Hawaii's Unique Approach to Funding Cleantech Startups

Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Tech News, Environment, Sustainability, Innovation, Renewable Energy, Technology, Alternative Energy, Energy, News, Cleantech, Wind Energy, Business, Climate Change, Solar Energy

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2016

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Many states prioritize tech incubators for a variety of economic reasons. The Energy Excelerator in Hawaii has a much more specific mission: tie support for startups to a 100% renewable energy target set by the state last year. That mission guides the way Energy Excelerator funds projects, chooses awards, and works with incumbents. This week, we'll talk with Dawn Lippert, the organization's co-founder and director, about how Hawaii plans to support innovation in distributed energy. Later in the show, we'll look at where Generate Capital (where co-host Jigar Shah acts as president) is deploying $150 million for "infrastructure-as-a-service" projects in underserved markets. We'll finish with a look at the political prospects for a carbon tax in 2016. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0	For the week of January 21st, 2016, this is the Energy Gang from Green Tech Media. This week Hawaii's energy future from the start-ups perspective. We'll talk with the
0:20.6	leader of an accelerator that is grappling with the state's energy transition.
0:24.8	Then Jigger's company, Generate Capital, has committed $150 million to support difficult to finance clean technologies.
0:31.6	We'll get the details on infrastructure as a service.
0:35.2	And finally, should Solar use its new-found lobbying strength to push for a price on carbon?
0:40.6	I'm Stephen Lacey in Washington DC.
0:42.6	Welcome.
0:43.6	Also in Washington DC is Catherine Hamilton of 38 North Solutions.
0:47.0	Hello, Catherine.
0:48.0	Hi, how is everybody?
0:49.3	We're waiting here eagerly anticipating Storm Jonas. Is that what it's called? I didn't catch the name
0:54.6	yet. Okay. I'm planning on staying in this apartment for three three more days.
1:00.5	Without moving. That's right. Jigger Shaw of Generate Capital joins us from New York City. How are you, sir?
1:06.1	I'm doing great. I'm not as nervous of the snow that's coming in New York. I heard the guys in DC got trapped for nine hours yesterday on the road.
1:14.8	Yeah, it was a weird like little one-inch preview storm so all the schools were closed today.
1:19.0	So Jigger, I know you're not afraid. Part of it is you guys have infrastructure there but the other
1:23.3	part is you don't have as many children as I do.
1:26.2	Well no that's true and part of it's I grew up in rural Illinois so I'm definitely not afraid.
1:31.4	This week's guest comes to us from Honolulu. Don Lippert is the
1:35.0	co-founder and director of the Energy Accelerator, an organization devoted to
1:39.2	making Hawaii's energy system 100% renewable over the coming decades.
1:44.0	Don is also chair of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and was the founder of the organization
	...

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