercedes-Benz RECY concept is an open-air vehicle (to take advantage of the “famed southern California weather and lifestyle”) and would be powered by a four-cylinder Bluetec biodiesel motor. It has a high-strength frame and laminated wood shell, as well as hand-assembled, grain-matched wood panels that owners could replace if damaged. [Check out the RECY and other green concept cars]
Monday, December 4
Energy in Flux: The 21st Century's Greatest Challenge
What the Shifting Dynamics of Energy Mean for Corporations, Governments, Society and the International Community
Joseph A. Stanislaw, Ph.D., independent senior advisor to the Energy & Resources practice of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, has authored a new white paper, Energy in Flux: The 21st Century’s Greatest Challenge. [Click here to access the paper]
Joseph A. Stanislaw, Ph.D., independent senior advisor to the Energy & Resources practice of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, has authored a new white paper, Energy in Flux: The 21st Century’s Greatest Challenge. [Click here to access the paper]
New Investment Fund Raises $2.25 Billion To Hunt Power Sector
The Wall Street Journal
December 4, 2006
A new private-equity fund has raised $2.25 billion to scout for investments amid big changes in the nation's electricity grid.
Energy Capital Partners represents one of the largest first-time investment funds, taking in cash from 150 investors, including pension funds, university endowments and wealthy individuals.
The fund is founded chiefly by a group of former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. utility-sector bankers and investors, including Doug Kimmelman, Energy Capital Partners' senior partner.
Private-equity funds have moved aggressively into power and utility investments in the last few years, picking off assets largely sold by public companies that were in fiscal distress earlier in the decade. Those investments proved largely profitable for the buyout groups because of higher electricity-generation prices.
In an interview, Mr. Kimmelman said the group will focus its investing in power generation, renewable energy and the electricity-transmission grid. Each sector is ripe for investing, Mr. Kimmelman said, because of broader shifts in the nation's utility infrastructure.
"It's become very clear that we've got large capital needs in the power and utility world," Mr. Kimmelman said. "The infrastructure has become very aged and fragmented."
This past year has been benign in terms of conditions that could lead to utility blackouts, Mr. Kimmelman said. But he warned that "the industry is on the edge" and that severe weather, nuclear-plant outages or below-average hydropower production could force "some significant blackouts" during 2007.
"More dollars need to be spent in the generation-and-transmission side of business," he added.
Energy Capital Partners has already closed on its first investment, a $1.34 billion purchase of hydropower and coal-fired power plants in Connecticut and Massachusetts from Northeast Utilities. Mr. Kimmelman said the firm put in about $400 million in cash and took on debt to pay the remainder.
December 4, 2006
A new private-equity fund has raised $2.25 billion to scout for investments amid big changes in the nation's electricity grid.
Energy Capital Partners represents one of the largest first-time investment funds, taking in cash from 150 investors, including pension funds, university endowments and wealthy individuals.
The fund is founded chiefly by a group of former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. utility-sector bankers and investors, including Doug Kimmelman, Energy Capital Partners' senior partner.
Private-equity funds have moved aggressively into power and utility investments in the last few years, picking off assets largely sold by public companies that were in fiscal distress earlier in the decade. Those investments proved largely profitable for the buyout groups because of higher electricity-generation prices.
In an interview, Mr. Kimmelman said the group will focus its investing in power generation, renewable energy and the electricity-transmission grid. Each sector is ripe for investing, Mr. Kimmelman said, because of broader shifts in the nation's utility infrastructure.
"It's become very clear that we've got large capital needs in the power and utility world," Mr. Kimmelman said. "The infrastructure has become very aged and fragmented."
This past year has been benign in terms of conditions that could lead to utility blackouts, Mr. Kimmelman said. But he warned that "the industry is on the edge" and that severe weather, nuclear-plant outages or below-average hydropower production could force "some significant blackouts" during 2007.
"More dollars need to be spent in the generation-and-transmission side of business," he added.
Energy Capital Partners has already closed on its first investment, a $1.34 billion purchase of hydropower and coal-fired power plants in Connecticut and Massachusetts from Northeast Utilities. Mr. Kimmelman said the firm put in about $400 million in cash and took on debt to pay the remainder.
Sunday, December 3
Drilling might resume in Alaska bay
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush is deciding whether to lift a ban on oil and gas drilling in federal waters off Alaska's Bristol Bay, home to endangered whales and sea lions and the world's largest sockeye salmon run. [Click to read article]
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