Algae is Chevron's New Green

Chevron has announced a deal with the company Solazyme to develop bioddiesel out of algae. According to Solazyme's CEO, if "all goes according to plan" the company will be pumping out commercially viable diesel derived from algae witnin 2-3 years.

Give Solazyme credit, not only for hooking up with a deep-pocketed partner in Chevron, but also for recognizing that nothing gives innovative green technology the patina of legitimacy like the Hollywood stamp of approval.

So, the company pimped its product last week at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT, by showcasing a biodiesel Mercedes. (That's a two-for because if there are two things that the Hollywood elite love, they are green energy and luxury automobiles!)

The idea of producing fuel from algae has been around for decades but this looks like the first realistic shot at brining it to market. No word yet whether the company plans to tap into my fish tank for (which hasn't been cleaned in months) for a steady supply of source material.

Startup teams with Chevron on algae fuel [San Francisco Chronicle]