Google ups investment into wind startup Makani

Stealth wind-power startup Makani Power has received an additional $5 million from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) for its technology that promises to produce energy more cheaply than coal-fired power plants.

Alameda, Calif.-based Makani won’t release details of its kites, which use wing-shaped membranes to harness wind energy at high altitudes. The company says the elevation allows them to gather 10 times more energy than traditional wind turbines.

Neither Google nor Makani responded today to calls for clarification.

Makani previously raised $10 million from Mountain View, Calif.-based Google in October 2006 through its Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C) program. Google has said it expects to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in renewable energy over the next few years (see Google creates renewable R&D group).

Makani President and Chief Scientist Saul Griffith is a serial inventor and MacArthur fellow, whose pursuits have included ropes that sense their load, a machine for making low-cost eyeglass lenses and others.

The U.S. market for wind technology is booming. In 2007, the U.S. marked its third straight year as the largest wind growth market in the world by installing more than 27 percent of new capacity (see Wind market could hit record high in U.S.).

Last week, Google announced it made $10 million in investments in geothermal, calling for other U.S. companies to do the same (see Google pushes for enhanced geothermal).

Makani is a spin-off of Alameda-based consulting and contract firm Squid Labs, of which Makani's Griffith is a co-founder. The company has also launched Howtoons, Instructables, OptiOpia and two cleantech-related startups Monkeylectric (bicycle lighting) and Potenco (computing).

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