Luz II: The solar firm, with offices in Israel and California, has signed a deal with Pacific Gas & Electric to build a 500-megawatt solar plant by 2010. Biodiesel Industries Inc.: The privately held Santa Barbara firm collects used cooking oil from the U.S. Navy and other large users and converts it into biodiesel fuel, which emits only a quarter of the carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, of petroleum-based products. The company plans to convert its research and development facility in Ventura into a full-fledged biodiesel plant. Bloom Energy: the Silicon Valley fuel-cell maker recently gave Schwarzenegger and visiting NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg a peek at its top-secret technology to convert zircon sand into portable fuel cells that will allow businesses and homes to gene-rate their own power in an appliance-size device. New Resource Bank: The San Francisco community lender opened two weeks ago with $25 million in deposits, offering loans to small and medium-size businesses, as well as free consultations for clients trying to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. Pacific Gas & Electric: The once bankrupt utility has been reborn as a clean-energy giant, investing in sources of solar, wind and hydropower.
