Capital markets financed the industrial revolution and the technological revolution (not to mention a few wars — read the House Of Morgan if you want to find out who wound up financing BOTH sides of the arms build up in WWI and WWII, I kid you not).

Now capital markets are funding the green revolution in energy production. MMA Renerwable Ventures raises money from instituional investors to finance solar panel installations. End users (like Estee Lauder) arrange for MMA to construct solar installations for them, and buy the power generated at below-market rates, but don’t have to pay for construction.

GREAT packaging, spreading the risk and benefits around where they are the most palatable — you gotta love capitalism when it works out this way.