US flicks switch on $37m of LED funding

The guardians of the US government's economic stimulus treasure chest have dished out further funding for the country's clean tech sector, selecting 17 projects working on the development of energy efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the lucky recipients of more than $37m (£22.7m).

The awards were announced late last week by the Department of Energy, which predicted that developments in solid-state lighting such as those financed by the economic stimulus funds would reduce energy use for lighting by a third by 2030.

"The United States must lead in energy efficiency," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "These solid-state lighting projects will help us significantly cut our energy use, reduce our carbon footprint, and save money. This funding will also support the United States as a global leader in this rapidly evolving industry, creating high-tech, value-added jobs."

The government said that the research projects would be supported by $28.5m in private investment, taking the total funding to more than $66m.

The funding has been divided into three tranches, with $4m awarded to three projects focusing on technical development of underlying LED and organic LED technologies; $10.3m earmarked for six projects developing LED products; and $23.5m handed to eight projects working on the development of cost-effective manufacturing techniques.