Three “start-up” companies in the Boston area have become leaders and innovators in research and product development associated with alternate energy sources. The first, Verenium Corporation, has been listed by Time Magazine as one the nation’s green start-ups and is creating a next-generation bio-fuel, cellulosic ethanol. The second, Joule Biotechnologies, has recently announced a technology which uses no bio-mass and produces bio-fuels. Finally, IST Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of Infoscitex Corporation (IST), has developed a waste-to-energy conversion system enabling organizations to generate energy from their onsite waste.

All three companies have different solutions to creating a renewable energy source. Verenium Corporation’s “next-generation” cellulosic ethanol is made from products offering high yields with low environmental impact. The principal feedstock being used in Verenium’s pilot facility is agricultural waste from sugar cane production. The production cost is significantly lower than with first generation products.

Joule’s technology does not rely on fossil fuels or agricultural products for production of its liquid energy. The technology converts sunlight and CO2 to useful fuels and chemicals. Because the conversion is “direct,” no agricultural land, crops, or water are necessary, making the whole process cost-effective.

IST Energy’s GEM system is a portable system that businesses will be able to purchase and put in their parking lots. This 8-foot-high self-contained system fits inside a storage container, taking up the area of three to four parking spaces. Post-consumer waste, including paper, plastic, food, wood, and agricultural materials, is fed into GEM, which converts the waste into optimized fuel pellets. These pellets are then converted into synthetic gas which powers a turbine-generator to produce electricity.

With technology innovations such as those described above, Massachusetts is working to address issues associated with fossil fuel, peak oil, and climate change.