Today the Department of Energy announced a pretty big windfall of funding "for 37 ambitious research projects," ones that involve energy sources such as wind and solar, something crazily awesome about bacteria being used to to "produce automotive fuel from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide," and more. In total, the Golden State received $20.8 million in new funding to help improve the environment. Which, of course, is necessary.

NorCal green businesses benefiting from today's eco-splurge:

  • Envia Systems (Hayward): "High energy density Lithium-ion batteries with 3x better energy density than current batteries. Based on novel nano silicon-carbon composite anodes and manganese composite cathodes discovered at Argonne National Laboratory. Could lower the cost and speed the adoption of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles." Piece of the pie: $4,000,000

  • NanOasis Technologies, Inc. (Richmond) - "Carbon nanotubes for reverse osmosis membranes that require less energy and have many times higher flux. Could dramatically reduce the cost and energy required for desalination to supply fresh water for our crops and communities." Piece of the pie: $2,031,252

  • PAX Streamline, Inc. (San Rafael) - "'Blown Wing'" technology for wind turbines. Creates a virtual airfoil by jetting compressed air along a wing. Can be dynamically adjusted to maximize power under a wide range of wind conditions. A new design that can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost." Piece of the pie: $3,000,000

  • Porifera Inc. (Hayward) - "Carbon nanotubes integrated into polymer membranes to increase the flux of CO2 capture membranes by two orders of magnitude. Could enable much less expensive carbon." Piece of the pie: $1,077,992

  • Stanford University: "Sensors, software, and controls to track and improve energy use patterns. Could lead to substantial reductions in building energy use by changing human behavior through timely information and usable controls." Piece of the pie: $4,992,651

Created to "develop nimble, creative and inventive approaches to transform the global energy landscape while advancing America’s technology leadership," the funds were awarded through the Department of Energy’s new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (“ARPA-E”).