Next week, ARPA-E will host its sixth annual conference and technology showcase convening energy experts and entrepreneurs for three-days focused on moving disruptive energy technologies out of the lab and into the market. We spoke with Dr. Cheryl Martin, Deputy Director for Commercialization at the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) for her perspective on the mission of the Summit and what’s new this year. Dr. Martin leads ARPA-E’s Technology-to-Market program, which helps breakthrough energy technologies succeed in the marketplace. Read more
This week, NVCA submitted our comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Economic Council (NEC) on their updates to the 2009 Strategy for American Innovation, a comprehensive set of goals to advance innovation in the U.S.
We are committed to advancing public policies to support the growth of innovative new companies that are the foundation of a vibrant, prosperous U.S. economy. Despite the rise of incubators, crowdfunding, corporate venture capital, along with traditional venture capital, there remain considerable challenges for new companies in capital-intensive sectors such as life sciences, advanced materials and clean energy. In these sectors, in particular, the government has a critical role to play in fostering an environment for increased investment and innovation through tax and regulatory policies. Read more
Last week, I attended the 2014 Energy Datapalooza event hosted at the White House, a gathering of innovators who are using the power of data to build the clean energy economy. Several venture-backed companies were part of the technology showcase and exhibited at the event, highlighting novel technologies aimed at energy efficiency, utility load management and a myriad of other challenges in the energy sector.
At the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), we believe that the government can and should be a trusted partner in helping the private sector adopt innovative technologies that will help spur the growth of the next generation of energy companies. Read more
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing last week on the current state of investment in clean energy finance and discussed federal programs aimed at the development and deployment of new energy technologies. Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) both discussed the importance of ARPA-E, as well as the role of federal programs like Section 1703, the DOE loan guarantee program for “new or significantly improved” technologies and the ATVM program that provides direct loans to automakers. The successful early repayment of the Tesla loan was heralded as an example of how such a program can assist with the deployment of a new and groundbreaking energy technology. Read more
