A year of expansion

The Cleantech Network last week released 2006: A Year of Expansion, a 'white paper' surveying the state of cleantech investment (downloadable from here).

It tells the now-familiar story of the confluence of political and market factors that made 2006 a banner year for cleantech, backed by a solid presentation of the data collected by the Cleantech Network, plus extra comment from some key players. Curiously, there's no mention of a possible bubble in either the venture or public markets - reports from other groups, notably Library House, the Carbon Trust, Forum for the Future and Lux Capital, have not been so squeamish.

One point worth emphasising is the evolving energy specialisms in the US and Europe:
North America and Europe share a need to develop alternative energy sources, but their differing public policies, geographical characteristics and historical strengths have led to divergent investments in the some types of renewable energy sources being developed and marketed today.
For instance, North American companies received all but one of the 30 biofuels deals that occurred in 2006. [...]
In Europe, on the other hand, investors turned to a different source renewable energy, and one that is particularly abundant in parts of Europe: wave and tidal power. All of the six deals in the hydro and marine power companies were placed in European companies; half of the six went to companies in the UK. The UK, with its high proportion of coastal land and tidal activity, is considered well positioned to become a global leader in wave and tidal technology.