The Complicated Energy Innovation Challenge
The Energy industry abounds with unique and often conflicting interests. Incumbent players have little incentive to change the status quo because of enormous capital investments in infrastructure, production capacity, and supply chains. Fortunately, scientists and entrepreneurs continue to face these challenges head on, charging ahead to lead a revolution that will be won in incremental...
Is cheap, clean AND secure energy possible?
(This post originally appeared at The Energy Collective.) David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and current blogger for Newsweek/The Daily Beast, is among the more thoughtful conservative commentators. (Full disclosure – I had the pleasure and privilege of writing for his now defunct blog, FrumForum.com.) Nevertheless, Frum is sadly mistaken in his recent piece...
With Nstar Deal, State gets Jobs and Economic Growth
(This op-ed originally appeared at The Podium by the Boston Globe.) Governor Patrick’s recently announced merger deal between Northeast Utilities and Nstar does more than just protect against rate increases for years to come – it enhances the state’s national leadership in the clean energy innovation economy and positions us for the key benefits from...
Senate Appropriations Support ARPA-E
Good news from the Senate Appropriations Committee: ARPA-E funding was expanded over FY2011, and most other DOE clean energy innovation was not cut.
Cut Waste, Keep ARPA-E
A newly released report titled "Green Scissors 2011" aims to highlight government spending that is both wasteful and environmentally damaging, but misses the mark badly on ARPA-E.
Innovation: The Key to Unlocking America’s (Clean Tech) Potential
Innovation is when Invention solves a Problem (ideally at sufficient scale to create a sustainable and high impact solution).
U.S. Clean Tech Industry At A Crossroads
In digesting the important questions that Mitch Tyson outlined in the Energy Leaders Forum’s first post, it struck me that these questions represent a collection of the (mostly) non-technical barriers to the success of the clean tech sector, and define the obstacles we must overcome as we face two possible futures: One leads to rapidly...
2011 Budget Deal: What Impact on Energy?
I'll try to collect analysis and responses on what the new budget deal means for clean energy, but for now I wanted to share this summary from Politico's Morning Energy. My understanding is that ARPA-E received significant funding but I'll post more on that when I track down public sources.
Clean energy innovation: An investment in the future
As Congress debates the federal budget, it should prioritize investment in one emerging innovation sector of particular economic and strategic importance: Clean energy.
Weekly Clean Energy Links 3-6-11
It was a busy week with both the ARPA-E Summit and the MIT Energy Conference. Members Great Point Energy and Boston-Power made The Wall Street Journal’s list of the top 10 cleantech companies, RGGI remains at risk in NH, debate heats up over opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and much more. New England Clean...