Amyris Biotechnologies, not on the media's radar, is a very relevant story, of which author Schweizer reveals that on “November 18, 2009, "Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein and her husband invested $1 million into Amyris, and just weeks after her seven-figure investment in Amyris, the company scored a $24 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE)."
As of 2011, the Obama administration had already approved loans, grants, tax breaks for over forty percent (eight out of seventeen) of The Westly Group’s green investments. Besides the three listed above, are CalStar Products, EdenIQ, Solexel, Soladigm, and RecycleBank. However, what is not widely reported is that The Westly Group's clean-tech portfolio and Kleiner Perkins greentech have some of the same investments that received government subsidies like RecycleBank (see my 2010 investigation on RecycleBank) as well as Amonix and EdenIQ.
Westly is also tied to Kleiner Perkins in other ways, and shares some of the same investments as Kholsa Ventures. Goldman Sachs and others are all part of that elite "green society" that I've alluded to quite a few times, those who snagged multiple green-energy government contracts.
Tom Steyer, Senior Managing Partner of Farallon Capital Management: Obama Bundler
Billionaire Tom Steyer, another Obama bundler, who, like most prominent Obama fundraisers, has enjoyed relatively easy access to the White House, and has met with senior White House officials in the West Wing on at least four occasions.
Mr. Steyer opened his DNC speech with a Romney tax joke; then quickly moved to his green energy pitch and President Obama's vision, "This is about investing for the long haul, not for a quick-and-dirty buck," Steyer proclaimed.
As noted in The Washington Free Beacon, Steyer, "Is reportedly one of the backers of Greener Capital, which invests in alternative fuel companies that benefit from the anti-oil policies of the Obama administration. Steyer is also the founder and senior managing partner of Farallon Capital Management, which stands to profit from government policies that increase consumption of natural gas."
The Beacon goes on to give more interesting tidbits about Steyer being a Goldman Sachs protegé of Robert Rubin, but what caught my attention is that while Mr. Styers' alternative energy investments are quite impressive, he also "owns millions of dollars worth of shares in Big Oil companies such as BP."
Speaking of quick-and-dirty bucks.
According to Politico in 2010, Obama is the biggest recipient of BP donations over the past twenty years, and BP has invested big in clean energy. BP Alternative Energy includes BrightSource Energy, the recipient of $1.6 billion in DOE loans, a shady transaction that involves other high-profile political connections to the White House as well as a DOE insider.
Article comments
1 - Dr. Joseph S. Maresca
I'm sure that voters will hear a debate on Green Energy. More importantly, how does all of the above contrast with Mitt Romney's ideas on Green Energy. The Green Party itself will be in the mix on the November Ballot. Also, The voters will have to weigh whatever negations there are in the current Green Energy policies as against spending more money on national defense under a Romney Administration.
For sure, huge amounts of money will be spent and perhaps even wasted. The question is this. Which candidate will provide the voters with a better outcome. Ultimately, the goal is to stimulate demand so that more consumers make purchases, industry rebuilds, people are hired in greater numbers and unemployment subsides. Which candidate will accomplish this better?
2 - Igor
Green energy is inevitable. We can either plan for it now and start building systems, or we can wait for more crises to develop. Either way will result in some waste and fraud, it's just a matter of how huge and when. We're probably better off planning early and as well as we can.