Friday, April 27, 2012

Investments, Taxpayers and Cleantech

Taxpayers doubting the prudence of investing in new clean technologies are one of the major roadblocks in the widespread adoption of cleantech. Recently, President Obama has come forward to reiterate his support of the US becoming a major player in the global cleantech market.
During a recent visit to Buckley Airforce Base the President said he intended to “double down on a clean-energy industry that’s never been more promising.” Conversely, a recent article by the National Legal and Policy Center explored the option that private investors, not taxpayers will be the major players in funding clean technology and bringing it to market.
The Op/Ed looked at recent studies that show a continuing increase in interest and investment by private capitalists.  Furthermore, the piece looks to the number of “casualties” that will come of the next few years in the solar and wind arenas.
To many, the real solution lies in a balance between allowing private investments to take their place in the cleantech world and some sort of government intervention that allows for the continued growth and prosperity of the cleantech industry. Be it tax credits, subsidies or grants, the volume of promising cleantech companies will likely need some additional support outside of private investors.
At CCIA we’re curious as to what you think. Will it take a robust government intervention to get cleantech where it needs to be or will private investors and venture capitalists realize the promise of clean technology?
We invite you to leave your opinions in our comments below.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Colorado State Legislature Approves Bill to Allow More Electric and Natural Gas Vehicle Fueling Stations


Here at CCIA we're proud to have been a part of encouraging the success of HB 1258, as we believe it will be a great step forward in further establishing Colorado as the country's hotspot for cleantech market advancements. 


You can read all about HB 1258 below, and how it will affect the Colorado cleantech community. 


Bipartisan legislation will serve to increase the use of domestic energy sources and cut unnecessary red tape
The Colorado State Senate, yesterday, approved a bill aimed at making it easier to set up refueling and recharging stations for natural gas and electric vehicles. The new law will make it easier for retail, fleet and community venues to provide spots for electric and compressed-natural gas vehicles to fuel up.

“The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association believes this legislation will serve the interests of the State of Colorado by increasing the use of domestic energy sources,  and helping to provide Coloradans with energy choices for their transportation needs,” said CCIA Executive Director Christine Shapard. “Most importantly, it fosters economic development by taking away unnecessary red tape and uncertainty when a retail business installs an electric vehicle charging station or natural gas fueling pump.”

House Bill 1258 was designed to encourage market development of electric and natural gas vehicles and the associated charging and fueling infrastructure in Colorado. HB 1258, titled “Concerning Regulation of Public Utilities in Terms of Alternative Fuel Vehicles,” will allow electric vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure in Colorado by allowing electric vehicle charging stations, natural gas (CNG/LNG) and propane to be sold for alternative fuel vehicles without being regulated by the state Public Utility Commission. This bill places these alternative fuels on par with gasoline and diesel in a competitive marketplace.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Cheri Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge and Representative Brian DelGrosso R-Loveland. It was supported by the Governor’s Energy Office and Xcel Energy.

“CCIA appreciates the bipartisan support from the Colorado General Assembly to pass House Bill 1258 that sets the stage to allow expansion of electric and natural gas charging and fueling infrastructure in the state,” said Shapard. “Bringing down regulatory barriers for business development in the cleantech space meets Governor Hickenlooper’s mission of making it easier to do business in Colorado, and it puts the state on the radar of the vehicle manufacturing industry which is also important.”        

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Upcoming CCIA Partner Events


Castrol 20/20 innoVentures
CCIA is proud to facilitate meetings between Colorado cleantech companies and the London based Castrol 20/20 innoVentures team.
Get your application submitted right away—Monday, April 23 at 5 p.m. is the cut off to be a part of the program.     
Led by Roy Williamson, the Castrol 20/20 innoVentures team is interested in growing their brand and looking to the future by meeting with commercial-ready cleantech technology companies that are interested in aligning themselves with a strategic global investor.
The goal is to get Colorado cleantech companies an opportunity to pitch their technology to a company that has the capital to truly help get their technology to market, and be associated with a global brand as well known as Castrol.

CREED: Finance Accelerator
Another session of the Creed Finance Accelerator is back to facilitate networking and help guide up and coming entrepreneurs and start-ups in pitching business plans in an effort to secure capital.
Paul Washington of the Denver Office of Economic Development will deliver the keynote presentation. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to see presentations by two cleantech start-ups in the advanced transportation space.
Don’t miss this great opportunity to network and hear from local cleantech leaders. Register today!
When: Tuesday, April 24th from 4:30-7 p.m.
Where: Fairfield and Woods
Wells Fargo Center, Suite 2400
1700 Lincoln Street
Denver, CO 80203
Fee: $10.00

Friday, April 13, 2012

Deloitte Report Sheds New Light on Utilities and Renewable Energy Investments

A recent report published by Deloitte has illuminated much of the speculative data on Utilities, the Recovery Act funding of renewable energy and widespread institution of renewable energy sources into the bigger picture of energy production and consumption in the United States.
The report highlighted several major points for consideration in utilities undertaking investments in renewable energy.
For one, utilities are facing what some refer to as “hand to hand combat” with regulators when it comes to direct investments into renewable energy sources. These clashes lead to indirect approaches to partnering with cleantech investments.
Another point for consideration is that of mandates. In today’s market, they are very real and a driving force in the creative process for utilities and how they operate.  Likewise, utilities must have evidence supporting economic gain if they are to commit to an investment as large as renewable energy, despite if a mandate is at play or not.
Last but not least, utilities have customers who rely on them for stable, reliable energy; in turn they must only use technologies that can provide that level of reliability. That closes the door to new technologies that have not been tested on a large scale for mass consumption.
While this latest report shows that utilities are willing to move toward using clean technology and renewable energy sources, a lot is still to be done in supporting their efforts and in educating the general public of the benefits of supporting both the utilities’ efforts and that of clean technology innovators.
Read the full report here and weigh in with your perspective.


Friday, April 6, 2012

CREED: Entrepreneur Class for Social Media Coming April 12th


A large amount of daily search traffic and online engagement happens on social media sites. On the surface these social media sites can seem, well, scary, or a waste of time. Rest assured, neither is the case.
Two experts from MetzgerAssociates, Marie Rotter and Doyle Albee, will be leading a class on how you can leverage social media in all its forms to benefit your growing business.
The two will cover:
·      Best practices for operating your social media on a daily, monthly and yearly basis
·      Ideas on how to build an audience
·      Best tool to use to manage your accounts and platforms
·      Ways to integrate social media into your other communications
Additionally, attendees will walk away with a general understanding of social media, the differences between social media and traditional media, resources and tools to monitor your social media efforts, and how to build a successful social media plan.

Spots are limited for this class, so register today!
The Details:
Where: CREED Vail Conference Room
14062 Denver West Parkway
Building 52 (Third Floor)
Golden, CO 80401
When: April 12, from 2:30 to 6pm
Presenters: Marie Rotter and Doyle Albee of Metzger Associates