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(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address): November 30, 2009

Google to Fund Clean Power Plants

Deployment of green technologies is taking too long and other sources of funding are drying up, says Google’s Dan Reicher. But will Google invest in projects directly or indirectly?

Tech-heavy Google is getting into one of the least scientific, but most important, segments of the green business: putting up the money to build power plants.

During an evening symposium at Google's headquarters in San Francisco, Dan Reicher, director of climate change and energy initiatives at Google, told a group of greentech specialists that the search giant would soon take the leap into investing in energy projects – i.e., renewable power plants.

"How do we get medium and large scale projects off the ground" is one of the dilemmas facing the alternative energy industry, he said.

Later, we asked him to clarify whether Google would invest in projects directly, or invest in companies that specialize in project finance. Google is examining all of the options, Reicher said, waving his hands. Although project finance may not have the scientific luster of advanced geothermal drilling, it's not easy, he added. He used to work in project finance before he came to Google. Some of the traditional sources for this kind of funding are no longer as active as they once were.

The move into project finance represents something of a shift for Google. To date, it has invested in companies promoting technologies, such as solar thermal specialists BrightSource Energy and eSolar. Many startups, however, have found themselves stumped in the past year by dismal economic circumstances. They possess novel technologies but don't have the financial resources to get off the ground. Ironically, that description applies to both BrightSource and eSolar.

BrightSource teamed up with Bechtel, the large builder, and sold part of a power plant project in Ivanpah in exchange for Bechtel's assistance in weaving through the financial and logistical jungle needed to get the multi-megawatt project off the ground. eSolar, meanwhile, once planned on building its own power plants. While eSolar says it will still participate in building power plants, it also just sells equipment and licenses its technology to larger, more well-heeled companies.

Reicher also mentioned several times during the seminar about how the company supports the creation of a Clean Energy Deployment Administration, which would be a group within the Department of Energy charged with ensuring projects can go from the proverbial A to B. The creation of CEDA is part of a bill proposed by U.S. Senators Jeff Binagman and Lisa Murkowski.

6 Comments

  • femtobeam 12/4/09 3:09 PM

    When they find a way to protect the Inventors online & their IP, then they will have something to invest in. Then the Government can ignore these large companies and fund the entrepreneurs who own the technologies and need the funding for their own businesses. Now that Bechtel and Google have obtained all the IP through their networks and their deliberate “information sharing”, they are planning to own it all. The only problem for them now is China who has a friend in charge of the DOE, giving away all the hard earned reports to China submitted through the DOE website and having given up ownership of the good ideas. Now the game moves online and the real ability and brains will win if funded against the larger players. It is a matter of knowing, not compiling, information. Femtobeam LLC will have their Mass and Energy Balances online and their equipment in United Steelworkers Union plants, if the law prevails.

     Reply
  • Stephen Hamilton 12/5/09 5:23 PM

    The problem here is that the science is at critical mass; the technology is at critical mass.  We must now do to solar/electorn conversion what the sitting congress of 1862 did for the science and technology of Rail Roads.

    America and the world need to move from Carbon/Hydrogen energy to Solar energy; no matter if Al Gore is right or not.  Carbon science and technology has been exhausted.  It is time to step up to the 21st century; it is not hard.  It just takes a leap of faith and solid brass fortitude.

     Reply
  • Joseph Salomon, 12/6/09 11:41 AM

    Is there no honor left in the world ? I have developed a new concept of the V.A.W.T,
    ALL WITHOUT EXCEPTION WILL STEAL YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WITH OUT SHAME;
    The U.S.P.T.O, Be dammed there as useless as tits on a bore hog, Another mony grab by
    the government; And you protect yoursealf no help from the GOV,The small inventor has
    no resorces to bring good ideas to the market; My invention is THE { CARO ~ SAIL }
    A MULTI GENEORATOR - VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE;
    I have been offerd 1% by Venture Capitalist of my owne invention; 20 years of my life, X em I’ll take it to my grave; Every super large company was started by one
    mans idea and there head guy is now liveing off the fat of the first mans swet and brain power;
    Watson made I.B.M, Guys like him made America the super power that it is,
    He could not get a job at i.b.m, today, 
    If he was alive today he would not be allowed in the plant!
    His motto was one word { THINK! } Oh one last thing on global warming;The Volcaino
    Mount Saint Helen put more toxic gases and ash into the atmosphere in 4 days than
    man has done in the past 4,thousand years; You tree huggers chew on that;
    Joseph Salomon,
    President & C.E.O,
    Blue Sky Enterprises International,Inc,
    412 Keyserkill, Rd.
    Middleburgh, N.Y,
    12122   518-827-5903,
    (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

     Reply
      • GF-RB 12/6/09 12:51 PM

        Mr. Salomon, I see that you are very bitter about the process and lack of possibilities in your view with regards to bringing inventions to market.  Yes, there is always I.P. risk and yes, the actual inventors often get taken out of the game (often a lucritive event for them if they play it right).  The design of the general “system” for technology development in the country is the cause, but this is often a good thing.  Inventors, while very creative, are often not capable of bringing their ideas to commercialization - that is the job of investors and large companies (yes, there are exceptions to this statement as many investors have developed succesful companies born out of their ideas).  But if your ideas are as good as you say, I urge you not to let this dissuade you.  Team up with someone who can get your point across to investors so that your ideas do not get shelved simply out of angry spite.  And with regards to your Mt. Saint Helens data, you are quite simply wrong.  Humans these days put out about 20 gigatons of CO2 per year.  If you do a simple calculation discounting emmissions rates going back through time, you can come up with a reasonable uneducated estimate over your 4,000 year period (obviously, only the last 200 years are important here).  You will see that your statement about Mt. St. Helens and its CO2 emmission rate is just flat wrong.  And one more comment, while volcanos certainly do throw off the long-term CO2 balance (as they are anomolous events), the argument is that the 20 gigatons/year of anthropogenic CO2 throws off Earth’s natural balance even further, and on a regular, annual basis these days.  Earth can adjust for vocanic eruptions that occur on the scale that we’ve seen during this human epoch, but it cannot adjust for a constant barrage of 20 gigatons annually.  Please do not let your anger at the venture capital and corporate world cloud your judgement or make you quit on one of your ideas, and please do not blame the tree huggers for the capital/investment system that exists.  You may have the answer locked away in your drawer - please find a means to see that it gets reviewed by the rigth people.  Take if from me, someone who has experience with trying to pitch ideas about technological breakthroughts - getting funding for ideas is not easy; if it were, everyone would be doing it.
      • Wallace Barnes 12/7/09 6:47 PM

        Well for instance Joseph, Just one man has spewed more hot air than any Volcano! Then again I guess he can because he buys carbon offsets from himself? What a racket! Anybody seen or heard from the bloveator since climategate? Where are you Al? the world wants to know.
  • Carlos Barrera 06/23/10 2:43 PM

    This is one:

    Tip Info / New Technology Submission - Gearturbine - Atypical

    http://gearturbine.260mb.com

    You Tube Video; Atypical New * GEARTURBINE / Retrodynamic = DextroRPM VS LevoInFlow + Ying Yang Thrust Way Type - Non Waste Looses

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cPo9Lf44TE

    GEARTURBINE -Atypical Combustion Turbine Engine, -State of the Art, -New Thermodynamic Technology, -With Retrodynamic “Dextrogiro vs Levogiro” Effect, is when the inflow direction moves is against [VS] of the circular rotary dynamic / RPM Rotor Move VS Inflow Conduits Way /ACTION VS REACTION / Front 2 Front / Velocity vs Velocity, making in a simple way a very strong concept of power thrust, a unique technical quality. -Wide cylindrical shape dynamic mass (continue Inertia cinetic positive tendens motion / all the motor weight is goin with the power thrust direction), -Non Waste, parasitic losses form-function engine system for; cooling, lubrication & combustion; -Lubrication & Combustion inside a conduit radial position, out way direction, activated by centrifugal force Fueled Injected (centripetal to in) , -Cooling in & out; In by Thermomix flow & Out by air Thermo transference, activated by the dynamic rotary move, -Increase the first compression by going of reduction of one big circumference fan blades going to, -2two very long distance captive compression inflow propulsion conduits (like a digestive system) (long interaction) in perfect equilibrium well balanced start were end like a snake bite his own tale, -Inside active rotor with 4 pairs of retrodynamic turbos (complete regeneration power system), -Mechanical direct “Planetary Gear” power thrust like a Ying Yang (very strong torque) (friendly loose friction) 2two small gears in polar position inside a bigger shell gear, wide out the rotor circumference were have much more lever power thrust, lower RPM in a simple way solution for turbines, to make possible for a some new work application (land). -3 Stages of inflow turbo compression before the combustion. -3 points united of power thrust; 1- Rocket Flames, 2-Planetary Gear & 3-Exhaust Propulsion, all in one system. -2two continuous circular moving inside combustion (rocket flames) like two dragons trying to bite the tail of the opposite other. -Hybrid flow system different kind of aerolasticity thermoplastic inflow propulsion types; single, action & reaction turbines applied in one same system, -Military benefits, No blade erosion by sand & very low heat target profile. -Power thrust by barr (tube); air sea land & generation application, -With the unique retrodynamic technical quality of “dextrogiro vs levogiro” effect is when the inside flow moves against of the rotor moves making a very strong concept, RPM Rotor Move VS Inflow Conduits Way (an a example is like to move the head to the side of the strike hit) -A pretender of very high % porcent efficient power plant engine. -Patent; Dic 1991 IMPI Mexico #197187

     Reply
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