UpStart [uhp-stahrt] n. 1. A company or organization with innovative approaches to energy use, carbon pollution, resource consumption, and/or social equity, 2. A company or organization overcoming market barriers to build the new clean energy economy.

by Adam James

The cheapest power plant is the one you never have to build, and as a result, the cleanest companies are the ones that actually reduce energy consumption. These companies deal with different challenges than those faced by clean energy companies who are attempting to unseat incumbent fossil fuels — mostly behavior challenges.

Let’s be honest. Even those of us who actively follow environmental issues have a difficult time changing our behavior. I rarely unplug all my appliances, although I know they use energy even when they are off. Sometimes, I throw a few things in the wash instead of waiting for a full load because I “need” them right away. Why do I do these things? Because, frankly, I have some bad habits, and it is very difficult to mentally quantify the impacts of these actions or comprehend the aggregated savings from changing my behavior.

However, if you told me I could get some free ice cream at ...

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