Putting the Green in Green
There are a number of items in today's Wall Street Journal that underscore the role of stable financing for clean energy technology. Is Clean Tech the Next Bubble underscores an inconvenient truth regarding clean technology products - consumers are not willing to pay. According to this report "a whopping 47% of U.S. adults say they just don't care" about clean technology products.
Seeking the Green in Clean underscores the financing challenges faced by clean energy entrepreneurs. The article points out that unlike many internet and software technology companies, energy innovation takes more time and personnel - a challenging formula in today's investment capital markets.
Given a steep learning cure and fickle consumer and investor support for clean technology, one must consider the role of public financing. Such financing has historically supported research in technology and medicine and leading scientists have advocated the same approach to clean energy.
The good news in today's press is the fact that financing a clean energy future is a topic of interest in our leading business publications, and many entrepreneurs are committed to moving the field forward.