DUBAI: Four of 6 finalists for a $2.2 million Zayed Future Energy Prize are from the United States. It comes as the small United Arab Emirate continues to promote greener energy solutions. The prize, named for the founder of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, grants a seven-figure award for “outstanding work in renewable energy and sustainability.” In the past few years, Abu Dhabi has become somewhat a leader in alternative energy in the Middle East, despite its massive carbon footprint. It is the site of Masdar City, the master-planned sustainable community under construction. The prize committee chose the finalists from 391 entries that came from 69 nations. The 6 individuals and companies are something of a grab bag, ranging from alternative energy guru Amory B. Lovins of Colorado's Rocky Mountain Institute to First Solar, the Tempe, Ariz., thin-film photovoltaic module manufacturer and power plant developer. Another US-based finalist is Terry Tamminen, a veteran environmentalist and former head of the California Environmental Protection Agency who currently runs Seventh Generation Advisors, a non-profit consultancy focused on sustainability. The committee also selected E+Co, a New Jersey firm that makes investments in renewable energy projects in developing countries. The non-American finalists are Vestas, the Danish wind turbine giant, and Barefoot College in India. Among other endeavors, Barefoot College trains low-income women for work bringing solar electricity to rural villages. BM
