From old-school Fortune 500 companies to start-ups barely out of first-round financing, businesses are committing big bucks to the green revolution. And while it seems like everyone's doing it these days, we think these 20 companies are the ones pushing the ecological envelope. Whether it's because of their reach, their potential, their influence, or the sheer genius of their innovations, we predict that each one will have a hand in changing the world in one way or another - sooner rather than later. Introducing the inaugural edition of...

The Plenty 20
By Danielle Wood

16. Year after year air conditioning is the top contributor to peak electricity problems. Last summer alone, heat waves caused blackouts across the nation, and high electricity demand forced the dirtiest of generators to kick in.

Ice Energy's Ice Bear cooling unit plugs into an off-the-shelf air conditioner. At night, when electricity is cheapest, it makes ice. But during the day, when demand for air conditioning soars, the Ice Bear uses the ice - instead of electricity - to cool down the coolant in the air conditioner, reducing electricity consumption for air conditioning by up to 30 percent . . . Now that's cool.

Other companies included in the Plenty 20 include Goldman Sachs, General Electric, Toyota, Whole Foods and NanoSolar.

Link to the "Plenty 20" Article