Top 100 Green Companies - GoingGreen Competition Kick Off

AlwaysOn has officially kicked off its fifth annual GoingGreen Silicon Valley Top 200 Private Companies competition. The winners of this competition will be officially announced in mid September and honored at GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2011, September 27th - 28th, 2011, at San Francisco City Hall.
Nominate your favorite greentech companies and check out the list of companies that have already been nominated. This includes private companies that are demonstrating significant market traction and pursuing game-changing technology in the following sectors:
- Biotech, Biofuel, and Agriculture
- Clean Energy (not solar or biofuel)
- Data Center Efficiency
- Energy Management, Smart Grid, and Energy Efficiency
- Energy Storage Systems
- Green Automobiles and Transportation
- Green Materials and Green Building
- Resource Recovery and Waste Management
- Solar Energy
- Water Technology and Treatment

Nominate a company !
The companies that have been nominated to the 2011 AlwaysOn GoingGreen Silicon Valley 200 so far are listed below by category.

Biotech, Biofuel, and Agriculture

Amyris
Emeryville, CA
http://www.amyrisbiotech.com/

Chemrec
Stockholm, Sweden
http://www.chemrec.se/

Cobalt Technologies
Mountain View, CA
http://www.cobalttech.com/

CoolPlanetBioFuels
Camarillo, CA
http://www.coolplanetbiofuels.com/

Coskata
Warrenville, IL
http://www.coskata.com/

EdeniQ
Visalia, CA
http://www.edeniq.com/

Gevo
Pasadena, CA
http://www.gevo.com/

KmX
Oakville, Ont., Cananda
http://www.kmxcorp.com/

LS9
South San Francisco, CA
http://www.ls9.com/

Mendel Biotechnologies
Hayward, CA
http://www.mendelbio.com/

OPX Biotechnologies
Boulder, CO
http://www.opxbiotechnologies.com/

Sapphire Energy
San Diego, CA
http://www.sapphireenergy.com/

Solazyme
South San Francisco, CA
http://www.solazyme.com/

Synthetic Genomics
La Jolla, CA
http://www.syntheticgenomics.com/

ZeaChem
Lakewood, CO
http://www.zeachem.com/

Clean Energy (not solar or biofuel)

Accelergy
Palo Alto, CA
http://www.accelergy.com/

AltaRock Energy
Sausalito, CA
http://www.altarockenergy.com/

Bloom Energy
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.bloomenergy.com/

CoaLogix
Charlotte, NC
http://www.coalogix.com/

FloDesign
Wilbraham, MA
http://www.flodesign.org/

GreatPoint Energy
Cambridge, MA
http://www.greatpointenergy.com/

Innwind
Stavanger, Norway
http://www.innowind.no/

Luca Technologies
Golden, CO
http://www.lucatechnologies.com/

Potter Drilling
Redwood City, CA
http://www.potterdrilling.com/

Sierra Energy
Davis, CA
http://www.sierraenergy.net/

Ze-gen
Boston, MA
http://www.ze-gen.com/

Data Center Efficiency

Green Platform
Mountain View, CA
http://www.greenplatformcorp.com/

MokaFive
Redwood City, CA
http://www.mokafive.com/

nlyte
Menlo Park, CA
http://www.nlyte.com/

Power Assure
Santa Clara, CA
http://www.powerassure.com/

Vantage Data Centers
Santa Clara, CA
http://www.vantagedatacenters.com/

Viridity Energy
Conshohocken, PA
viridityenergy.com

Energy Management, Smart Grid, and Energy Efficiency

Adura Technologies
San Francisco, CA
http://www.aduratech.com/

AlertMe
Cambridge, U.K,
http://www.alertme.com/

Array Converter
Cupertino, CA
http://www.arrayconverter.com/

BPL Global
Cranberry Township, PA
http://www.bplglobal.net/

Bridgelux
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.bridgelux.com/

EcoFactor
Redwood City, CA
http://www.ecofactor.com/

eMeter
San Mateo, CA
http://www.emeter.com/

Enmetric Systems
Belmont, CA
http://www.emetric.com/

ENXSuite
San Bruno, CA
http://www.enxsuite.com/

Federspiel Controls
El Cerrito, CA
http://www.federspielcontrols.com/

Grid Net
San Francisco, CA
http://www.grid-net.com/

GridPlex Networks
Upper Darby, PA
http://www.gridplexnetworks.com/

Hara Software
Redwood City, CA
http://www.hara.com/

Illumitex
Austin, TX
http://www.illumitex.com/

Landis+Gyr
Zug, Switzerland
http://www.landisgyr.com/

On-Ramp Wireless
San Diego, CA
http://www.onrampwireless.com/

Recurve
San Francisco, CA
http://www.recurve.com/

Scientific Conservation
Berkeley, CA
http://www.scientificconservation.com/

Silver Spring Network
Redwood City, CA
http://www.silverspringnetworks.com/

SmartSynch
Jackson, MS
http://www.smartsynch.com/

SynapSense
Folsom, CA
http://www.synapsense.com/

Tendril Networks
Boulder, CO
http://www.tendrilinc.com/

Trilliant
Redwood City, CA
http://www.trilliantinc.com/

Verdiem
Seattle, WA
http://www.verdiem.com/

WiTricity
Watertown, MA
http://www.witricity.com/

Energy Storage Systems

Amprius
Menlo Park, CA
http://www.amprius.com/

Contour Energy Systems
Azusa, CA
http://www.countourenergy.com/

Deeya Energy
Fremont, CA
http://www.deeyaenergy.com/

EnerVault
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.enervault.com/

EnStorage
Zichron Yaakov, Israel
http://www.enstorageinc.com/

Enxwuite
San Bruno, CA
http://www.enxsuite.com/

Glacier Bay
Union City, CA
http://www.glacierbaytechnology.com/

Ice Energy
Winsor, CO
http://www.ice-energy.com/

Leyden Energy
Fremont, CA
http://www.leydenenergy.com/

Porous Power Technologies
Lafayette, CO
http://www.porouspower.com/

Premium Power
North Reading, MA
http://www.premiumpower.com/

Sakti3
Ann Arbor, MI
http://www.sakti3.com/

Seeo
Los Altos, CA
http://www.seeo.com/

Simbol Mining
Houston, TX
http://www.simbolmining.com/

Green Automobiles and Transportation

Achates Power
San Diego, CA
http://www.achatespower.com/

Better Place
Palo Alto, CA
http://www.betterplace.com/

CODA Automotive
Santa Monica, CA
http://www.codaautomotive.com/

Coulomb Technologies
Campbell, CA
http://www.coulombtech.com/

Fisker Automotive
Irvine, CA
http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/

Getaround
San Francisco, CA
http://www.getaround.com/

Green Materials and Green Building

Calera
Los Gatos, CA
http://www.calera.biz/

CalStar Products
Newark, CA
http://www.calstarproducts.com/

Lunera
Redwood City, CA
http://www.lunera.com/

Serious Materials
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.seriousmaterials.com/

Soladigm
Santa Rosa, CA
http://www.soladigm.com/

Resource Recovery and Waste Management

Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies
Vancouver, BC, Canada
http://www.ostara.com/

ReCommunity
Charlotte, NC
http://www.recommunity.com/

RecycleBank
New York, NY
http://www.recyclebank.com/

Solary Energy

Abound Solar
Fort Collins, CO
http://www.abound.com/

Agile Energy
San Bruno, CA
http://www.agileenergy.com/

Bloo Solar
Sacramento, CA
http://www.bloosolar.com/

BrightSource Energy
Oakland, CA
http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/

eIQ Energy
San Jose, CA
http://www.eiqenergy.com/

Enphase Energy
Petaluma, CA
http://www.enphaseenergy.com/

eSolar
Pasadena, CA
http://www.esolar.com/

Flexcell International
Hillsborough, NC
http://www.flexcellint.com/

Green Light Solar Industries
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.greenlightsolarindustries.com/

HelioPower
Murietta, CA
http://www.heliopower.com/

Miasolé
Santa Clara, CA
http://www.miasole.com/

Nanosolar
San Jose, CA
http://www.nanosolar.com/

Pythagoras Solar
San Mateo, CA
http://www.pythagoras.com/

SolarCity
Foster City, CA
http://www.solarcity.com/

Solaria
Fremont, CA
http://www.solaria.com/

Solexant
San Jose, CA
http://www.solexant.com/

Sopogy
Honolulu, HI
http://www.sopogy.com/

Stion
San Jose, CA
http://www.stion.com/

Suniva
Norcross, GA
http://www.suniva.com/

SunRun
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sunrunhome.com/

Tioga Energy
Los Gatos, CA
http://www.tiogaenergy.com/

Wilson TurboPower
Woburn, MA
http://www.wilsonturbopower.com/

Water Technology and Treatment

AquaCritox
Cork, Eire
www.scfi.eu/aquacritox.html

BioPetroClean
Tel Aviv, Israel
http://www.biopetroclean.com/

Epuramat
Redwood City, CA
http://www.epuramat.com/

NanoH20
El Segundo, CA
http://www.nanoh2o.com/

Oasys Water
Cambridge, MA
http://www.oasyswater.com/

PMC BioTec
Exton, PA
http://www.pmcbiotec.com/

Nominate a company !
http://www.aonetwork.com/

Top 10 Green Giants 2011 - Greentech Media Selection

Greentech Media published its selection of top green giants for 2011 few months ago already.
The winners are:

1 - France
2 - ABB
3 - Samsung
4 - Waste Management
5 - NRG Energy
6 - DuPont
7 - Netflix
8 - Ford Motor Company
9 - Lockheed Martin
10 -Tata Group

Good Corporate Citizens: Five Major US Companies Call for Climate, Clean Energy Solutions

Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Sun Microsystems and Timberland Challenge Lawmakers to Raise the Bar for U.S.Climate and Energy Policy; Call for CO2 Emission Cuts, Clean Energy Investments, Coal Plant Limits

Cross-posted from WattHead - Energy News and Commentary...

Today, five leading US companies joined Ceres investment group to launch a new coalition of corporate citizens calling on Congress to quickly enact strong U.S. climate and energy legislation that will spark a new clean energy economy and reduce global warming pollution. The new coalition issued several key principles for climate policy today, including proposals to stimulate renewable energy, promote energy efficiency and green jobs, cap global warming pollution and auction 100% of pollution allowances, and limit new coal-fired power plants to those that capture and store carbon emissions.

The group, which includes Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Sun Microsystems and Timberland, calls themselves Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, or BICEP for short, and aims to flex some lobbying muscle to support climate and clean energy action.


The coalition’s goal is to work directly with key allies in the business community and members of Congress to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation consistent with the following eight core principles:

Set greenhouse gas reduction targets to at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Establish an economy-wide GHG cap-and-trade system that auctions 100 percent of carbon pollution allowances, promotes energy efficiency and accelerates clean energy technologies.

Establish aggressive energy efficiency policies to achieve at least a doubling of our historic rate of energy efficiency improvement.

Encourage transportation for a clean energy economy by promoting fuel-efficient vehicles, plug-in electric hybrids, low-carbon fuels, and transit-oriented development.

Increase investment in energy efficiency, renewables and carbon capture and storage technologies while eliminating subsidies for fossil-fuel industries.

Stimulate job growth through investment in climate-based solutions, especially “green-collar” jobs in low-income communities and others vulnerable to climate change’s economic impact.

Adopt a national renewable portfolio standard requiring 20 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020, and 30 percent by 2030.

Limit construction of new coal-fired power plants to those that capture and store carbon emissions, create incentives for carbon capture technology on new and existing plants, and phase out existing coal-based power plants that do not capture and store carbon by 2030.

Recognizing that climate change will ripple across all sectors of the economy BICEP members aim to offer new business perspectives on climate solutions to balance the sometimes narrow viewpoints offered by some of the more engaged members of the business community.

BICEP members also apparently recognize that being a good corporate citizen requires more than just purchasing carbon offsets and building more sustainable products. Like individual citizens, a real commitment to a new energy future requires more than personal actions, it requires active participation in the political process.

“We can voluntarily change our own behavior in the hopes of mitigating impacts and are doing so," said Hilary Krane, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Levi Strauss & Co., "but we also believe that U.S. government leadership is essential if we are to create an environment in which every U.S. company recognizes the role it must play in addressing climate change."

"Nike understands the value of investing in innovative solutions to address the challenges of sustainability," added Sarah Severn a corporate responsibility director with the company, "so we are proud to be part of a coalition of companies that believes legislative action on climate change and clean energy is not only urgent but imperative to creating positive, long-term change."

As a native Oregonian, I can't help but contrast Beaverton, OR-based Nike's active commitment to good corporate citizenship with Oregon's other major employer: Intel. The microprocessor giant is Oregon's largest private employer, and while it launches ads touting their efficient processor designs and issues press releases about renewable energy purchases, Intel quietly lobbies to block progressive energy and climate policy at the Oregon legislature.

Intel is a key member of the Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities group, a state lobbying organization that represents large electricity and natural gas users in Oregon and Washington. ICNU has consistently been on the wrong side of good energy policy - from the Oregon Renewable Energy Act of 2007 to the state's efforts to lead on climate policy - and is now forming a front-group called something like Oregon Industries for Balanced Climate Policy, gearing up to block progressive legislation in the 2009 Oregon legislature.

Unlike Nike, who puts it's lobbying muscle behind it's clean energy commitments, Intel tacitly and at times actively supports ICNU's efforts to stand in the way of Oregon's transformation into a clean energy leader. Intel should take queues from fellow Oregonians, Nike, and their semiconductor competitors at Sun about what good corporate citizenship means, and actively distance itself from ICNU's dirty deeds.

Until then, bravo to Nike and the BICEP members for leading the way.

The Last Gasp of the Climate Deniers, Detractors and Doomsayers?

With the science of climate change pretty solidly unimpeachable at this point, the rag tag camp of climate change deniers, detractors, doomsayers and other flat-earthers have a new tactic these days: talk up the supposedly disastrous economic consequences of regulating carbon.

A good example: the National Association of Manufacturers has been peddling a bought-and-paid-for "study" of the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill, taking their doom-and-gloom predictions of an economy wrecked by climate regulations on a national speaking tour over the next couple of months.

The Flat Earth camp pulled out all the stops at the Wall Street Journal's ECO:nomics conference held last week in California.

Hosted by "climate change experts" from the WSJ's notoriously ideological, knuckle-dragging, anti-climate editorial board, the WSJ assembled the full cast-of-characters of the Flat Earth Society of America: Fred Smith and Myron Ebell of CEI (makers of the hilariously funny "CO2: some call it pollution, we call it life" ad), Steve Milloy of JunkScience, and the WSJ's own ideologues came into the conference to put America's leading "green-minded" CEO's to the test, show them they were simply tools for liberal, socialist hippies, and expose carbon regulation as the sure-fire end of the treasured American way of life.

"Instead, they ended up looking small, shrill, and utterly marginalized," David Roberts, who covered the Eco:nomics conference for Grist.org writes. "Despite their claims to be pro-business, the business community disdains them."

David's coverage of the Flat-Earthers flailing attempts at the Eco:nomics conference is great. I highly suggest you head over to Gristmill to read the full story, but here are some great excerpts:

One incident captured it pretty well. During the panel where EDF's Fred Krupp debated CEI's Fred Smith, moderator and right-wing polemicist Kim Strassel of the WSJ editorial board paused to ask the audience, "is there a CEO who went down this road [going 'green'] and hasn't been happy with the experience?" She looked around the room expectantly, even hopefully.

Crickets.

...

Or when she confronted Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris, asking incredulously, "do you think 80% by 2050 is achievable?" The breezy response: "My answer's obvious." So Strassel turned and asked the same question of the crowd. They voted: 75% think it can be done. Strassel's face fell.

Or hold on. Even favoriter: There was a debate between Mindy Lubber of Ceres, whose Investor Network on Climate Risk represents $5 trillion in capital, and Steve Milloy, who was there on behalf of his Free Enterprise Action Fund. Milloy spent 20 minutes telling Lubber she was an unwitting vehicle for lefty activists and the CEOs in attendance that they were dupes being fleeced out of billions of dollars by devious crypto-socialists. Toward the end, Andrew Shapiro of Green Order rose to ask Milloy, how much capital does your fund represent? The too-dumb-to-be-embarrassed answer, which prompted open laughter in the audience? $11 million. As Shapiro noted: looks like the market has spoken.

Or how about this video of WSJ's Alan Murray trying to bait WalMart's CEO, H. Lee Scott Jr. into objecting to carbon regulation because it will raise energy prices and kill the economy. Scott just won't buy it!



David Roberts sums it all up so well I'll just leave you with this:

Time after time, the ideologues pushed the same questions: Isn't this a tax? Isn't the government crippling the free market? Won't we lose our precious fluids?

Time after time, they were dismissed, with reactions ranging from anger to awkward condescension (as when the crazy uncle starts in at the family reunion) to barely concealed disdain. The people operating in the market -- as opposed to lobbing bombs from think tanks and Fox News studios -- are pragmatists. They don't have time for rigid ideology, or as Immelt called it, "false idols." Their job is to make money within the constraints set by the polity; they are under no illusion that there ever was or ever will be the frictionless free market of Ayn Rand's heated fantasies. Unlike the dour doomsayers, they have faith in themselves, in the business community, and in America to innovate and tackle any challenge.

Are we witnessing the last gasp of the climate deniers, detractors and doomsayers? Is this the beginning of the end for the Flat Earth Society of America? When the CEO's of America's biggest companies can't stand the shit your shoveling, it sure looks like it...

Well at least they'll always find open arms and a welcome home at James Inhofe's office.

See also:

Gristmill: "Eco:nomics: The decline and fall of the ideologues"

Energy Smart: "WSJ, the anti-business newspaper of record?"

SolveClimate: "Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Laughing Stock -- Of It's Own Conference"

WarmingLaw: "CEI's Ideas Can No Longer Compete (Outside of Congress and the EPA)"