Weekly Newsflash 12/19-12/23: Major Milestones for Clean Energy Installation and Investment in 2016

This week in cleantech news, major milestones in renewable energy generation installed capacity and planned projects were heralded by private, public, and government entities alike, while strategies to support clean energy innovation companies echo our mission and offerings here at Greentown Labs. What #cleantech news have you been reading? Share it with us @GreentownLabs?

 

GreenBiz : 4 Ways to Help Cleantech Hit a Home Run

There is no doubt that much more money is needed to advance early-stage cleantech. In contrast to “capital-light” web businesses, innovation in hardware technologies in the energy sector is notoriously expensive, slow and risky. Progress is costly. But if BEV focuses only on the money, they will have missed an opportunity. We at the Carbon Trust know from our long experience supporting start-ups that the wider ecosystem is critical. Innovators also need things such as commercial guidance, lab space and actual customers. They need highly active investors that can incubate nascent companies and use their clout to forge relationships with partners, suppliers and conservative industry incumbents.

 

Cleantechnica : Wind Energy Behind Historic Shift in US Electricity Production

The increase, which has driven wind’s share of generation to 48 million MWh in the first 11 months of 2016 from 36 million MWh in the first 11 months of 2015, has displaced over 11.6 million MWh of electricity that would otherwise have been produced at fossil-fired plants.

 

CNN : Google Will Hit Renewable Energy Milestone in 2017

Google will buy enough renewable energy in 2017 to power all of its operations, including its 13 data centers and offices in 150 cities. As a believer in climate change, Google said it has a responsibility as a multinational business to be a steward of the environment. Google also describes its pursuit of renewable energy as making good business sense. In the last six years, it has seen the cost of wind and solar power come down about 60% and 80%, respectively. Google (GOOG) declined to reveal how much money it’s saving/spending by using clean sources.

 

Huffington Post : The City of Los Vegas is Now Powered Entirely by Renewable Energy

All Las Vegas city facilities ― from government buildings to streetlights ― are now running entirely on renewable energy, city officials have announced. The achievement marks the completion of the city’s nearly decade-long goal to fully transition to clean energy only ― a project that was expedited after the city partnered with public utility company NV Energy almost a year ago.

 

Greentech Media : Solar Outpaces Natural Gas and Wind for New Generation in 2016

Utility-scale solar photovoltaic power added more than 9 gigawatts (AC) of capacity to the U.S. power grid in 2016, making it the most dominant new fuel source for the first time in a calendar year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

 

Environmental Leader : Meet 4 CleanTech Innovations the Will Drive Manufacturing Efficiency Gains

Strategic partnerships with government agencies and NGOs can help businesses drive efficiency — and develop innovations that can improve other companies’ environmental and economic performance at the same time. Case in point: a program that embeds innovators in a national laboratory where they will develop environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient technologies that drive manufacturing growth. By participating in the Argonne initiative, the startups benefit from reduced development costs and risk. They receive $350,000 to spend on R&D and up to $110,000 annually in salary, benefits and a travel stipend. The rest of us benefit when they bring their new clean technologies to market, and reduce companies’ wastewater treatment costs, among other things.

 

SolarServer : Developing Countries Added 18% More Renewable Energy Generation Capacity than Wealthier Nations

Developing countries have taken a decisive lead over developed economies in clean energy development, adding 18% more renewable energy generation capacity than wealthier nations, and with four in five having set national clean energy targets in the run up to UN-sponsored climate negotiations in Paris.