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Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy

CORE Sustainability Breakfast

  • January 13, 2010
  • 07:30 AM - 10:00 AM
  • 1801 California Street, Suite4900, Denver

Registration

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Sustainability Breakfast
Feel-good Government Grants Lead Cleantech Astray

David Gold, a partner in Access Ventures in Denver and long-time player in cleantech investment, recently wrote a hard-hitting article on his blog: http://www.greengoldblog.com/2009/12/feel-good-government-grants-leading.html. He argues that the government has no business using  taxpayer dollars to hand out huge sums in grants (subsidies) to hundreds of (mainly) renewable energy companies in the hope that this process will create a "new energy economy". 

CORE is the first to support the idea that we must move toward a more sustainable global economy. But we agree with David that these subsidies are a serious misallocation of taxpayer capital and that the feeding frenzy sparked off by their availability represents a misdirection of effort in the business community at a time when private funding for cleantech development has significantly decreased, notably for renewable energy.
 
David argues that government has a rotten track record of picking technology winners. It should be directing its efforts, firstly, at basic energy research and secondly, to addressing the factors that support the fundamental economic advantages of our exciting energy economy. Unless these factors are adjusted to create market drivers that support the development of clean energy, ongoing subsidies across the complete spectrum of new energy technology will just increase the Federal deficit without making much of a dent in our overall energy (or emissions) picture.
 
If we can't get legislation passed to put a significant tax on carbon emissions (and what is the likelihood of that after last week's tame outcome in Copenhagen?) or a European-style tax on gasoline (dream on), should we really be shoveling taxpayer dollars into a pile of renewable energy technologies, many of which have little chance of ever being competitive?
 
Greg Johnson, partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs, and an expert in the process by which public funding is being allocated to private companies under the stimulus bill, will argue that this process has maintained momentum in the development of cleantech at a time when private funding simply hasn't been available. 
 
Join us on January 13 and hear both sides of the story! 
 
WHEN:      7:30 AM-10:00 AM
WHERE:    1801 California Street, Suite 4900, Denver
PRICING:   CORE Members:  $15
                 Non-Members:     $30
                 WALK IN (ALL):    $35 (cash or check ONLY)
 

   CH2MHILL.gif   Patton Boggs 4c_hi-res.tif   WWFoods.gif         CORE Address: 1801 California Street, Suite 4900
                                                                                                                               Denver, CO 80202
                                                                                                                  Phone:  (303) 894-6333