VA Local Chamber, Senator, and Military Eye the Clean Energy Opportunity

At a recent event held at the Chamber of Commerce in Hampton Roads—the east coast epicenter of military activity—Sen. Frank Wagner spoke directly about the urgent need for Virginia to seize the economic development opportunities in clean energy:

“If Virginia acts quickly, and puts the right policies into place, we can take a leadership role in the development of clean energy technologies,” Sen. Wagner said. “If we don’t, we will either be left behind, or will end up with enormous utility rates.”

The Hampton Roads Chamber, which has 2,500 member businesses, hosted Sen. Wagner and Dr. Leo Goff, a retired Navy Captain and national security expert, to brief businesses on:

• How economic and national security interests are driving the U.S. Military to make significant investments in clean energy, and

• How member businesses and the local workforce are positioned to take advantage of the job growth and investment opportunities in clean energy.

“With the right market-driven policies in place, Hampton Roads can capture a significant share of new clean energy jobs and investments,” said Bryan Stephens is the President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, “and we want to help our member businesses do just that.”

In the Hampton Roads region, which includes the popular Virginia Beach area, construction firms are conducting energy efficiency retrofits and installing solar panels; and manufacturing plants are being repurposed to produce supply chain components for wind turbines and battery storage.

Dr. Goff, a Program Manager for CNA’s Military Advisory Board, an elite group of retired three- and four-star flag and general officers, pointed out that neighboring North Carolina is leading Virginia as a producer of solar energy because they have the policies that encourage it.

“The second-largest producer of solar in the nation is North Carolina,” said Goff. “They’re just one state to the south, so it’s not a matter of geography; it’s a matter of the policies.”

In VA, Roanoke Chamber Hosts Governor, Clean Energy Business Roundtable

The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted Gov. McAuliffe at a Clean Energy Business Roundtable in September to highlight the economic benefits clean energy is delivering to the businesses and communities of Southwest Virginia—and how to continue to grow clean energy investments and jobs.

“In Virginia, our investment in clean energy has quadrupled,” Gov. McAuliffe said. “I want the solar panels, the turbines, and the wind blades to all be manufactured in Virginia. We need to be a clean energy leader, and we’re just starting to kick that barn door wide open.”

In a Roanoke Times op-ed, Roanoke Chamber President and CEO Joyce Waugh underscored the chamber’s commitment to attracting clean energy investments. In a piece co-authored with with Larry Cummings of Trane, a global leader in air conditioning and innovator in energy efficiency, Waugh wrote:

“Here in Virginia, companies like Amazon and Microsoft have shown their commitment to renewable energy by procuring energy from solar installations. To continue to attract companies like these that care about clean energy, we need to ensure that policies are in place that support energy efficiency and renewable energy for businesses and residents.”

Read the op-ed here.

NC Legislators, Chambers, Businesses Celebrate Clean Energy Innovation

From Greensboro to Kinston, Fayetteville to Raleigh, local chambers, legislators and business leaders gathered this week to celebrate the state’s business and political leaders pioneering innovation in the clean energy space.

NC Rep. Chris Malone (R-35); Jennifer Behr, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy; Ed White, CEO and founding board member, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster.

Among the awardees:

• Chris Malone of Wake County, who received the Emerging Champion of Clean Energy award.

• Ed White, CEO and founding board member of Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, who accepted the Clean Energy Collaborative Innovation Award.

• Schneider Electric, which received the Clean Energy Corporate Champion award, presented by the Knightdale Chamber.

"I sincerely appreciate the recognition from Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and Conservatives for Clean Energy,” said Rep. Malone. “A clean energy future is one we should all look forward to.”

Ed White, CEO and founding Board member, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster; Patrice Bayyan, Executive Director, Knightdale Chamber; John Pipel, Schneider Electric; Stephanie Byrd, Schneider Electric; Nathan Ray, Knightdale Chamber Board President.

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and Conservatives for Clean Energy cohosted the event, which also featured Rep. John Szoka (R) along with Ben Lowe of Alevo, Gus Simmons of Cavanaugh & Associates, and Will Duckett of PlotWatt.

In addition to celebrating this year’s clean energy innovators, some 75 attendees learned how North Carolina businesses are creating economic development opportunities in their communities through clean energy.

See related media coverage: News & Record.

PA Local Chamber CEO Meets Legislators, Shares Support for Clean Energy

“There is no more important issue than energy,” Guy Ciarrocchi, the President and CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, said after meeting recently with Republican State Representatives and business leaders to discuss energy innovation in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

“This issue impacts all of our businesses—and, their families, too. We support all efforts to create new technologies and clean energy,” added Ciarrocchi, former Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Cawley.

Among the more than 800 member businesses of the Chester County Chamber is Exelon Corporation, the largest electric holding company in the United States, which has a strong commitment to clean energy.

“At Exelon, we believe clean affordable energy is the key to a brighter, more sustainable future,” the Fortune 100 company states.

The State of Energy Technology event, hosted by The Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic, featured Rep. Patrick Meehan (R) and Ryan Costello (R).

Among other energy innovation leaders addressing the invitation-only audience were: Ravi Barot, CEO of OxiCool; Brett C. Thibodeau, President and CEO of Dynamic Energy USA; Mark Schweiker, Senior VP and Corporate Development Officer of Renmatix; and Greg Wolfe, Founder and CEO of Fischer Block. All are advancing energy innovation that also advances economic development.

Ohio Local Chamber CEOs & Economic Development Directors Say Clean Energy Benefits Local Economies

Eleven local chamber CEOs and Economic Development Directors—representing more than 5,000 business and 11 cities and counties from Toledo to Van Wert—called on Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Senate and House leaders this week to reinstate Ohio’s clean energy standards.

In a letter delivered to the Statehouse, they wrote: “As chamber and economic development leaders, we have seen clean energy projects deliver significant economic benefits that are good for our businesses, schools, communities, and the economy of this great state.”

See Gongwer coverage here.

In calling for the reinstatement of clean energy standards, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce joins three of its largest member businesses– Owens Corning, Rudolph Libbe, and First Solar—which were among more than 70 Ohio businesses that over the past month called on the Governor and Senate and House leadership to do the same.

Among the other businesses that want good clean energy standards: Whirlpool Corporation, Owens Corning, United Technologies, Jones Lang LaSalle, Campbell Soup Company, Nestle, Gap Inc., Schneider Electric, United Technologies, Edison Solar, Starwood Energy Group, Replex Plastics, Everpower and many more—  collectively employ more than 25,000 people in Ohio.

In 2014, Ohio was the first state in the nation to put a two-year-freeze on its clean energy standards. The standards are scheduled to revert back into place at the end of 2016 unless the legislature takes action to extend the freeze or modify the standards. Gov. Kasich has publicly declared that he would veto any attempt to extend the freeze. Many local chambers support the Governor on this.

“To enable Ohio to take full advantage of this fast-growing sector that has already delivered more than $1.4 billion worth of investments, 9,000 jobs, and $4.6 million in payments to landowners and local governments, we believe there is a need for a clear and consistent roadmap on this issue.”

Read the chamber letter here.

Read the statements from major Ohio employers here.

Read statement from 68 additional businesses here.

Energy Storage Technology Gets Local Chamber Support

Massachusetts legislators are calling energy storage facilities like the one that broke ground in Sterling, Mass., last month a “game changer” in the effort to modernize the electric grid.

Energy storage, or the capture of energy produced through solar or wind power that will be used at a later time, is a key component of a 21st century energy systems. The Sterling facility will be the largest energy storage installation of its kind in New England.

“The Wachusett Area Chamber of Commerce supports Sterling’s energy storage facility,” said Jen Stanovich, the Chamber’s Executive Director. “We salute the town of Sterling for being a leader in the Commonwealth and see great economic benefit for area residents and local businesses.”

The new facility:

• Increases overall utility efficiency, offers continual savings, and helps the utility integrate clean, more affordable power into Sterling’s electric grid.

• Will provide up to 12 days of emergency back-up power to the Sterling Police Department station and dispatch center in the event of a power outage.

• Is being developed by a local company, which helps create local jobs.

Read more about the Sterling facility in the Worcester Telegram.

Read more about how energy storage could save MA ratepayers $800 million.

70 Carolina Chamber Leaders and Rep. Saine Discuss How to Seize the Clean Energy Opportunity

As a Republican policymaker and a father, North Carolina Rep. Jason Saine told 70 chamber leaders last month that he wants his state to take advantage of a clean energy opportunity almost as great as California’s. But it will need better energy policies to make that happen.

“Knowing what we have and can offer in terms of our economy, we’re really ripe and look a lot like California,” Rep. Saine said. “We’ve just got to make sure we can convince legislators that we need policies in place that will reflect that.”

Rep. Saine addressed the audience of chamber leaders from North and South Carolina at the annual conference of the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Karen Brown, President and CEO of the Outer Banks Chamber, said her chamber recently took an official position in support of offshore wind energy. “We’re always looking for clean energy and clean ways of doing things,” she said.

Question-and-answer highlights

Q: “What if your community does not yet have wind or solar projects? How can a chamber start the conversation?”

A: “You need to make the business case,” said Rep. Saine. As companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook invest more in clean energy, talking about clean energy in terms of economic development makes sense, he said.

“But if we’re going to lure companies here, and we want to—we want to beat South Carolina because we both benefit from that competition—then we are going to have to adjust policies to accommodate that.”

Q: “How can a chamber maintain good relations with local power companies?”

“This is about incremental change,” said Maggie Clark, Southeast State Affairs Manager of SEIA, the Solar Energy Industries Association. “When you talk about it like that, I think utilities are most likely to accept that instead of a vast policy change.”

The panel, organized by Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, was moderated by Aaron Nelson, CEO and President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber, and also featured Katharine Kollins, President of the Southeastern Wind Coalition.

Ohio’s “Heartland” Chamber Applauds New $300 Million Wind Project

When Amazon announced last month that it would build a second wind farm in northwest Ohio, Jon Cross, president and CEO of the Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance and Director of Economic Development, eloquently put the opportunity in perspective:

Big projects don’t “always have to happen in big cities,” Cross said. “They can happen in small communities like ours, courthouse communities that are an important engine of Ohio’s economy.”

The new wind farm, which is expected to become operational in late 2017, represents an estimated $300 million investment for Hardin County. It will also lead to a significant boost in local tax revenue for Hardin’s nine communities and its schools, said Cross.

“We’re waking up absolutely excited that Amazon will be indirectly a part of Hardin County.” – Jon Cross, president & CEO, Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance and Director of Economic Development.

Located 60 minutes from Columbus and Toledo, the Hardin County wind farm will be Amazon’s second in Ohio and fourth in the nation. Learn more in The Columbus Dispatch.

Amazon’s first is going up in nearby Paulding County, where the $175 to 200 million investment is also good news for the Paulding Chamber’s Executive Director Peggy Emerson.

Speaking in a recent video, Emerson said: “Paulding Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to celebrate all of the renewable energy projects that we have going on. These are great ways for us to develop the economic benefits locally, and not only in our county, but the counties around us as well.”

Neighboring Van Wert County has experienced similar successes with Iberdrola’s Blue Creek Wind Farm, which began operation in 2012 and delivers $2 million a year in new revenue for schools and a steady stream of income for farmers.

What Local Chambers Need to Know about Wind Energy in North Carolina

Ret. Navy Captain Leo Goff, PhD

Wind energy could soon be a $1 billion business for North Carolina, and the U.S. Military is fully behind it—recognizing renewable energy as good economics and critical to national security.

But a $300 million project planned in the northeast, and other future wind development, could be stalled if the Legislature again attempts to block it in 2017. And the potential military considerations driving opposition have been greatly overstated.

That was the upshot of yesterday’s briefing on wind energy for local chambers featuring State Rep. Chris Malone, Retired Navy Captain Leo Goff of the Military Advisory Board, and Katharine Kollins, President of the Southeastern Wind Coalition.

Co-hosted by the Edenton-Chowan Chamber and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, the briefing made these three points clear:

1.  Wind energy is a big new economic opportunity. “What does wind energy mean to little Chowan County?” asked Win Dale, Executive Director of the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce, home to the state’s second planned wind farm, Timbermill Wind.

“It means increasing our revenue by $200,000 a year,” he said. In a place that struggles to maintain its tax base and provide jobs, that would make Apex Clean Energy the largest taxpayer in the county.

 North Carolina’s first wind farm, Amazon Wind Farm US East, is already under development in nearby Pasquotank and Perquimans counties, and will deliver more than $250,000 a year in tax revenue to each county. Farmers leasing land to the developer, AVANGRID, will earn $6,000 per turbine.

“Wind energy will easily be a billion dollar industry in next couple of years if North Carolina chooses to promote it.” – Katharine Kollins, Southeastern Wind Coalition

Rep. Chris Malone (R-35-Wake)

2. The NC Legislature has mixed views. “I feel very strongly that clean energy is the way of the future, and we need to do everything we can to make that happen,” Rep. Chris Malone (R) told chamber leaders. A growing number of Republicans, he added, recognize that wind development delivers jobs, economic opportunities, and energy.

But in June, a controversial piece of legislation (HB763, the Military Operations Protection Act) was introduced that could stop wind development and investment in the state on the grounds that it would necessary to protect military flight paths.

3.  The military supports wind development. “The U.S. Military is fully committed to renewable energy,” Retired Captain Leo Goff of the Military Advisory Board (MAB) told chamber leaders. “It’s pure national security and economics.”

Certain renewables, such as wind energy, do create challenges, he said. Towers, which can rise more than 200 feet, can create obstructions, for example; and blade rotation can cause interference with radar systems.

“But in my estimation and that of the MAB,” Goff said, “often times, those concerns are far overstated. Our military pilots are trained to fly higher than 200 feet. They do it all time.”

The U.S. Military also has a procedure for evaluating potential obstacles from wind farms before they are developed, and they have been able to resolve most of them.

“The challenges posed by renewables, wind most prevalently, can be overcome,” Goff said. “Wind and the military can cooperate easily.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown is expected to reintroduce the so-called Military Operations Protection Act in January.

Chamber CEO Peggy Emerson Speaks Out about Amazon Wind Farm

Ask Peggy Emerson, Executive Director of the Paulding Chamber of Commerce, what she thinks of the new Amazon wind farm going up in her county, and she’ll tell you:

“Paulding Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to celebrate all of the renewable energy projects that we have going on. These are great ways for us to develop the economic benefits locally, and not only in our county, but the counties around us as well.”

That’s how she put it in a video recently released by Amazon about the project that is now going up in Paulding County and expected to begin operations in May 2017.

Her enthusiasm about wind energy comes for a good reason: The Amazon Wind Farm is estimated to reflect an investment of $175 to $200 million a year in this small northwest Ohio community.

Said Paulding County Commissioner Roy Klopfenstein: “On a county level, we’ve been able to give our employees raises, the school systems have been able to add instructors, and after construction, I know of no township road that isn’t in better condition after they’ve left.”

Neighboring Van Wert County has experienced similar successes with Iberdrola’s Blue Creek Wind Farm, which began commercial operation in 2012 and delivers $2 million a year in new revenue for schools and a steady stream of income for farmers.

Van Wert Area Chamber CEO Susan Munroe has called wind a “cash crop” that reliably pays year after year.

Amazon is also planning wind farms in North Carolina and Indiana. Watch the video about the Paulding County project here: https://youtu.be/hoi4YTNBz1k.

MA Lawmakers Discuss New Energy Legislation with Local Chambers

Massachusetts chambers and their member companies had an engaging dialogue with Rep. Golden (D – Lowell) and Sen. Pacheco (D – Taunton) on a Sept. 20th briefing call to learn more about the recently passed energy legislation, An Act to Promote Energy Diversity (H4568). Both legislators played key roles in the new legislation and are preparing for additional steps in 2017.

The major takeaways from the call were:

• The legislation aims to create a new offshore-wind industry in MA. The bill calls for 1600 MG of offshore wind energy and positions the Bay State to attract the investment and jobs associated with this new industry. Job growth is expected in the construction of the wind energy sites as well as in the manufacturing supply chain.  States along the eastern seaboard are vying to attract these investments.

• The energy storage provision in the legislation is a “game changer.”  Storing energy in batteries and other innovative technologies will help to lower energy costs and increase the reliability of the grid.

• The pairing of hydro and wind energy will result in the efficient utilization of transmission lines, which will help to lower costs.

• The legislation allows for Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE), a 100% voluntary finance mechanism that covers the up-front cost of energy improvements on commercial properties.

• This bill is just a first step and sets the framework for future legislation.

Both legislators said they will work on clean energy legislation in 2017 that will continue to move the Commonwealth into the future. Stay tuned!

To learn more about the legislation, click here.

26 Local Chambers in CT, and Governor, Show Strong Interest in Clean Energy

Breaking new ground, 26 local chambers of commerce—half of all chambers across Connecticut—gathered this month for a conversation about clean energy with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the Connecticut Green Bank, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“Local chambers of commerce play an important role in helping Connecticut continue to prosper from the growing economic development opportunities of cleaner, cheaper, more reliable energy,” said Gov. Malloy.

Rich Brown, Vice President of the MetroHartford Alliance chamber and event cohost said: “We see clean energy as a great economic development opportunity that helps us retrain and attract businesses.”

As a result of the event:

“We have a growing number of member companies already working in clean energy, including our utilities, and more that are diversifying to capture the market for energy efficiency retrofits and renewable energy.”

— Rich Brown, VP Investor Relations, MetroHartford Alliance

• Nearly a dozen local chambers signed up to work with the Green Bank to inform their member businesses about affordable, long-term financing options through the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program.

• The Hartford Chamber and Connecticut Economic Development Association kicked off this educational effort within a week of the event by bringing the Green Bank to its lunch- and-learn series.

• Several chambers signed up to learn more about Connecticut’s new 2016 Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) to project future energy needs, ensure reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) also invited chambers to comment on the draft CES, which is expected to be released this fall.

“The voice of business has significant influence on our legislative discussion about energy efficiency,” added DEEP Deputy Commissioner Katie Scharf Dykes.” Sending your input in writing is invaluable to increasing funding for these programs and ensuring availability throughout the year.”

In addition to the MetroHartford Alliance, the event was cohosted by the Greater New Haven Chamber, Connecticut Green Bank, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

Pictured at top: Mackey Dykes, Vice President for C&I Programs, Connecticut Green Bank; Rebecca Nolan, Vice President, Global & Domestic Business Development, MetroHartford Alliance; CT Governor Dan Malloy; Jessica Bergman, New England Programs and Engagement Director, Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy; Katie Dykes, Deputy Commissioner for Energy, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; Tony Rescigno, President and CEO, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce; Rich Brown, Vice President of Investor Relations, MetroHartford Alliance.

Thanks to Local Chamber, More than 140 New Businesses Join Mass Save Program

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber joined the Worcester Regional Chamber in the media spotlight last month when they filmed a local TV segment about their Newton Needham Business Energy $avers (NNBE$) program.

The segment, which featured Peter Smith, the Chamber’s Environment Committee Co-chair and a local business leader, focused on the significant savings local businesses are seeing from the chamber’s energy efficiency initiative, which helps member businesses take advantage of utility efficiency programs. The NNBE$ team is comprised of chamber volunteers, city representatives, the energy vendor, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

“Reducing our carbon footprint is not just good for our planet, it can be good for the bottom line,” said Chamber President Greg Reibman. “I’m proud of our businesses here for the way they’ve embraced this initiative.”

Here were some highlights:

• The NNBE$ program works through Mass Save to provide free energy assessments to local businesses.

• The utility will pay up to 70 percent of the cost of the energy upgrade and offers zero percent financing for two years.

• More than 140 local businesses have participated, with 40 already having taken advantage advantage of the financing options with no out-of-pocket costs.

In June, Tim Murray, the Worcester Regional Chamber CEO (and former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts) shined his spotlight on how the chamber’s 2,300 member businesses can save money with energy efficiency. Speaking on Charter TV3, Murray noted that energy costs are among the top three issues that member businesses care about in New England and encouraged them to invest in energy efficiency.

Watch the Newton-Needham Chamber spot here.

Watch the Worcester Chamber spot here.

PA Chambers Gather for Third Clean Energy Event

With Pennsylvania already having attracted $3.5 billion in clean energy investments—and committed to increasing renewable energy sales—it’s no wonder chamber executives and business leaders recently gathered for a third event in a year to learn about growing economic opportunities in this sector.

“This meeting was a good dialogue about renewable energy that needs to continue,” said Donna Siter, Executive Director of the Western Chester County Chamber.

More than 60 leaders from chambers, economic development agencies, and member businesses gathered to discuss the future of wind and solar energy at the Chester County Economic Development Council in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Highlights included:

• Pennsylvania aims to generate 10 percent of its electricity through solar, according to Hayley Book, Deputy Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

• Many financial incentives are available (from rebates and grants to tax credits) that can help PA businesses become more competitive through energy savings. Learn more here.

• With wind power costs having fallen about 66 percent since 2009, Pennsylvania has great potential for growth in this sector, which already supports an estimated 1,000 jobs in the state, said Abby Watson, Government Affairs and Communications Manager at the global wind energy organization, Gamesa.

The Smart Energy Initiative event was co-sponsored by Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, A Renewable America, and other organizations.

Pictured above: Nancy Kunkle, Smart Energy Initiative (SEI) Program Manager; Hayley Book, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Paul Speigel, Practical Energy Solutions and SEI Board Vice-Chair; Abby Watson, Gamesa and Women in Wind Energy; Steve Krug, Krug Architects and SEI Programming Committee Chair; Lisa Jacobson, Business Council for Sustainable Energy; Bill Ronayne, Delaware Valley Heating & Air Conditioning and SEI Board Chair. 

98 Percent Of Chamber Executives Surveyed Support Clean Energy

“Wow!” one chamber President said at the annual conference of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in Savannah, GA, last week. “I can’t believe how much interest in clean energy has grown.”

Ryan Evans, who recently left his position as Vice President of the Salt Lake Chamber to become President of the Utah Solar Energy Association, said, “Solar energy has a job creation mechanism like no other. In Utah, we have more employees in solar now than in coal, and more in solar than in our utilities.”

Marc Jordan, CEO and President of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber in South Carolina, a long-time advocate for offshore wind, said “Today, we don’t talk about economic development without the word ‘clean’ in it.”

Nicole Stika of the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) in Ohio spoke about how they are helping member businesses avoid over $2 million in utility costs through energy efficiency programs.

Alison Van Dam of the Metro South Chamber in Massachusetts called the Chamber Solar Challenge project—which gives chambers an opportunity to earn $1,000 to $5,000 in non-dues revenue for every member business that signs up to install solar panels—a “win-win-win.” It drives down energy costs, creates jobs, and attracts new businesses as well as interest from millennials, she said.

And when asked, “From a business perspective, do you agree it makes good economic sense for your state to offer more renewable energy?” a resounding 98 percent of some 60 chambers executives surveyed answered “Yes”.

In other ACCE NEWS: Congratulations to Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy Advisory Council member Christy Gillenwater, President and CEO of the Southwest Indiana Chamber, which ACCE honored as a “Chamber of the Year.” 

Pictured at top: Aaron Nelson, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber; Marc Jordan, North Myrtle Beach Chamber; Ryan Evans, Salt Lake Chamber.

Pictured above: Rebecca Guzy, Greater Akron Chamber; Diane Doucette, Executive Director, CICE.

Worcester Chamber CEO Uses TV Platform to Encourage Energy Savings

Tim Murray, the Worcester Regional Chamber CEO (and former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts) recently shined his spotlight on how the chamber’s 2,300 member businesses can save money with energy efficiency.

Speaking on the TV program, Chamber Exchange, on Charter TV3, Murray noted that energy costs are among the top three issues that member businesses care about in New England.

While welcoming the rise in renewable energy, Murray also noted: “Often, one of the best things you can do is be more efficient with the energy you use.”

Murray interviewed Rick Galipeau, president of World Energy Efficiency Services, an energy services company with offices in Massachusetts and Connecticut, who described the business investment in efficiency as a “no brainer.”

Here’s how it works:

• World Energy provides a free energy assessment as part of the Mass Save program and identifies opportunities to cut down on energy waste.

• The utility will pay up to 70% of the cost of the project and finance the balance at 0% interest for 2 years.

• For most companies this means no out of pocket costs and positive cash flow by making a couple of minor changes.

 You can watch the video here.

Local PA Chambers Eye Economic Opportunities in Clean Energy

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, may conjure images of covered bridges and farmland but thanks to its chamber of commerce—which has twice been voted the nation’s top chamber—it is firmly focused on 21st century-style prosperity.

The 2,150-member Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently hosted a gathering on the economic opportunities of clean energy in partnership with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

“We need to think long-term about diversifying energy sources to include clean energy,” said Tom Baldrige, President and CEO of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Some three-dozen chamber and member company representatives attended the event. They learned about growing corporate demand for clean energy and the opportunity to attract new employers and investments through energy efficiency and renewables, such as wind and solar power.

Exelon and other Pennsylvania utilities and businesses are already moving forward with plans to diversify their energy supply: one of the goals of the Clean Power Plan, which also provides states with flexibility on how best to do so.

When asked at the chamber event if they agreed that any state plan should include cost-effective, market-based mechanisms to help businesses meet the state’s energy plan, respondents resoundingly said yes.

Pew Charitable Trusts named Pennsylvania as a “rising leader” in renewable energy investment in late 2014 after the state attracted $3.5 billion in private investments in renewables and energy efficiency. Over the coming decade, it is expected to generate another $17.7 billion in clean energy investments.

GE’s $1B Energy Business Shares Limelight with Local Chamber

GE, which has been in the news for its imminent move to Boston, recently headlined the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber’s annual Green Business Breakfast that celebrates energy innovators.

The sold-out event featured Maryrose Sylvester, President and CEO of Current, powered by GE, a new $1 billion energy business built to transform the way we use energy.

Taking advantage of the ever-expanding Internet of Things, Current provides energy management software and a package of energy-related tools to businesses to offset overall power demands and costs.

“We hold this event annually to celebrate business that have taken extraordinary steps to reduce their carbon footprint, or introduced a green product or service,” said Chamber President Greg Reibman. “We hope the spotlight inspires others to follow suit.”

Trip Advisor, the travel website company based in Needham and Powerhouse Dynamics in Newton, received the Chamber’s top honors, with two other local businesses also taking home awards.

The Chamber also announced the Newton Business Energy Savers (NBE$), a partnership to help local businesses and nonprofits become more energy efficient. Funded by utility customers through Mass Saves, the program offers free energy assessments and incentive and financing options for energy upgrades for member companies.

NC Chambers & Military Focus on Clean Energy Growth

Lieutenant General Kenneth E. Eickmann was once responsible for a budget of $11 billion, a staff of 22,000, and some 2,800 programs for the U.S. Air Force.

He also was responsible for leading the federal rescue and recovery efforts following the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City.

But when he came to North Carolina recently to brief chamber leaders from Durham, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Morrisville and elsewhere, it was because he was thinking about another critical component to national security: the one that depends on growing demand for clean energy.

“If the grid goes down, the [military] base goes down,” Eickmann said. Updating America’s electrical grid and allowing new energy technologies to emerge are essential to improved national security, he said.

More than 60 chamber and utility, business, and political leaders, including from Duke, Honeywell, North Carolina Electric Membership Corp., and Sens. Burr and Tillis’s office, attended the briefing on the new U.S. Military Advisory Board report, National Security and Assured Electrical Power.

The Military Board’s recommendation: “Seize the opportunity to build the new grid, smarter, better, and cleaner.”

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and Conservatives for Clean Energy cosponsored the event in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Chamber, Wake County Economic Development, Research Triangle Regional Partnership, Cleantech Cluster, the North Carolina Defense Business Association, and the North Carolina Military Business Center.

Pictured above: Ewan Pritchard, North Carolina State University, Aaron Nelson, Chapel Hill– Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Gaskell, Morrisville Chamber of Commerce, Gen. Ken Eickmann, (retired USAF), Ed White, RTRP Cleantech Cluster, Jenn Bosser, Research Triangle Regional Partnership, John Sidebotham, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce / Wake County Economic Development, Jennifer Behr, Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy.

Home of “The Rock”, Lehigh Valley Chamber Focuses on Energy

Interest Has Definitely Grown, Says Chamber VP

Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, does everything big. It produces big stars, like “The Rock”; big businesses leaders, like Lee Iacocca, former chairman of the Chrysler Corporation; and very big chambers of commerce.

The Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce spans two states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is among the 10 largest local chambers in the nation. It has nearly 5,000 members who employ more than 200,000 people.

So it’s only fitting that when this Chamber took on energy, including in Pennsylvania—a state the Pew Charitable Trust recently characterized as a rising clean energy leader—it did so in a big way.

It started back in 2008 when, like much of the country, the Valley found itself in the midst of a financial meltdown.

“Everybody was paying attention to every expense known to man,” recalls John Hayes, who sits on the Chamber’s Board of Governors and is Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of the New Tripoli Bank. “And I brought up the idea that we focus on energy.”

But in recent years, interest has grown significantly, says Michelle Griffin Young, the Chamber’s Vice President of Government Affairs.

Today, there is significant interest in the Chamber’s annual Energy & Environment Outlook and Expo; its Energy and Environment Committee; and its annual award to a member business that exemplify best energy practices.

For example, when the Chamber held its annual Energy & Environment Outlook and Expo event last year, more than 150 people came, including the state’s Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection John Quigley; Chairwoman of the PA Public Utility Commission Gladys Brown; and several Congressmen.

The Chamber’s now eight-year-old Energy and Environment Committee has also become popular through its work to identify energy innovations that can benefit small businesses; highlight success stories; and work with officials to educate the business community on clean energy options and incentives.

“It used to be us recruiting people to be on the committee,” “says Griffin Young. “Now it’s people hearing about it and asking us to join the committee.”

UPDATE: You can view the agenda and watch video of the 2023 Lehigh Valley Chamber Sustainability Summit here.