The Port of Seattle presented its 2nd Annual Green Gateway Partners Awards recognizing the comprehensive environmental achievements of the port’s cruise and containership operators. This year’s award winners are APL Ltd., Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk Line, Matson Navigation, COSCO Container Lines America’s Inc., Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Holland America Line.

“These maritime operators demonstrate by their actions every day that you can be good environmental stewards while contributing to our economy,” said Tay Yoshitani, CEO of the Port of Seattle. “We look forward to honoring more of our customers in the future.”

Northwest Energy Angels members invested more than $880,000 in nine cleantech startups last year.  Since its inception in 2006, the group has invested $4.8 million in 31 companies.

“Despite the economic downturn, our members continued to support cleantech innovation, which we think is a vital part of achieving a clean energy economy and building a thriving business community in the Pacific Northwest,” said Byron McCann, co-chair. “We saw a number of exciting cleantech innovations this year, especially in the lighting, water, renewables, materials and energy efficiency spaces. We’re really looking forward to continuing to meet other talented entrepreneurs in 2012 and helping them become leaders in their markets.”

In 2011, the Northwest Energy Angels invested in the following cleantech companies:

New Investments

• Banyan Energy – www.banyanenergy.com
  Developed breakthrough technology for photovoltaic modules using a new category of waveguide optics known as Aggregated Total Internal Reflection (ATIR).
• BioVantage Resources – www.biovantageresources.com
  Offers sustainable, bioremediation solutions for industrial, agricultural and municipal wastewater treatment.
• Columbia Power Technology – www.columbiapwr.com
  Developed new wave energy harvesting devices using novel, off-shore, direct-drive, permanent-magnet generator technologies.
• Flux Drive Inc. - www.fluxdrive.com
  Designs and manufactures permanent magnet, adjustable speed drives and couplings that increase the life and performance of rotating equipment while decreasing energy consumption by as much as 75%.
• OneEnergy Renewables - www.oneenergyrenewables.com
  Provides Renewable Energy Certificates and carbon offsets to business customers, offering simple, meaningful and affordable solutions to help meet renewable and greenhouse gas reduction goals.
• Virticus – www.virticus.com
  Developed a scalable communication and control system that enables a 30-50 percent reduction of lighting system energy and maintenance costs.
• WISErg Corporation – www.wiserg.com
  Developing a technology that converts compostable organic waste into valuable organically derived fertilizers and biogas..

Follow-on investment

• REV Technologies, Inc. (REV) – www.revtechnologies.ca
  REV’s electric vehicle (EV) energy networking technologies allow EV’s to act as high-output energy endpoints that improve the resilience and reliability of the power grid by synchronizing their energy needs with renewable power generation in real-time.

Additional Northwest Energy Angels Stats: 2006 Inception to December 2011

• Number of companies which presented to members: 117
• Number of companies that received first-time investment from the group: 31
• Companies that received follow-on investment: 8
• Total amount invested to date: $4.8 million

Read more here.

Through the China Accelerator, Washington State will pay up to 25% of the cost for qualified Washington companies to participate in the Business Incubator program.

View the China Accelerator program announcement [PDF], or contact a Commerce international trade specialist for more information.

Itron has acquired SmartSynch for $100 million.   SmartSynch provides communications between smart meters and utilities via a cell network.

See the flyer for details.

To register, or for questions, call Steve Gerritson at 206-389-8656.

The conference provides a distinctive opportunity to discuss: unfolding financial and economic crisis and climate change and other environmental disasters that are affecting the financial industry; challenges, success stories and best practices for embedding sustainability in financial institutions; actions needed to reposition banks, DFIs and other financial market players in times of changing financial and economic landscape; and latest information and knowledge about shaping financial institutions to cater to the requirements of fast changing market conditions. The conference offers a major opportunity to deliberate on financial innovation, examine why and how to green financial products and advance our transition to sustainable economy.

Further to knowledge sharing and deliberating on some of the key issues facing financial industry today; the upcoming conference will also help establish partnerships and alliances and in developing synergies. It provides an excellent opportunity to network with the senior members of financial community, multilateral agencies, governmental and non-governmental institutions, academia, sustainable development and environmental management practitioners and other stakeholders in Europe and globally. An optional excursion/ get-together will take place on Saturday the 7th of July 2012.

You are cordially invited to attend this international event and/ or nominate the member(s) of your institution.

For further information, please see the event details.

http://etechgermany.com/GSFC_2012.pdf

Or contact via email: mail@etechgermany.com

Sincerely,

Organizing Committee

Etech Germany

Dürkheimer Str. 24

D – 76187 Karlsruhe

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Tel.: 0049-721- 476 89 16

Fax.: 0049-721- 476 89 53

Email: mail@etechgermany.com
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Web: www.etechgermany.com

Seattle-based EnerG2 is opening a factory in Albany, Oregon.  The company says it chose the location due to its work with Oregon Freeze Dry.

EnerG2 was founded in 2003 and spun out of the University of Washington.  It received a $21.3 million stimulus grant from the federal government.

Read the entire story here.

• Reducing the state unemployment rate;
• Reducing burdens that hold back existing employers and make Washington less attractive to potential employers; and
• Giving relief to small businesses by improving regulations and the tax structure.

McKenna’s specific proposals include:

• Competitive tax reform;
• Eliminate the workers compensation insurance monopoly;
• Responsible regulation; and
• Liability reform.

McKenna argues that the state needs new leadership with a new attitude towards both the economy and job creation.

Read the entire document here.

Five pages are devoted to Clean Technology.  Read the cleantech portion of the plan here.  Included in the plan are recommendations to:

• Lead the country in the development and production of advanced sustainable biofuels;
• Update the Energy Independence Act;
• Electrify transportation;
• Remove barriers for renewable energy projects;
• Foster the growth of clean energy/technology companies;
• Align tax incentives to encourage investment in clean technology startups;
• Facilitate technology commercialization activities at our research institutions and drive investment into local companies;
• Create jobs through home and building efficiencies;
• Align utility and customer interest in energy efficiency;
• Attract and leverage public- and private sector capital; and
• Adopt a hands-on approach to recruitment and support for the industry.

Also included in the plan are the proposals to:

•  Creation of a new cabinet-level Office of Economic Competitiveness and Development;
• Focus on small business including tax relief for clean energy;
• Investing in regional procurement technical assistance centers (PTACs).
• Improving education and worker training;
• Emphasizing export development.

Here is the full plan from Inslee.