Clean Edge’s kickoff 2012 Cleanwatch newsletter posted the top ten stories of 2011 which are an indicator of the topics readers were most interested in during 2011.  A closer look at the stories posted indicates that eight of the ten top headlines in 2011 covered the topic of financing of clean energy and the majority reported on the scale of the projects.

According to the Clean Edge, their readers are focused on the intersection of technology, policy, and capital – and include many investors across the investment value chain (VCs, fund managers, project financiers, etc.).

According to the report, in 2012, the streamlining of finance and the setting of commonly agreed-upon standards will be a critical component to lowering costs and increasing installations. New and emerging financing structures, including green banks, clean-energy REITs, clean energy-focused master limited partnerships, and next-generation power purchase agreement schemes will be central to financing the next wave of domestic deployment.