Google.org invests in BrightSource Energy!

See the announcement and a picture of our Pilot Plant in the Neguev on Google Blog!

Google is one of the investors of round C which was closed a few days ago.

From the Press Release:

BrightSource Energy, Inc. (...) has secured $115 million in additional corporate funding from its Series C round of financing, bringing the total the company has raised to date to over $160 million.

Google.org's investment is $10 millions. But more than the number, I'm proud to work on a project which Google deemed a good investment for the future, both in terms of environment and in financial terms.

Sustainable development

Finally something reasonable in sustainable development: Lighting The Way In India

Notice from the article that it took:
- a local engineer with both education and a vision;
- a credit infrastructure (microcredit?);
- labour force with some prior skills (the TV repairmen)
to succeed in this project.

The article doesn't mention it but two other requirements which are not present in parts of Africa or Asia where you don't hear this kind of stories: the ability to transport safely goods (without having to bribe everyone along the way to ensure the goods arrive at their destination) and an amount of legal security (if the governor's friend sells diesel generators, he won't be able to make up a new tax which ruins the chances of selling solar panels).

Now the question is whether this a priori sustainable contribution to the Indians' well-being will not cause them to be consumers of non-sustainable goods and services... I'm actually sure it will but would I be entitled to deny them the well-being, I who fly thousands of miles every year and enjoy a comfortable, modern life?

I have at least one friend...