Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 6:59PM | tagged Mining, nuclear, wind

Nuclear, Solar, Wind, and Mining… Seems every day their is new on GE and its tough to call whether to love ‘em or hate ‘em.  Just this week for example they were mentioned in ways that would lead environmentalists to applaud them for their work in Solar and Wind technology.  But at the same time their financing arm has supported some pretty environmentally distructive projects and the design was behind the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. 

Against?  See…

• Citigroup, GE Slammed Over Mining Deals
• Mango Farmers Invoke Japan Crisis to Fight India Nuclear Plant

For? see…

• GE makes $600 million push into solar energy
• GE Supplying Water Recycling Technology to First US Power Plant
• Cleantech venture funding hits $2.57 billion in quarter

Not an easy case to make either way, but I like to look on GE favorably given where they are headed.  Their financial segment is on the decline and becoming a smaller component of what they do and they are clearly leading the charge in renewable energy and clean tech initiatives.  My guess is that in 10-15 years, they will be market leaders in every component of clean technology and renewable resources. 

Their are signs that GE is leading the way in clean tech.  Just in November, Vinod Khosla talked to Forbes and picked 7 guys that matter in clean tech, and  Jeffrey Inmelt of GE was one of them.  The article is here.  His Kior investment just filed for an IPO.

I’m not sure what the ultimate result of nuclear power will be in the future.  Finding a nuclear answer to the worlds energy needs is coming at extreme cost to the public.  Three (Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima) disasters in 33 years is taking too much of a toll.  But I also understand technology has come along way toward improving.  Even with this is it worth the risk?  Should we continue to spend billions on a technology that has huge side-effects?  I’m counting on innovation and firms with the ability to design innovation for the future to continue paving the course for us.

First and foremost, however, lets all work on…

(i) Optimizing our consumption through better demand side management.  I’m reminded of a facebook posting a friend in Tokyo made the night of the disaster.  “Finished preparing dinner early, going to candlelight to save electricity and help avoid another blackout.” If you don’t need it, don’t use it!

(ii) Promoting those technologies that are at our doors and sustainable? If you see something cOnservitude worth, let us hear about it!