A smarter power plant? What if it's nuclear?

These, and many other topics were discussed in the conference rooms and hallways of this week's Cleantech Forum in San Francisco.

Here's a roundup of our coverage:

GE Says Smart Grid Equal to 41GW of Power Plants
Steve Fludder, vice president of Ecomagination at GE, says smart grid technologies could displace 41,000 megawatts. He's got views on other things going on at GE too.

Hemp Homes, Fish Food, Holographic Solar and Other Ideas
Oberon can turn waste into food, while LIfeCrete has new building blocks. Here are other startup tricks that we found at the Cleantech Forum.

Masdar Raising New Fund; Cal. Atty General Has Green Plan
Abu Dhabi's Masdar Foundation has partnered with Deutsch Bank to raise a $700 million fund. Meanwhile, California's Attorney General Jerry Brown says his office is putting together a solar and renewable energy effort.

Gov't Aid and Its Unintended Consequences
The federal stimulus package will help Greentech companies weather the economic downturn, but it also could lead to some undesirable effects.

Purifying Water Through Gravity
From your toilet to the tap. Epuramat says it can clean water by imitating nature. A Khosla company is listening.

Bioplastics Close in Price to Regular Plastic and Trader Joe's Coconut Packages
Cereplast, maker of biodegradable and compostable resins for food containers and industrial parts, has reduced the cost of some of its resins to it can compete with regular petroleum-based plastics.

U.S. Needs a $1 a Gallon Gas Tax, Say s Nobel Laureate
If you want the U.S. to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and have greater energy autonomy, instigate a $1 a gallon gas tax, says Nobel Prize winner Arno Penzias.

Nuke, Why Not?
More nuclear power advocates are making themselves heard as the United States sets out to produce more clean energy. Here is what a Nobel laureate and the head of the U.K. Atomic energy Authority Has to Say About It.

Achates Power, Stealthy Diesel Startup, Comes Clean
The quiet maker of piston/opposed cylinder engines unveiled a healthy chunk of its business plan. So what's the deal?

In a Down Market, Green Building Is Soaring
Despite the worldwide economic crunch, happy days are here for the green building industry, say execs from Serious Materials and GE Lumination.

Know Your Chemicals, Make Healthier Buying Decisions
In California, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, part of Cal EPA, is working to create a database of chemicals and their toxicity levels for public access.