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March 4, 2009 4:00 AM PDT
  

Green tech at a crossroads

From energy-efficient lightbulbs and electric cars to giant wind turbine farms and gadgets that make your home a little smarter, the young green-technology industry has quickly become the most talked-about tech sector since Marc Andreessen created a Web browser that sparked the dot-com boom. But as we learned in the dot-com bust, not every company is built to last.

Facing the worst economic conditions since World War II, the green-tech industry is heading for a make-or-break period in which perhaps only the well-funded, the most innovative, and the most politically connected will survive.

In this three-day special report, CNET News will examine how green-tech businesses are coping with the recession while, in many cases, pining for green-tech dollars in the Obama stimulus package. Focusing on the most active corner of the green-tech industry--the way the country generates and receives electricity--we'll identify the most promising technologies and most challenging hurdles.

The question isn't whether the green-tech movement will whither away, of course. Already, there is a growing consumer niche for green technologies, from rooftop solar panels to low-power consumer electronics made from recycled materials.

But how big can this industry be, how long will it take to get there, and who will lead the way?

Day 1

Day 1: In search of the Google of green tech

In a tough economy, the companies that look a little like a high-tech outfit may be the big winners.

Day 2

Day 2: They got their green-tech bill. So now what?

Green-technology companies are in for the stimulus of a lifetime. But proponents also know the risks of a bureaucratic boondoggle.

Day 3

Day 3: Making solar cheaper than coal

Start-up 1366 Technologies wants to transform the energy business one solar cell at a time. Can it make renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels?



 

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