Clean Tech Update 05.19.10

California attorney general urges US to back property-tax financing for clean tech projects (Greenwire)

California Attorney General Jerry Brown yesterday pressed federal regulators to back programs widely employed in the Golden State that let property owners pay for solar panels and energy efficiency projects over time through property taxes.

Clean technology competition heats up (OC Metro)

Ten semifinalists will vie for a spot among the top five candidates in the Clean Tech Business Plan Competition, sponsored by the Anaheim Center for New Energy Technology, or AC-NET.

Electric car startup Coda closes $58 million round, eyes Singapore (earth2tech)

Coda Automotive, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based startup that aims to build electric cars in China for the U.S. market, has just announced the close of a whopping $58 million Series C round of financing. The company, which plans to launch its inaugural vehicle -- the Coda Sedan -- in California later this year, also says today it plans to set up an office in Singapore. This latest round, led by Aeris Capital and joined by Singapore-based EDB Investments, among others, brings Coda’s total invested capital to more than $125 million

Mayor Johnson launches green initiative (Sacramento Business Journal)

Mayor Kevin Johnson launched his regional green initiative Tuesday to rally community leaders behind a common vision and goal to make Sacramento the greenest region in the country and an economic hub for green technology.