Smart grid company Silver Spring Networks, which set the terms of its IPO earlier this week, is the latest clean-tech company aiming to provide a jolt to the industry.
When we think of Earth Day, many of us think of good ol' hippies bent on living off the electrical grid, drinking spring water from somewhere and recycling everything -- bottles, shoes and lint maybe.
Just two technology firms have held initial public offerings this year: "smart grid" energy company Silver Spring Networks Inc. last week and social network Professional Diversity Network LLC the week before.
The U.S. Department of Energy has approved billions of dollars to technology developers such as Silver Spring and a bunch of utilities to test and deploy smart grid technologies across the country.