The Energy Gang

Nancy Pfund, the founder of DBL Investors, has supported some of the most successful modern clean energy companies, including Tesla, SolarCity, Powerlight and BrightSource. And unlike many other venture capital firms, DBL isn’t backing down from some of the riskier, capital-intensive investments. Other portfolio investments include CIGS manufacturer Siva Power, and storage companies Primus Power and PowerGenix. The firm is now in the process of raising a third fund worth $300 million. In this podcast, we’ll talk with Pfund about what she looks for in company strategies, why Tesla and SolarCity have been so successful, and how she’s trying to bust political myths about cleantech. Later in the show, we’ll debate a controversial new working study from Georgetown University economist Arik Levinson that concludes California’s energy efficiency policies did little to lower the state’s energy use. We discuss that study and counter-arguments from efficiency advocates. Finally, we’ll look at what’s behind SunEdison’s