California Clean Tech Update 12.10.09

Greenwire

State lines: CA, NM, Texas, Wisconsin

The state Air Resources Board moved ahead with plans to give truckers more time to comply with the nation's toughest diesel emissions rules yesterday, citing the economic downturn.

http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2009/12/10/17/

Earth 2 Tech

China's BYD eyes SoCal for its US electric car ambitions (CA)

As far as China's BYD Co. is concerned, Los Angeles has at least five markings of a prime launchpad for electric vehicles: high population density, air pollution problems, a large car market, affluent consumers, and a yen for new technologies.

http://earth2tech.com/2009/12/09/chinas-byd-eyes-los-angeles-for-electric-car-rollout-whats-so-special-about-socal/

GreenBeat

Long Beach vies to lure Tesla plant away from Downey (LB)

Electric car maker Tesla Motors is still deciding where to locate the more than $300 million assembly plant for its Model S sedan. Given that the site selected will get about $20 million in extra tax and utility revenue, in addition to as many as 1,500 jobs, the competition is getting pretty fierce.

http://green.venturebeat.com/2009/12/09/long-beach-vies-to-lure-new-tesla-factory-away-from-downey/

Blogging Stocks

California tops US for clean jobs
 
If you still doubt that the next bubble will be green, check out the latest from California. Green and clean technology gigs surged 36% from 1995 to 2008, beating the state's overall 13% job-growth rate for the same period, according to Silicon Valley-based research firm Collaborative Economics.

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/10/california-tops-u-s-for-green-jobs/
 
Wall Street Journal

EnerNOC buys Cogent to build-up energy management business (CA)

Demand-response company EnerNOC Inc. (ENOC) said Wednesday it added to a small but growing part of its business--efficiently managing building energy use--with the purchase of Cogent Energy Inc.
 
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091210-709942.html

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

US, China Announce Electric Vehicles Initiative

US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao have just announced the launch of a U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative. The initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles in order to reduce oil dependence, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and promote economic growth. According to the White House, activities under the initiative will include:

Joint standards development, including product and testing standards. Each country currently has extensive literature and data on its own standards.

Joint demonstrations, linking more than a dozen cities to collect and share data on charging patterns, driving experiences, grid integration, consumer preferences and other topics.

A joint technical roadmap to identify R&D needs as well as issues related to the manufacture, introduction and use of electric vehicles.

Public awareness and engagement to improve public understanding of electric vehicle technologies, including an annual forum.

Working towards common standards is expected to help facilitate rapid deployment of electric vehicles in both countries. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers have generated signficant interest, particularly after an investment in BYD from Warren Buffett. A number of Chinese companies are looking to enter the US market within the next two years. Meanwhile, US companies like Tesla Motors are pursuing an aggressive growth strategy focused on the domestic and European markets.

For more on the electric vehicle initiative and other news pertaining to U.S.-Chinese energy collaboration, click here.

DOE and USDA announce $24M for biomass

The Departments of Agriculture and Energy announced projects selected for more than $24 million in grants to research and develop technologies to produce biofuels.  Advanced biofuels produced through these grants are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to fossil fuels.

Projects announced must contribute a minimum of 20 percent of matching funds for research and development projects and 50 percent of matching funds for demonstration projects.

A full list of grant recipients is available here.

Obama picks VC to run DOE loan office

The Obama Administration and Department of Energy have announced that clean tech venture capitalist Jonathan Silver will oversee the DOE's loan programs.

According to DOE Secretary Stephen Chu, "Jonathan's background and expertise will help us dramatically expand our efforts and capitalize on the many significant opportunities we have in front of us."

As commented on GreenBeat, "The administration’s choice of a venture capitalist emphasizes its need to pick winning companies, as well as its approach to funding cleantech projects as long-term investments. With experience picking and infusing alternative energy companies, Silver seems an apt fit for the job. He has also worked with manufacturing and telecommunications startups, two areas that are extremely relevant to cleantech’s success."