12 Synthetic Biology Biofuel & Biochemical Companies to Watch

12 Synthetic Biology Biofuel & Biochemical Companies to Watch

A detailed review of 12 U.S. based synthetic biology, biofuel & biochemical companies that are developing third and fourth generation biofuels, bioindustrial & household chemical, and food additive products; using synthetic biology to produce engineered microorganisms and specialty enzymatic products. Each company is examined in turn, looking at its financials and the uniqueness and strength of its processes and technology as well as at any important partnerships or alliances that have been formed.

Getting Even With ExxonMobil

Getting Even With ExxonMobil

In this post, which is part of a series of posts on the hot button topic of rising gas prices and record oil company profits, Robert argues against the powerful temptation to tax Exxon/Mobile’s recent windfall profits. Doing so will do nothing to lower recent high gasoline prices, which in reality are driven by global supply and demand and will risk driving more of the oil business overseas. He goes into some depth on each of the main tax breaks and subsidies that the oil sector now enjoys and argues the case that these need to be continued and that the oil sector should not be singled out. He poses the question if it is fair for ExxonMobil to pay even more income taxes, than why not Apple or Google, which have much higher profit margins?

Ultra High Voltage (UHV) Transmission is the Renewable Energy Interstate

Ultra High Voltage (UHV) Transmission is the Renewable Energy Interstate

While other parts of the world are busy actually building national Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission infrastructure the US continues to do noting more substantial than litigate. A UHV super grid would be able to move renewable energy from where it is abundant to where people live and work, and do so at an economic cost. This kind of national electric energy infrastructure would enable solar, wind, hydro and geothermal generated electric power to reach market. It is a critical piece of the kind of future energy infrastructure we will need in order to continue to prosper. John goes into a lot of detail and provides numerous links to examples and more in depth reading on this very important subject.

Can Electric Vehicles Take Off? A Roadmap to Find the Answer

Can Electric Vehicles Take Off? A Roadmap to Find the Answer

Electric cars are finally coming to market in the U.S., but what is the future potential for this much-touted technology? A good way to find out would be to launch demonstration projects in selected U.S. cities to determine if, given incentives and the proper infrastructure, the public will truly embrace plug-in vehicles.

Natural Gas as Panacea: Dubious Path to a Green Future

Natural Gas as Panacea: Dubious Path to a Green Future

Many energy experts contend natural gas is the ideal fuel as the world makes the transition to renewable energy. But since much of that gas will come from underground shale, potentially at high environmental cost, it would be far better to skip the natural gas phase and move straight to massive deployment of solar and wind power.

Wind’s Latest Problem: It Makes Power Too Cheap

Wind’s Latest Problem: It Makes Power Too Cheap

Utilities don’t like wind not because it’s not competitive, but because it brings prices down for their existing assets, thus lowering their revenues and their profits. Thus the permanent propaganda campaign against wind. The reality is that wind power brings prices down for consumers.

Are America’s Fears of a Greentech Race with China Unfounded?

Are America’s Fears of a Greentech Race with China Unfounded?

There has been growing talk about a clean-tech race between China and the U.S., often cast in ominous tones. But the quest to develop and implement renewable energy can be one where both nations win.

DOE Promoting Energy Efficiency in the Information Economy

DOE Promoting Energy Efficiency in the Information Economy

The Department of Energy is awarding $47 million to support the development of new technologies and knowhow aimed at improving energy efficiency in the information technology (IT) and communication technology sectors. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that 14 projects across the country will share in this award. Information technology and telecommunications are vital and rapidly growing sectors of our overall economy and will become even more central as the smart grid is deployed. As our country increasingly comes to rely on an information economy in sector after sector the underlying physical infrastructure that supports it, such as the data centers, networks, routers and so forth, is expected to continue to rapidly grow.

Five Promising Thin Film Solar Startups

Five Promising Thin Film Solar Startups

It is a rough time to be a startup in the Solar Photovoltaic sector. The financial crisis and deep recession has not only dried up capital, but has also hit demand for solar panels, which has lead to a global supply glut and a price collapse. In this very difficult environment startups must compete with much larger established global suppliers that have factories of hundreds of megawatts each, an established customer base and well developed brand names and sales channels. In this post we look at five promising CIGS thin film Solar PV startups based in the US and try to catalog their unique strengths and accomplishments.

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