EPA and the Venture Capital Community: Building Bridges to Commercialize Technology

摘要

Venture capital investors report that there is a growing interest in environmental technologies, spurred by awareness of global issues such as climate change, as well as the diminishing sources, high costs, and environmental consequences of carbon-based energy, and the increasing costs and decreasing availability of other essential resources such as clean water. Significant investments are being made by the venture capital community in clean energy-related technologies, including cross-over technologies that yield both energy and environmental benefits. Although the growth potential for most environmental sectors is expected to continue to rise through 2010, the most substantial growth is expected in the clean energy sector. Investors have indicated that there is a vast amount of capital available for investing in promising environmental technologies and many individual and institutional investors are seeking opportunities to invest in the growing environmental technology sector. Returns on these investments, however, still must compete with other investment options. Therefore, it is critical to investors that areas of investment risk--often based on regulatory uncertainty and unpredictability--be identified and reduced.