Chamber Recognized for Helping Members Save through Energy Efficiency

What gets a local chamber of commerce to be recognized by the Governor, invited to the State House—and, in perhaps the highest praise possible, be established as a leader among chamber colleagues?  

In the case of the Newton Needham Regional Chamber of Commerce, the answer has been one good idea that has helped approximately 375 member businesses receive more than $3 million in incentives for cost-saving energy efficiency upgrades.  

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to recognize the Newton Needham Regional Chamber for the leadership they have shown by encouraging local businesses take advantage of the Mass Save program," Rep. Ruth M Balser said this month at a State House event honoring the chamber. 

After recognizing the burden high-energy costs were having on its member companies, the chamber partnered with World Energy Efficiency Services, the City of Newton, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy to launch the Newton Needham Business Energy $avers (NNBE$) program.  

The NNBE$ program connects local businesses to available energy saving programs and incentives offered through Mass Save which is run by the local utilities. (Businesses receive free energy audits, financing for upgrades, and rebates on recommended energy improvements.) It has already increased small and medium business participation by 30 percent.  

Also attending the event honoring the chamber were State Sens. Cynthia Stone Creem and Michael Rush, State Rep. Kay Khan, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, and Needham Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick. The chamber also received citations from all elected officials in Newton and Needham.  

In 2017, Gov. Charlie Baker also recognized the chamber, saying: “I applaud members of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce for their participation in the Mass Save program, their collaboration with various stakeholders, and their commitment to producing important savings for local ratepayers.” 

And In March 2018, the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce—in partnership with the City of Gloucester, National Grid, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy—became the second local chamber in MA to launch a program that increases the participation of member businesses in cost-saving energy efficiency measures. 

Read more in The Patch.

Visit the Newton Needham Chamber to learn more about the NNBE$ program  

Learn about the new Cape Ann program here.  

Pictured from left, Rep, Kay Khan (Newton), President of World Energy Rick Galipeau, VP of World Energy Mike Santangelo, Director at Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy Jessica Bergman, Sen. Mike Rush (Needham), Needham Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick, Chamber Environment Committee Chair Peter Smith, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Chamber President Greg Reibman, Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem (Newton) and Rep. Ruth Balser (Newton).

Largest Clean Energy Convening of Local Chambers at MA Statehouse

Highlights of MA Local Chambers Legislative Briefing

More than three-dozen local chambers of commerce and member businesses met with legislators last month for the largest convening of local chambers at the Massachusetts Statehouse to discuss clean energy.

Rep. Thomas Golden, Jr. (D-Lowell) and Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), two of the leading legislators on clean energy, briefed them on what to expect from the remainder of the 2017-2018 session, saying the goal is to build on last year’s work to ensure that Massachusetts remains a clean energy leader.

Among the measures they said the legislature plans to consider supporting:

• An increase in the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to ensure more renewable energy and more clean energy investment and jobs in Massachusetts.

• Increase the caps on solar net metering to allow more businesses and residents who own solar panels to be compensated for providing their excess energy back to the electrical grid. The legislators stated that an increase in the caps will help generate more solar power in the Bay State. See Net Metering explained.

• Energy storage technology, which allows for wind and solar energy to be captured when available and saved for use when needed.

• Increases in energy efficiency statewide.

Offshore wind, they also noted, has strong support since turbines are now placed at off shore distances largely invisible to the naked eye. Several chambers and businesses are eyeing the economic benefits from expected boosts in production and distribution of offshore wind technology in the state.

We also heard that states all along the eastern seaboard and beyond are competing to be the home of the new offshore wind industry. Many legislators want Massachusetts to be the nation’s center for this new industry.

The legislature wants to hear from chambers. Rep. Golden and Sen. Pacheco also said that the Massachusetts legislature wants to hear from local chamber leaders to better understand their members’ experience with clean energy policies and programs—adding that they depend on this to ensure clean energy growth continues.

Co-hosts of the event included the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, the SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce (formerly the New Bedford Chamber), the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE).

Stay tuned for details!  CICE will continue to update you on important clean energy discussions with briefing calls, in-person sessions, and more throughout the year. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your chamber or member businesses would like more information or would like to get more involved in clean energy discussions.

Check out photos from the event here. Credit: “Photography by Sergio Dabdoub: badmonkeypics@outlook.com”.  

State Senator Urges Local Chambers to Share Their Stories with Legislators

When an Ohio State Senator knocked on the door of one of his constituents asking what he thought of neighboring wind turbines that had recently been constructed in his neighborhood, the man said: “They’re money for my county, and they’re progress.”

That was more than a decade ago. And ever since, that opinion has been growing in the Senator's district in Northwest Ohio—fueled by the leadership of local chambers of commerce and economic development leaders who have witnessed the economic benefits to their communities.

During a recent briefing call for local chambers moderated by Susan Munroe, the President and CEO of the Van Wert Area Chamber said her county has attracted approximately $1.2 billion in wind investments, along with $2 million a year in new revenue for schools, high-paying jobs, and a new stream of income for area farmers.

But in 2014, the Ohio Legislature passed legislation freezing the state’s renewable energy standards and tripling the distance new wind turbines must be constructed from a neighboring property line—effectively bringing wind development to a halt.

The Senator said Senate budget hearings, expected later this month, are an opportunity to fix that, explaining: “There is now, a proposal to establish a reasonable distance that would be a “wind-win” for everyone.”

The Senator encouraged local chamber and economic development leaders to share with their legislators how wind is benefiting their communities and the importance of maintaining this kind of growth in the state. He also talked about a growing number of large corporations that are demanding renewable energy to power their operations.

“Bottom line, chambers know this better than anyone: If we want to attract major corporations to do business here, we have to be open for business,” he said, adding that it’s important to have the right policies in place to ensure these large companies are bringing their business to Ohio and not other states.

Wind development, he added, can help all Ohioans. “I have farmers in my district saying: I’m growing corn, raising beans and I’m harvesting wind, and I’m proud of it,” he said. “There is room for everyone who cares about making Ohio a better place.”

Munroe will lead another capitol visit with her local chamber colleagues and economic development officials to share their stories of how wind has positively impacted their communities. If you are interested in joining the visit, please contact her at Susan@vanwertchamber.com.

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.

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.

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.