We’re right in the midst of the Solar Power 2007 conference and expo in Long Beach, California this week. They’re claiming that it’s the largest solar industry event in the U.S. Last Thursday the show organizers closed registration saying that they had filled the capacity of the Long Beach Convention Center. It’s either really true, or some clever marketing.

Making news was media mogul and well known billionaire Ted Turner. You can watch the 21 minute opening keynote video with Ted (moderated by Stuart Brand) by following the link. Always the capitalist Ted opens with "let’s get rich together and do a lot of good." He’s an investor in DT Solar right now, but looking to expand (hint hint for you solar folks in Austin to go pitch Turner Enterprises). He’s also famous for donating $1B to the U.N. Foundation.

Ted is a good spokesman for solar, spending a lot of time on the oceans as a sailor. He is also the largest individual land owner in North America, owning 2 million acres over 15 ranches in seven states (none of them in Texas). He has bison at 14 of those ranches, totalling 45,000 head (again the largest private herd of bison in the world). "We have to move at warp speed to stop burning fossil fuels as fast as we can," said Turner in his speech.

According to the Financial Times, the global solar equipment industry is projected to grow from $20B last year to $90B in 2010. So there’s a huge business opportunity right there.

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Filed under: CleanTech