Cleantech Engine Revved In ’08—Deals to Remember

These are the salad days for the Boston area’s developers of alternative energy and clean technologies. Such firms had no problem landing big deals with corporate partners, governments, and investors in 2008.

At the risk of sounding whimsical, the standout cleantech deals in 2008 provoked thoughts of a not-so-distant future when, for example, advanced batteries developed in the Boston area power everyday cars in Kendall Square. Imagine the day when we (or most of us, at least) turn on the lights, knowing that, say, 25 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources such as sunlight, wind, and rising tides.

Similar to how we at Xconomy compiled a 2008 list of biotech deals yesterday, the cleantech deals in the list that follows weren’t selected based on dollar values alone, but a combination of value, innovation, and local impact—especially the latter, because of our focus on hyper-local business coverage.

Here is our list of 2008 cleantech deals to remember:

A123 Land Auto Deal, Seeks IPO

Author: Ryan McBride

Ryan is an award-winning business journalist who contributes to our life sciences and technology coverage. He was previously a staff writer for Mass High Tech, a Boston business and technology newspaper, where he and his colleagues won a national business journalism award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in 2008. In recent years, he has made regular TV appearances on New England Cable News. Prior to MHT, Ryan covered the life sciences, technology, and energy sectors for Providence Business News. He graduated with honors from the University of Rhode Island in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. When he’s not chasing down news, Ryan enjoys mountain biking and skiing in his home state of Vermont.