Bill Gates: The good thing about nuclear power is its lack of innovation
Despite the trouble with Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant following that country’s devastating earthquake, Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates still hasn’t given up on nuclear power.
In a conversation with Wired Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson today at the magazine’s third annual Business Conference, Gates said that one of the best aspects of nuclear power at the moment is its lack of innovation thus far, which leaves it ripe for disruption in the coming years.
When … Continue Reading
Hey, journalists: natural gas is not a safe alternative to nuclear
In the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster, several media outlets have speculated that the fears surrounding nuclear power may lead to a boom in the demand for natural gas. Some of these reports minimize the dangers of natural gas and ignore the role that cleantech can play in providing safe, renewable energy resources.
Take a look at this article from Monday’s New York Times, “Natural Gas Now Viewed as Safer Bet.” Total mentions of solar, … Continue Reading
Japan's nuclear crisis: policy implications for clean energy
Japan’s nuclear crisis is an environmental, financial, and humanitarian disaster, and it has far-reaching implications for energy policy here in the US and abroad.
Many are calling for the dismantling of the nuclear industry, but doing so could drive us even further away from clean energy. As with all strategy you have levers, not switches – confusing the two can cost you. For now at least, nuclear is the most viable energy lever cleantech has.… Continue Reading
Nuclear crisis doesn't panic cleantech investors
An escalating crisis at nuclear power plants in Japan following a massive earthquake and tsunami has not changed the investing thesis about clean technology, according to a number of leading venture capitalists and researchers.
Fears of a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan sparked a new wave of criticism of nuclear energy — and a rally in clean-energy stocks on Monday. But that interest quickly waned as stocks in the sector dropped … Continue Reading
On the GreenBeat: Solar and wind stocks jump, cleantech funding rose in 2010
Here’s what’s happening today on the GreenBeat:
Wind and solar stocks jump in wake of Japanese nuclear crisis. Shares of
clean energy equipment makers are rising as much as 27 percent for the second day in a row. Analysts speculate that the meltdown in Japan has permanently changed the value of nuclear for the worse.
Investments in US cleantech companies rose 46 percent to $5.1 billion in 2010. Research firm Clean Edge also said that … Continue Reading
On the GreenBeat: Abengoa to build bioethanol plant; Solar demand stronger than expected this quarter
Here’s the latest action we’re following today on the GreenBeat:
Abengoa to build biofuels plant in Kansas — Spanish multinational corporation Abegnoa said today it will build a 26.4 million-gallon capacity bioethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas. It is the largest commercial bioethanol production plant using biomass to date and is being jointly developed with the Department of Energy, and will use maize straw and wheat as feedstock. The company is behind a solar thermal plant … Continue Reading
On the GreenBeat: NRG and SunPower plan $450 million solar ranch, BlackLight plans water-to-electricity demo
Here are the top stories we’re following today on the GreenBeat:
NRG Solar and SunPower will team to build a $450 million solar ranch in California — NRG Solar will finance the 250-megawatt project, and SunPower will maintain it, according to the Associated Press.
Nuclear waste startup Kurion has emerged from stealth — The company turns nuclear waste into glass through a process it says is cheaper, faster and more efficient than its competitors, Earth2Tech … Continue Reading
Gates, Khosla-backed TerraPower lands $35M to launch a new era of nuclear
Environmental and policy hurdles continue to stymie nuclear development in the United States despite rapid growth in Europe. But a relatively new Seattle-based company called TerraPower is hoping to revamp nuclear’s public image with brand new technology — and it just raised $35 million to do it.
The company’s innovation isn’t its only distinguishing feature. It also has several prestigious backers, including Bill Gates, Khosla Ventures and now Charles River Ventures. All three participated in … Continue Reading
Sick of coal, China boosts its nuclear goals by 50 percent
Environmental and policy hurdles continue to stymie nuclear development in the United States despite rapid growth in Europe. But a relatively new Seattle-based company called TerraPower is hoping to revamp nuclear’s public image with brand new technology — and it just raised $35 million to do it.
The company’s innovation isn’t its only distinguishing feature. It also has several prestigious backers, including Bill Gates, Khosla Ventures and now Charles River Ventures. All three participated in … Continue Reading
