Venture capitalists know creating a green future can be profitable

"Investment in clean technology, already a boon to California's economy, is now poised to expand into areas beyond alternative energy. As venture capitalists begin to see real returns on their initial investments, they are now focusing on the next wave of opportunity in new technologies that can also reduce the use of carbon-based fuels, while still boosting the economy.

Venture capitalists are starting to invest in new methods for water treatment and for improving the efficiency of U.S. power grids, two areas contributing to the use of vast amounts of electric power, which worldwide is responsible for 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

Clean-tech investments, also referred to as green tech, at first focused on solar energy, wind power, fuel cells and biofuels, such as ethanol. By 2006, U.S. investment totaled $2.5 billion, and Silicon Valley investment climbed to $290 million in the third quarter. This level of investment has helped expand the market for alternative energy, which reached $55 billion last year, and is projected to reach more than $200 billion by 2016."