Clean Energy

Smart Money Eyeing Advances in Clean Energy

Top Investors, Public Leaders Gathered in Seattle for Preview of "Next High Tech Revolution"

Seattle, WA - Prominent investors, high tech entrepreneurs, policy makers, and environmental leaders gathered in Seattle April 3-5, 2000 for the Seattle Summit On Protecting The World's Climate, highlighted by the Symposium on Clean Energy: The Next High Tech Revolution. Featured speakers included Washington Governor Gary Locke, Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, top high tech business leaders and investors such as Lisa Leff, Portfolio Manager for Trillium Investment Management Corporation, and Denis Hayes, former Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chair of the international Earth Day 2000 campaign.

Speakers addressed advances in electronic and information technologies that will transform the energy industry, new business and investment opportunities and how the Northwest can lead the way. "The Northwest owes much of its economic success to capturing an early edge in high-tech," said Washington Governor Gary Locke. "We have a tremendous opportunity to reap the rewards of leading the next technology revolution -- clean energy.

Accelerating development and use of wind and solar power, hydrogen-run fuel cells, hybrid gasoline/electric vehicles and other promising technologies is the key to solving global warming. Seattle, known for its world-class investments in energy conservation, is among the communities which can propel these emerging technologies into everyday life.

"Seattle is proud to link arms with other pioneers in the emerging clean energy industry," said Seattle Mayor Paul Schell. "A progressive community with a global outlook is a great place to begin meeting the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas pollution."

Leading fuel cell developers Ballard Enterprises, Avista Labs and Plug Power are among the cutting-edge energy companies who have enjoyed support from new investors and a surge in stock price in recent months. Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen headline a list of prominent investors demonstrating their confidence in these companies by buying in early. "Beyond the recent hype, we see real, sustainable global demand for more efficient sources of power," said Lisa Leff, Vice-President and Portfolio Manager for Boise, Idaho-based Trillium Investment Management Corporation. "The investment community has begun to realize there's enormous potential value in these emerging alternative technologies."

Investor interest bolsters efforts by environmentalists to accelerate development of clean energy. Investment is a central theme in Earth Day 2000's Clean Energy Now! campaign which seeks to do for clean energy what Earth Day 1990 did for recycling -- make it a top-of-mind issue for consumers and business leaders.

"Clean energy technologies are ready for mass production," said Denis Hayes, former Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chair of the international Earth Day 2000 campaign. "New investment dollars will provide the push needed to move them out of the lab and into the marketplace."

Additional Speakers Included: