CT's Middlesex Co Chamber Boosts Clean Energy Financing Program

The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is promoting an innovative finance program for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to their member companies. This week, the chamber held an educational session on Connecticut’s PACE program following an address by Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that was attended by more than a thousand business leaders from around the state.

PACE or Property Assessed Clean Energy is a finance program that allows commercial and industrial building owners to do energy upgrades and avoid upfront capital costs. Nearly 60 towns have already opted into Connecticut’s PACE program.

More information on Connecticut’s PACE Program can be found here. Check here to see if your state is one of 31 that already have PACE programs. An article about the Middlesex Chamber’s event is here.

Michigan Chambers Bring Clean Energy Message to Congress

The Lansing Regional and the Saginaw County Chambers of Commerce traveled to Washington last month to promote clean energy policy with members of the Michigan congressional delegation. The chambers also discussed the economic benefits of the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, a bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

The DC visits by the Lansing and Saginaw chambers continue the effort by local chambers from around the country to highlight the economic opportunities associated with clean energy. Earlier this year, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy brought several dozen chamber executives — including Michigan’s Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce — to Washington for a series of meetings on the Hill.

“Policies that encourage energy efficiency create an environment that drives business growth, investment and economic development” said Kristin Beltzer, senior vice president of government relations at the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Veronica Horn, executive vice president of the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce, said, “Congress should pass policies that increase our energy efficiency and help spark new businesses and investment.”

The Traverse City chamber’s write up of its Washington experience with links to its Energy Efficiency Loan Fund is here. A related case study from the Flint & Genesee Chamber, “Sparking Clean Energy Connections in Michigan,” can be found here.

Local NC Chamber Innovates With EV Charging Stations

Local chambers of commerce are natural partners for innovative demonstration projects. In North Carolina, for example, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging early adoption of electric vehicles by maintaining two plug-in electric vehicle charging stations at the chamber’s headquarters.

The chamber sees its headquarters as a natural location for the charging stations since the building serves as a visitor’s center as well as gathering spot for regional businesses. The demonstration project helps position the chamber as a leader in cutting edge technologies while also preparing the community for a modern electric vehicle infrastructure.

A news release from the Asheville Chamber announcing the plug-in program can be found here.

OMA to Brief Local Chambers on Ohio’s Renewable Energy Law

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy are hosting a telebriefing this week for Ohio chambers of commerce to explain the economic benefits of the state’s existing clean energy regulations and why OMA opposes pending efforts to undermine the law.

The manufacturing association, which represents many of the state’s largest energy users, believes that the state’s existing renewable energy law helps businesses save money on their utility bills and increases their competitive advantage. OMA opposes SB 58, a pending proposal to undermine the law, and is co-hosting a briefing call with CICE on Wednesday, November 6th to talk with Ohio chambers about the benefits of the state’s existing renewable law.

A fact sheet from the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association is here.

Grand Slam on the Economics of Wind For Local OH Chamber

Earlier this month, the leading newspaper in Van Wert County, Ohio, published a front-page story about the record high sale of farmland adjacent to two wind farms. “If anyone was worried that the value of farm ground in Van Wert County was going to fall after two wind farms were constructed in the area,” the newspaper wrote, “it appears they needn’t have worried.”

Several pages later, the paper carried an op-ed from Susan Munroe, President and CEO of Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce. Munroe’s article – which also ran in two other area newspapers – told the story of Iberdrola Renewable’s Blue Creek Wind Farm and welcomed the economic development potential of wind energy.

“It doesn’t get much better than today’s issue of the Times Bulletin,” Munroe said. “The front page lead article covers the record-breaking auction sale of local farmland that borders Blue Creek Wind Farm, debunking the myth that wind farms bring down bordering property value. This article combined with my op-ed piece on today’s Opinion page makes it a good day for wind energy and economic development in Van Wert County!”

Munroe’s opinion article (as published in the Van Wert Independent) can be found here. The front-page story about the sale of farmland can be found here.

Salt Lake Chamber: Clearing the Air to Make Business Stronger

Over the last five years, the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce has played an increasingly central role in regional efforts to cut air pollution, making an economic development case for clean air.

Last weekend, Ryan Evans, the vice president for business and community relations for the chamber, published an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, explaining that local chambers know that clean air is important for economic development and that private sector solutions are better than government mandates.

“Clean air and energy make good business sense,” Evans wrote, “and we’ll continue to share our perspective about how local businesses will play a significant role in moving the country forward.” Utah Governor Gary Herbert recently appointed Ryan to a statewide Clean Air Action Team.

Evans opinion article can be found here. The news release from Governor Herbert’s office about the Clean Air Action Team can be found here.

William Rudolph and the Toledo Chamber: A Case for Clean Energy

William Rudolph, chairman of Rudolph/Libbe Companies, leads one of Ohio’s largest construction services companies. He also serves on the steering committee of the Northwest Ohio Solar Initiative of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and believes strongly in the economic development case for clean energy.

His belief in clean energy and the bottom line is so strong in fact that he recently joined dozens of local chamber of commerce representatives in Washington to talk about energy innovation and the bottom line.

“Our representatives and legislators were glad to hear from people from their district about the importance of energy efficiency and clean energy in the success of business,” Rudolph told Toledo-area reporters about the reception he received during the trip, which was organized by Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy. 

Watch Rudolph make the business case.

The homepage for Rudolph/Libbe’s solar initiative is here.

Amidst Shutdown, Chambers Bring Clean Energy Message to Washington

Braving a government shutdown and a Capitol Hill lockdown, local chamber of commerce leaders last week delivered a powerful message of clean energy as an engine of economic development directly to five U.S. Senators and an equal number of House members and their staffs.

“Through shutdown and lockdown, our delegation demonstrated the can-do attitude of local chambers,” said Diane Doucette, CICE Executive Director. “Local business leaders are engines of growth and perhaps the best hope we have to lead our economy toward energy innovation.”

Joining the trip were chamber leaders from Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Utah, Indiana, Tennessee, California and Texas. The executives told the members of Congress of their strong support for the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill and discussed other energy initiatives.

An oped about the trip written by Susan Munroe, President of Ohio’s Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce, can be found here. A column in Breaking Energy by CICE Executive Director Diane Doucette can be found here. 

Local MI Chamber Offers Energy Efficiency Microloans

The Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce of Michigan has expanded a loan program to help local businesses reduce electricity consumption and lower utility bills.

In partnership with Traverse City Light and Power, the chamber established a $200,000 Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund that promotes energy savings among businesses in the utility’s service district. Loans can be made for companies to invest in energy efficiency measures identified through a comprehensive energy audit.

The description of the loan program on the chamber’s website can be found here. A news release from the utility about the program is here. A news story on the program from Midwest Energy News can be found here.

Denver Metro Chamber Invests In Rooftop Solar and Wind

Longtime advocates of renewable energy, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has installed a rooftop wind and solar system on its headquarters building. The system combines solar panels with a small wind turbine.

In a short video accompanying the Post story, Chamber CEO Kelly Brough says that the chamber is delighted to help a local company — Quantum Renewable Energy — prove the viability of new technologies such as urban wind.

Denver is the latest example of local chambers serving as clean energy leaders. For a full report on local chambers and energy innovation, read “Local Chambers as Change Agents,” a comprehensive review published by CICE in May.

The Denver Post article with video of Chamber President and CEO can be found here. The website for the Denver Metro chamber is here.

Maintaining a Competitive Advantage in St. Paul, MN

The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is one of the newest members of Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy. To help its member companies reduce their energy use and stay competitive, the chamber selected energy innovation as one of its key issues.

“Every single business is a consumer of energy resources,” said Matt Kramer, Chamber President and CEO. “Keeping energy costs low puts each of our member businesses in a better place to make the investments to be competitive, to put them in a better position for success.”

Kramer says that his Chamber will never be an expert on energy and that’s why he was excited to find Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy. “We position our Chamber as trusted information brokers,” Kramer added. “We’re going to find the information that our members can trust.”