ARPA-E

How sweet is that as an acronym for a Government grant program? Sounds like something a bad guy in MacGuyver would have on the back of his jumpsuit.

Anyway, it's the Feds' program to fund "moonshot" green technology ideas (read: "out-there shit").

This is news today because the Feds just doled out $10 million to new initiatives including kites that produce energy...which is sweet. From Fast Company:

Google-backed Makani Power is getting the most funding ($3 million) for its airborne wind turbine, which converts wind energy into electricity using tethered wings outfitted with turbines. In other words, Makani is using kites to generate energy. The company is currently working on its first 1 MW turbine kite, which is expected to be finished in a year and a half. After that, the kite will undergo a year and a half of testing before hitting the market.

You read that correctly, 'Google-backed.' Apart from a very intriguing diversification for Google, it's really nice to see one of our most innovative companies helping drive these new technologies.

Read about ARPA-E here.