Despite the recession, several recent reports indicate that the clean energy sector continues to remain strong globally, despite the economic turbulence. An April 12 report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance noted that worldwide financial investment in clean energy reached $27.3 billion in the first quarter of 2010, up 31% from the first quarter of 2009, but down 13.6% from the fourth quarter. The financial analyst s quarterly figures cover asset financing of wind farms, solar parks, biofuel plants, and other projects, as well as public market, venture capital, and private equity financing for clean energy companies.
While China dominated the asset financing with investments of $6.5 billion, Bloomberg s figures report a slight increase in asset financing in the United States, rising from $2.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009 to $3.5 billion in the first quarter of 2010. Global venture capital and private equity investment hit $2.9 billion in the first quarter, up from $1.7 billion in the previous quarter, but public market investment fell to $2 billion, down from $5.8 billion. Among the leaders for the quarter are electric vehicle infrastructure company Better Place, which sold $350 million in preferred stock, and Clipper Windpower, which received a $202 million investment from United Technologies Corporation. Bloomberg expects clean energy investments to set a record in 2010, possibly reaching $200 billion.
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