1/4/08 Investing in Renewables

Investing in Renewables. I'm Greg Martin as Line On Agriculture presents the Harvest Clean Energy Report. Renewable energy is a relatively new buzz word. We've been working with renewables for years but it was sort of what I would call in the hippie realm. Big business really didn't pay much attention to it. But that is changing according to David Chen, founder of Equilibrium Capital Group. CHEN: Equilibrium is a firm that I founded about 5 months ago. It's an investment firm focused on the growth equity and expansion capital needs of companies that we see participating in the whole area of sustainability. We see a tremendous amount of growth and opportunity taking place in green building, in energy and resource efficiencies, in renewables and recycling and then lastly, in the various aspects of consumer lifestyle which are reshaping themselves along these sustainability lines. Yes, big business has discovered green. Chen says they work with companies to expand that business. CHEN: We're working for companies that already have traction. Many of these companies have been around for quite a number of years and in fact are experiencing tremendous growth as a result of the change in the environment and the demographics in the last few years but are looking for expansion either demographically, across product lines or globally. Chen says that sustainability is the key that is bringing big business, technology and the renewable industries together. CHEN: What I find fascinating about the whole issue of sustainability is that what we're seeing is older industries, older economies that are seeing the opportunity to embrace innovation and change as a means of competitive advantage or serving new markets and by that I look as sustainability in terms of organic foods, the move towards organics and clearly the interesting thing here is that these are trends that impact and have a stake within the rural communities. David Chen will be part of a panel discussion on what emerging energy technologies mean for rural economic opportunities at the upcoming Harvesting Clean Energy Conference in Portland. CHEN: This set of trends and technologies in markets I think it goes without saying it will go far beyond the rise in corn prices  we've seen the tip of the iceberg on a multitude of dimensions that will impact the rural audience and the rural businessman. For additional information on clean energy and the Harvesting Clean Energy Conference, visit harvestcleanenergy.org. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network. www.harvestcleanenergy.org