The new agency (Arpa-e) received initial funding of $400 million through the federal stimulus act. In all, 37 grants were handed out to small business, research groups and large corporations in the first round of funding for a total of $151 million.
- Awards included $2.2 million to University of Minnesota researchers working on organisms that use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugars, and another organism to create gasoline and diesel from the sugars
- $9 million to du Pont to produce an advanced biofuel from seaweed
And in the SF Bay Area:
- Envia Systems, based in Hayward, received $4 million for its work to develop higher-density lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric cars, as well as electronic gadgets.
- NanOasis in Richmond was awarded more than $2 million to develop a process that could dramatically reduce the cost and energy needed for desalination to supply fresh water for farmers and cities.
- PAX Streamline in San Rafael received $3 million for low-cost wind turbine technology.
- Porifera, of Hayward, given more than $1 million, is researching a membrane that can capture carbon dioxide.
- Stanford University garnered nearly $5 million to create systems that enable people to easily monitor home and office energy use in order to conserve energy.
(Source of the above information: San José Mercury News)
From such news you can find out exactly which companies will be hiring in the next year or so and if your expertise falls in related fields it is time to spruce up your resume and relevant skill set to get in the clean-tech sector. Also if you are looking forward to reinvent your career and want to re-train in the clean energy area, you now know where to find out what the companies are looking for as far as experience or education is concerned.