The cleantech sector is rapidly maturing as an investment area for venture capitalists. Many, in fact, place cleantech where the Internet was in the early 1990s - and we all know how that has turned out. The opportunity, the enormous potential, is why an increasing number of funds and corporate investors are, like Emerald, eager to explore emerging cleantech innovations and the companies behind them. One could argue that this makes deals more competitive, but the heightened awareness is drawing attention to our business and benefiting the sector as a whole. Our leadership was confirmed recently by an analysis from cleantech researcher New Energy Finance, which found Emerald to be one of the most active investors in the sector.

It's encouraging to see politicians setting the framework for greater energy efficiency and low-carbon electricity generation. The new U.S. energy bill, while not finally worded, will likely include standards requiring utilities to have a certain amount of renewable energy in their supply mix. Increased fuel efficiency for automobiles is also expected. Of interest is that deal flow reveals that electric energy is making inroads in the area of individual mobility.

The WilderHill New Energy Global Innovation Index tracks companies in the clean energy and energy efficiency space. Its performance is another indicator of the progress and high demand for new energy solutions.