Green tech leaders complain about lack of funding, but it is not just money

Green tech leaders meeting this week in Las Vegas at the National Clean Energy Summit conference sponsored by Democratic Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid used the opportunity to complain about the lack of government support. Despite recent announcements from the Obama Administration that some initiatives are moving, the money is not going out the door as fast as they would like.

But its not just funding that is delaying alternative energy development. There are more structural issues such as permitting that all levels of government need to address to foster green projects. For example, fears over the fate of the sage grouse are stymieing plans for a large-scale alternative wind energy project in Wyoming developed by Texas-based Horizon Wind Energy. As such projects increase in scale to create efficiencies, they are becoming ensnared in permitting issues as they may create other environmental problems.

The government will seek to reduce the environmental impact of any large project, but at some point the government must make a fundamental decision. Either sacrifice large renewable projects, which means relying on older more polluting fuels that affect many species, or build a project could affect just one.

As the governments in the US debate permitting issue, other countries, such as China are making decisions and companies, such as Evolution Solar Company are jumping ship and finding more profitable opportunities there. Stimulus funding will no doubt give green tech companies some support, but without a more flexible regulatory environment, the US will still be behind the green curve.