Written by Prognog Staff The forthcoming stimulus bill from the US House or some $825 billion is expected to contain provision for some $54 billion for renewable energy projects--good news for CleanTech companies who have certainly been hurt by the global economic slowdown this past year.

Bizjournals.com notes that "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 includes $8 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy and transmission projects, $11 billion to improve the electrical grid, $6.9 billion to improve federal buildings and make them more energy efficient, plus $2 billion in loan guarantees and grants for advanced battery technologies and $1.5 billion in grants and loans to help schools become more energy efficient."

The news, coupled with a report from the CleanTech Group that "clean technology venture investment reaches record $8.4 billion in 2008 despite credit crisis and broadening recession", is evidence that the fundamentals of green and clean investments remain strong for 2009.  The group goes on to note that the "top clean technology sectors in 2008 were solar, biofuels, transportation, and wind. Solar accounted for almost 40% of total clean technology investment dollars in 2008, followed by biofuels at 11%."