WASHINGTON – The Department of Energy today released a new
report highlighting the benefits of the Recovery Act to small
businesses throughout the clean, renewable energy industry and
environmental management sector. The report found that as of early
March 2010, small businesses have been selected to receive nearly
$5.4 billion in funding across a number of Recovery Act and related
programs, including loans, loan guarantees, grants, contracts and
tax incentives, in partnership with the Department of Treasury. The
report highlights 26 small businesses in a range of clean energy
technologies, such as wind, solar, biofuels, along with critical
new infrastructure, like Smart Grid, advanced batteries, energy
storage, and energy efficiency tools. It also notes small
businesses that are helping advance responsible environmental
clean-up efforts.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Small Business Administrator
Karen Mills are highlighting the report as part of a media
conference call. The call also featured Scott Lang, CEO of Silver
Spring Networks and Harrison Dillon, President and CTO
Solazyme.
"Small business are the backbone of job creation in this country
and have been a spring board for innovation in the clean energy
sector," said Secretary Chu. "The work these companies do and the
innovation they produce will go a long way in helping our economy
grow and our nation succeed."
"Small businesses have created about 64 percent of the new jobs
over the past 15 years," said Administrator Mills. "Already,
small businesses are one of the driving forces in the green energy
sector. With resources like those provided through the Department
of Energy and SBA, we have a unique opportunity to support the
creation of good, well-paying jobs here at home that will also help
keep America competitive."
Read the
full report.
Some success stories highlighted in the report include:
UQM Technologies, Inc. of Frederick, Colorado
is a well-established supplier of prototype electric propulsion and
generator systems, including electric rotating machines and drive
electronics. The company has supplied these systems for over two
decades to both established and aspiring automakers. In 2006,
UQM completed an R&D project with the Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Program to design a
power-dense motor for use in electric drive vehicles. UQM is
now positioned to take its technology into production, establishing
a U.S. volume manufacturer of electric drive systems. The $45
million grant that UQM received under the Recovery Act will enable
UQM to establish manufacturing facilities for production volumes of
120,000 electric drive systems per year, powering all-electric,
hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid-electric passenger cars and
hybrid-electric trucks and buses, creating up to 3,000 jobs.
Silver Spring Networks, based in Redwood City,
CA, did not receive a direct grant under the SGIG Program, but it
is still a big winner through its partnerships with many utilities
around the country. For instance, Florida Power & Light
(FPL) received a $200 million grant for its Energy Smart Miami
project, which represents the foundation of a $700 million
investment to deploy Smart Meters to every residential FPL customer
in Florida. Silver Spring provides the hardware, software and
services that connect every device on the grid, creating a unified
Smart Energy Platform. Other utility clients of Silver Spring
who received SGIG grants include Pepco Holdings, Inc, Oklahoma Gas
& Electric and American Electric Power.
Solazyme Inc., a San Francisco-based company,
is a true start-up success story. Founded in 2003 by a
scientist and entrepreneur that were among the first people to
focus on algae as an alternative to conventional fuels, the company
has pioneered a new technology to produce biodiesel and green
diesel from algae oil. Like most emerging technology
companies, Solazyme faced a huge obstacle in obtaining adequate
funds to commercialize its technology. However, with a $21.8
million ARRA grant under the Biomass Program, Solazyme will now be
able to build its first integrated algae fuel refinery and help lay
the foundation for subsequent large-scale development of an
"advanced biofuels" industry. The project will create jobs in
California and Pennsylvania.
FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp. is a fledgling
start-up that won an MIT clean energy competition last year.
The company is developing a new high efficiency shrouded wind
turbine capable of delivering significantly more energy per unit of
swept area. FloDesign Wind's $8.3 million ARPA-E grant
represents a major increase in resources for the company that will
have a dramatic effect on its ability to ramp up technology
development.
Universal Display Corporation was awarded a $4
million ARRA grant by DOE, under the Building Technologies Program
(BTP) to scale and transfer its technologies to a partner pilot
organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) manufacturing line to be set
up in the U.S. The project will facilitate the growth of the
embryonic OLED lighting industry by providing prototype lighting
panels to U.S. luminaire manufacturers to incorporate into
products, to facilitate testing of design and to gauge customer
acceptance. Part of a new DOE initiative designed to help
establish and maintain U.S. leadership in solid-state lighting
manufacturing, the funding will help UDC lay the foundation for the
development of an OLED lighting industry in the U.S.
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