CleanTech OC Daily - 8/28/12

First portion of huge algae farm in New Mexico is done

Sapphire Energy, an algae energy startup, announced that the first phase of their commercial-scale farm in Luna County, New Mexico is up and running. This first portion of the farm took a year to build and required $85 million from Sapphire, backed by a USDA loan guarantee, as well as a $50 million grant from the Department of Energy. Completing the entire far will require major funding - Sapphire is in the process of raising another $144 million from investors to do so.

Obama sets fuel economy average at 54.5 mpg

The Obama administration has finalized rules that will raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) to 54.5 mpg by 2025. The decision was made after more than a year of negotiations between government agencies, auto manufacturers, and other interested groups. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation create the formula by which CAFE is calculated. The CAFE number takes into account all of the cars and light trucks produced in a model year by a manufacturer.

Logistics company to help Silicon Valley box its gadgets better

PCH International is opening a new sustainable package-design center in San Francisco in early 2013. For any company who produces a product, sustainable packaging can be good for the bottom line, as well as beneficial for the customer experience and branding/marketing.