Clean energy investments

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Clean energy investments

Clean energy benefits the environment, fuel supply, and the economy. These benefits are found at both global and local levels. Clean energy technologies rely on alternative and renewable fuel sources, like the sun, wind, biofuel, hydrogen, and so on. Using these sources in place of fossil fuels helps in reducing both toxic and nontoxic wastes. More importantly, it acts as an alternative to the depleting natural resources.

Market indicators demonstrate that many clean-energy technologies are on the rise. According to the New Energy Finance, investment in clean energy worldwide rose by one-third last year to $117 billion, boosted by widespread concerns over global warming. Government measures to combat climate change and support clean energy sources such as wind, biofuels, and solar have drawn funding for investment into the sector, helping it weather a wider credit crunch which has strained markets and threatened lending elsewhere. Venture capital and private equity investments in clean energy companies have seen an upward trend. Large corporations like General Electric Co., BP Solar, and so on, are investing in clean energy technologies. Google has recently launched RE < C, a strategic initiative whose mission is to develop electricity from renewable sources cheaper than the electricity produced from coal. Initially, this project, to create renewable energy cheaper than coal, will focus on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems, and other potential breakthrough technologies.

In India, venture capitalists invested over $777 million in about 57 deals for entrepreneurial companies during the first three quarters of 2007, according to the Quarterly India Venture Capital Report. In 2007, an EvalueServe report on venture capital investment in India estimated at about $4.4 billion to flow into India via venture capital funds over a year.

SourcesWeb site: www.reuters.com, www.google.com, www.ciol.com