A rather momentous corporate merger was announced today: solar manufacturer SunPower acquired solar installation giant PowerLight for $265 million -- another sign of the maturing of the clean-energy sector. In this case, it represents the vertical integration of the solar business, as SunPower seeks to be competitive not just in manufacturing high-efficiency solar cells, but also taking them to market in the form of the large-scale installations that has been PowerLight's hallmark.
This is the future of clean technology: a rolling series of technology breakthroughs, landmark corporate investments, industry consolidation, and the not-infrequent emergence of new and, sometimes, surprising players taking the field. (Ethanol-powered plug-in hybrids from Google, anyone? How about GM reviving the electric car?) As I've said in the past, pretty soon everyone will be in the energy business.
It's in that context that Ron Pernick, my Clean Edge co-founder, and I are pleased to invite you to our third annual Clean-Tech Investor Summit, January 23-24 in Palm Springs, California. (Clean Edge co-produces the event each year with International Business Forum.)
The events have become a fertile spawning ground for corporate clean-tech executives and entrepreneurs to meet with venture capitalists, investment bankers, policy makers, and thought leaders in the clean-tech space. And it makes headlines, too: Last year, Tom Werner, SunPower's CEO, made his first speech following his company's initial public offering. The 2007 conference will feature presentations by executives at Applied Materials, AES, Dow, GE Water, Itron, and Tesla Motors (we're hoping to have one of the two existing Tesla Roadster vehicles on premises) -- plus panels on China and India, clean-tech exit strategies, and what's next in the world of clean-tech IPOs. And a few more luminaries we're hoping to announce in the coming weeks.
This year's summit sponsors include Cowen and Company, Antenna Group, Comerica, Heller Ehrman, Hobbes & Towne, Pacific Growth Equities, PiperJaffray, Orrick, Sonnenschein Venture Technology Group, Spencer Stuart, and Stoel Rives.
Click here for more information.
Hope to see you there.
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