Stimulating corporate 'green' with federal help.

• Author: Kroll, Karen M.
• Position: Private companies

Included in the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)--commonly known as the federal stimulus bill--was about $54 billion allocated to a range of clean energy and environmental projects. Among them: $11 billion to modernize the nation's aged electric grid and $2 billion to support manufacturers of advanced vehicle batteries, according to Congress' Committee on Appropriations.

Recovery.gov reported that as of October--the most recent data available--about $ 159 billion in available stimulus funding had been awarded, with $37 billion distributed. Energy-related grants have been awarded to companies of all sizes and operating in a variety of technologies, from bio-refining to solar power, says Jen Stutsman, a spokeswoman with the Department of Energy.

"The department doesn't think that there is one silver bullet, but that a range of businesses, startups and utilities will work together toward clean, renewable energy." When evaluating proposals, Stutsman adds, "the applicants' technical merits and business capabilities were most highly weighted, although the sizes of the businesses and geographic diversity also came into play."

Relationship with 'Uncle Sam' Helps

One company that has been on the winning side of several federal stimulus projects is PV Powered, Inc., of Bend, Ore. PV Powered makes solar inverters that convert the direct current from solar panels to alternating current that can run houses and commercial buildings.

In December, PV Powered's converters were chosen for use in a 600-unit residential project in Monterey, Calif., that will use stimulus funds. In addition, PV Powered is one of a half-dozen organizations awarded funds from the Department of Energy, including some ARRA funds, to continue its work on the Solar Energy Grid Integration System (SEGIS) project.

Several attributes have been key to PV Powered's success in competing for these federal projects, says its Chief Financial Officer Roger Laubacher. First, the company had taken the time to establish relationships with the agencies that issue requests for proposals even before the stimulus was signed. PV Powered employees spoke with agency staffers at trade shows and conferences and provided information through white papers and the company's Web site. The staff also regularly monitors requests for proposals issued by the Department of Energy, watching for those that fit the company's expertise and technology.

When they come across one, PV...