California Clean Tech Update 12.09.09

Greenwire

China's BYD may make L.A. its electric car hub (CA)

Chinese carmaker BYD Co. is eying Los Angeles as the primary market for the new all-electric battery car model it plans to begin selling next year in the United States.

http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2009/12/09/15/

CNet Green Tech News

Patent office puts green tech on fast track

Patent requests related to green technology will get the equivalent of the carpool lane at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10411175-54.html

DOE offers $100 million for far-out energy tech

The Department of Energy is making $100 million in government stimulus money available to researchers with ideas for radically different energy technologies.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10410350-54.html

California gives green light for space-based solar (CA)

California regulators on Thursday approved an ambitious project to beam solar energy from space starting in 2016.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10408897-54.html

Green Beat

Chevy Volt to launch in California next year (CA)

General Motors used the sprawling Los Angeles Auto Show as a platform to announce that the Chevy Volt -- its hotly anticipated plug-in hybrid vehicle -- will roll into California showrooms by the end of 2010, thereby beating Tesla Motors' Model S and other competitors to market.

http://green.venturebeat.com/2009/12/02/chevy-volt-to-launch-in-california-next-year/

LA inches towards solar with new Owens Lake proposal (CA)

The solar project doesn't have the green light just yet. It must first pass through the California State Lands Commission -- the same regulatory body that has preferred to transmit solar power from Arizona than build in-state power plants in the past. The plans will also have to get approved by the federal government, which could be tricky.

http://green.venturebeat.com/2009/12/02/l-a-inches-toward-solar-with-new-owens-lake-proposal/

Orange County Register

Need a job? Think "green" - jobs booming in Orange County, statewide (OC)

The state's economy might be floundering, but across California green jobs have been booming, with Orange County near the head of the pack in more than one category.

http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/08/need-a-job-think-green-jobs-booming-in-oc-statewide/17077/

LA Times

Job growth in California is going green (CA)

From January 2007 to January 2008 green jobs increased 5% while total jobs declined 1%.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-jobs9-2009dec09,0,6283396.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Press-Telegram

Downey Mayor: All Tesla needs is federal OK (CA)

Downey Mayor Mario Guerra issued a statement this evening suggesting that his city has been chosen by Tesla Motors for an electric car plant, pending federal approval. Tesla has expressed interest in locating at the Downey Studios site, as well as the Boeing 717 site in Long Beach.

http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_13955612