New England Chamber Helps Manufacturer Reap Big Benefits from Solar

No one needs to tell Jack Lank, President of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce in Massachusetts, how important renewable energy has become to his member companies.

Winter in New England this year is once again a bracing one that has sent energy costs soaring. Lank estimates that, across the 16 communities served by United Regional, his members are facing a 37 percent increase in electricity costs this season.

“The reality is hitting right now for my business owners,” said Lank. “Sometimes a small business owner is so buried in the details of running his operation that when they see these energy bills hit, they say, “Holy guacamole, what are we going to do now?”

But with a little help from its chamber, one member company recently became a model for how businesses can slash energy costs through renewable energy—even in the energy-intensive manufacturing industry.

Craft, Inc. is a fourth-generation manufacturer of specialty hardware that was paying  $8,000 to $10,000 a month in energy bills. But in true entrepreneurial spirit, they wanted to be more self-sufficient and generate their own power, a company spokesperson told The Sun Chronicle.

Lank took the initiative to connect Craft executives to another member business, US SolarWorks that would install approximately 1,200 solar panels on the Craft plant. The result, as the company reports on its website: “Collectively [the panels] are generating enough power to fully run our factory while still depositing energy back into the grid.”

As for the economic savings: Craft expects to break even on the investment within five years—and save $2.7 million in energy costs over 25 years—Eric Roy, co-owner an president of Craft, Inc. told The Sun Chronicle.

Their success, helped made possible by the chamber’s introduction, has already inspired four other local companies to turn to solar power, according to Lank.

“For our chamber,” he added, “the future has to be about renewable energy.”

MN Chambers Meet with State Officials on Energy Innovation

Minneapolis Regional, Saint Paul Area, and Hibbing Area chambers of commerce cohosted a lively luncheon last week, putting a spotlight on Minnesota’s leadership in clean energy innovation and economic development.

The event brought together a public-private brain trust, including representatives from 15 local chambers, Governor Dayton’s cabinet, Senator Franken’s office, the St. Paul Port Authority, local utilities Xcel Energy and District Energy, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board, Iberdrola Renewables, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

“Every one of our members is an energy consumer,” said Matt Kramer, CEO of the St. Paul Chamber. “If we can help our members save, it puts them and our region at a competitive advantage—nationally and internationally.”

Todd Klingel, CEO of the Minneapolis Chamber, said his members care deeply about clean energy opportunities. Many are generating energy offsite, launching new clean energy business models, or implementing efficient business operations.

Lory Fedo, President of the Hibbing Chamber, spoke about the Business Energy Retrofit program her chamber spearheaded to help members struggling with high utility bills.

Through a one-stop-shop approach, members can get a building energy audit and financing for efficiency improvements. More than 80 businesses have been awarded grants and loans between 2013 and 2015, driving $3.6 million worth of new clean energy investments.

The St. Paul Port Authority also highlighted its statewide clean energy financing, which could help fund the state’s estimated $200 million in clean energy project potential. “We can back any energy project in the state of Minnesota; and in 80% of the cases, ours will be the cheapest financing,” said Peter Klein, Vice President of Finance for the Port Authority.

Yet despite strong clean energy growth in Minnesota since 2000, the state still spends $13 billion annually to import fossil fuels for energy. ­­­Robin Sternberg, a member of Governor Dayton’s cabinet, shared her goal for bringing public and private sectors together to change this equation. “Instead of giving money [for energy] to other states, we can work together to invest more in our own business communities,” Sternberg said.

Salt Lake Chamber & Gov. Office Make Business Case for Clean Air

The Salt Lake Chamber kicked off its 4th Annual Clean Air Summit last week – bringing together top business leaders, a senior advisor to Governor Herbert, and former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson – to make the business case for clean air.

The event made clear that clean air is a key economic development issue and a top public policy priority for the chamber. Speakers agreed that improving the air quality is critical to attracting and retaining residents and businesses, and to keeping Utah’s economy strong.

“Everyone knows that clean air is important for healthy communities. It’s also important for healthy economies. So we are working with important stakeholders to make clean air a priority economic development issue,” says Chris Lee, president of Deseret Digital Media and chair of the Salt Lake Chamber’s Clean Air Task Force.

The Salt Lake Chamber is encouraging local businesses to become Chamber Clean Air Champions. One chamber member, Intermountain Healthcare, shared how they are using energy efficiency to save money and reduce local health risks associated with poor air quality. The company closely monitors its buildings’ energy use and implements economical facility improvements.

Salt Lake City suffers from high pollution levels especially in the winter months when cold air traps warm air (and pollutants) near the valley floor. The Salt Lake Chamber supports many efforts to reduce pollutants including fuel and vehicles standards, alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, building efficiency measures, and options to expand mass transit funding.

Former Mayor Ted Wilson, who leads the Utah Clean Air Partnership, highlighted grants and loans local businesses can use for energy technology upgrades.

More coverage appears in Utah Business and The Desert News.

Expect Bi-partisan Agreement on Energy Efficiency in 2015

Recently, local chamber leaders from across the nation engaged in a lively discussion with high-level bipartisan experts about what recent election results will mean for clean energy and economic development in 2015.

The upshot: Advancing energy efficiency is not only good for the bottom line, as a growing number of chamber leaders have recently discovered, it appears to be the way of the future for both business and all levels of government.

“I think you will see a variety of states that will move on energy efficiency in significant ways” in the years ahead, said former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr., the founder and director of Colorado State University’s Center for New Energy Economy.

There is also likely to be a push for energy efficiency on the federal level, said Daniel Martini, senior legislative assistant and counsel to Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA) on energy, environment and natural resources. “We see strong bipartisan opportunities to promote energy efficiency nationwide,” Martini said, adding that the federal government is the largest building-owner in the country. He also mentioned that the Department of Defense energy efficiency projects on military bases should continue to garner bipartisan support.

Fortune 500 companies, such as Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and United Technologies, are increasing their focus on efficiency, said Erin L. Lane, vice president of Cascade Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based governmental affairs consulting firm. And the savings are significant. For example, Walmart’s commitment to make a 20 percent reduction in energy use by 2020 is expected to save the world’s largest employer more than $1 billion annually.

Addressing chamber and business leaders, Lane added, “You have to think about your bottom line; and energy efficiency, in particular, certainly affects the bottom line.”

The discussion, organized by Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) was moderated by Angelique Espinoza, director of public affairs and public policy, at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.

In recent years, many local chambers have recognized energy efficiency as the cheapest and fastest solution to meet the growing energy needs of America’s entrepreneurs—and launched projects that help their businesses save money.

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy will convene its next briefing, the 2015 Clean Energy Investment Forecast Call, in early 2015.

New Chamber Solar Program Sparks Interest

It’s not only the Patriots who are attracting excitement in New England these days.

The New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (NEACCE) held a lively session in Foxborough, Mass., this month on a new solar program that can score big wins for chambers and their member companies.

More than 80 chamber leaders engaged with clean energy experts at NEACCE’s annual conference held at Patriot Place, adjacent to the home of the three-time Super Bowl champions.

Chamber executives heard about a new program designed to save member companies time and money when installing solar. In return, local chambers receive a donation (or, as we say in chamber world, non-dues revenue) every time a company signs up for solar through the program’s online marketplace. Chambers can also help local solar installers reach more customers by having them added to the innovative marketplace.

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy presented the NEACCE session in collaboration with EnergySage and the New England Clean Energy Council.

Chamber leaders and energy experts also discussed job growth, new finance opportunities, what businesses are doing around energy efficiency and clean energy, and what to expect from clean energy in 2015.

The new Solar Savings Program, a partnership between Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) and EnergySage, offers chambers a way to give their member businesses quick and easy options for putting solar on their commercial or residential buildings.

In Massachusetts, the Metro South Chamber of Commerce, the region’s oldest and leading economic development and business advocacy organization, is currently considering installing solar on its own office, located in the historic Thomas A. Edison building.

Creating Change by Having Conversations with Policy Makers

As respected leaders in their communities, chambers of commerce often serve a critical role as conveners for important conversations between their member companies and federal, state and local policy leaders. In addition to often being newsworthy, these discussions are also critical steps in ensuring that policies benefit local economic development.

In Norfolk, Virginia, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a discussion with David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, who delivered what a local newspaper called “an optimistic forecast of the future that included cheaper batteries and LED lights, cars with double the gas mileage and affordable solar projects.”

Danielson spoke to the chamber’s Business Leader Roundtable.

One example of progress Danielson cited is a $47 million federal grant that Dominion Virginia Power recently won to install two offshore wind turbines more than 550 feet tall. He predicted that wind turbines could generate 20 percent of the country’s power by 2030. “This will be Virginia pioneering something nationally,” he said, adding that energy efficiency presents a multi-trillion dollar opportunity for the U.S. companies.

“We’re in an exciting time as it relates to our energy strength as a nation,” Danielson said. “If you look at our energy security, the opportunity we have to really lead in addressing global and environmental issues, and the opportunity that presents for us to continue to reinvigorate our economy and our manufacturing base, it’s pretty phenomenal the number of things that are converging in our direction right now.”

Are you looking to host a good conversation about energy policy in your state? Let us know. We can help by identifying leading regional and national voices in energy innovation.

Wind Farm Tours in Caro, MI Drive Visitors

The Caro Chamber of Commerce says that its hometown of Caro, Michigan, has a “Norman Rockwell feel with modern amenities.” Among some of the most modern of those amenities are the turbines from nearby wind farms that are steadily transforming the region.

Those wind farms have also led to many questions from nearby residents, so many in fact that Brenda Caruthers, Executive Director of the Caro Chamber enthusiastically agreed when Consumers Energy, the state’s largest utility, proposed that the chamber host a series of tours of the new Crosswinds Energy Park that is nearing completion.

Caro is the second chamber in Michigan to help its community better understand wind farms through public tours. (The first chamber to host public tours – the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce in western Michigan— also partnered with Consumers Energy).

More than 300 people took the Caro tours. More than half of those people, Caruthers said, came to Caro specifically for the tours. “We’re a rural area,” she said. “We’re not a tourist area and that’s a huge number of visitors for us.”

The tours started at the chamber’s office – also a benefit for the chamber, Caruthers noted, because it can be difficult to get direct traffic to the chamber’s building – where a video about the wind farm was shown. A chamber member with a tour bus company then took the visitors to the wind farm, which has 62 turbines that will generate 105 megawatts of power enough to supply electricity for 31,000 homes.

For the first month, Caruthers personally greeted the wind farm visitors and, of course, took the tour herself. “Most of us had already seen the wind towers because they are so close to us,” she said. “But the size is so impressive. The plans that had to be developed and everything else that goes into these wind farms is just mind boggling to me and many others.”

The chamber also surveyed people returning from the tours, asking if their position on wind power had changed. More than 60 percent of respondents said they were more inclined to support wind generation. All in all, Caruthers said, the wind farm tours were a “very positive experience” for the chamber and for Consumers Energy, a major chamber member.

Chambers Use Smart Grid Cluster to Attract New Companies

North Carolina’s Research Triangle is one of the country’s leaders in the development of smart grid technology that, much like the smart phone, is using twenty-first technology to modernize electricity delivery systems. The advantages for business, communities, and consumers are significant: from job and investment growth to improved energy efficiency and distribution.

But, as several chambers of commerce recently discovered, identifying smart grid clusters also help chambers recruit more companies to their region.

The idea first emerged several years ago when Research-Triangle based chambers, in Raleigh, Morrisville and Wake Forest, worked with a local economic development agency to evaluate their local economic assets and identify regional trends.

In the process, they identified an emerging cluster of smart grid firms as a powerful new asset, and quickly set about using it to recruit new firms to their communities.

Carlotta Ungaro, President of the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce, drew upon her experience working for the magazine now known as Utility Automation & Engineering T&D, the first publication in the smart grid field.

“The Triangle has always been a leader in the smart grid field,” Ungaro said. “Understanding that we had a smart grid cluster allowed us to recruit more companies working on these cutting edge technologies to our area.”

“Three companies located in the Triangle – Itron, ABB and Schneider – dominated the product discussion and research in this growing field,” Ungaro added. “And they have continued to lead the way in the industry and locally in fostering the high concentration of smart grid companies in the Triangle.”

That concentration, according to the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, a not-for-profit organization created by chamber leaders in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, has led to the creation of more than 83,000 net new jobs in the last five years.

Additional information about the regional smart grid cluster can be found in a recent article in the Cary Citizen.

Local Chambers Save Money Through Energy-Efficient Renovations

In 2008, the Greater Waco Chamber, deep in the heart of Texas oil country, became the first local chamber of commerce to receive Gold level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its new headquarters. The chamber proudly hailed its accomplishment as the first building in Central Texas to win Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or LEED) certification in recognition of its best-in-class building strategies and practices.

The chamber served as a model for other organizations in its region. According to the chamber’s website, groups such as McLennan Community College, Caterpillar Logistics and Baylor University have obtained or are working toward LEED certification for new buildings in Waco.

It also set the bar for other local chambers of commerce. In recent years, the following chambers have sought LEED status for their buildings:

— The Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce in Nebraska partnered with two of its member companies to design and build a new headquarters and visitor center that is seeking LEED certification. According to a chamber news release, the region’s economic development team completed a targeted industry research project and found that renewable energy companies and “green collar, eco-friendly jobs” are priorities as the area seeks new industries. “This green facility will serve as a magnet for those companies bringing new jobs to town and show them that we are serious about going green in Norfolk.”

— At the San Luis Obispo chamber in California, a grant from Pacific Gas and Electric financed interior renovations that earned LEED certification in 2013. Among its improvements, the chamber used transom windows and added solar light tubes to bring in natural daylight. “The steps we took to pursue LEED make long-term financial sense and allow our facility to model energy efficiency practices for small and large businesses,” said Ermina Karim, chamber President and CEO. “Our chamber has long been a leader in encouraging businesses to pursue sustainability measures and the triple bottom-line.”

— The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce is working with four of its member companies on a exterior and interior remodel for which it will seek Silver LEED certification. The project will include solar and wind power on the chamber roof and is scheduled for completion during winter 2015.

Has your chamber been engaged in building retrofits? Are you thinking about a building retrofit for your chamber or helping your member companies with a similar program? Let us know, we have resources that could help! Our website also boasts a diverse list of other local chambers that have taken renewable or energy-efficient steps in their community.

MI's Lansing Chamber Sees New Recruitment Opportunities

The office of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce literally looks out over what Tim Daman, its President and CEO, believes will be an important part of his region’s future. In the park behind the chamber’s building, the Lansing Board of Water and Light recently finished expanding its solar array for a total of 817 energy panels that will triple the generating capacity.

The utility is not alone in investing in renewable energy. Several of the chamber’s other member companies are driving advanced energy practices, responding to increased demand from their customers. “We’re seeing a situation where business demand will help drive innovation in public policy on energy,” Daman said.

Daman says the trend toward energy innovation began several years ago when General Motors built a LEED gold assembly plant in Lansing Delta Township. At the time, the plant was the largest facility and the most complex manufacturing site to receive LEED certification.

Since then, the trend has accelerated with other leading chamber members engaging in clean energy work. Examples include the Christman Company, which is the general contractor for a $100 million LEED specified Energy Star rated expansion of a corporate headquarter building for Jackson National Life Insurance Company.

Additional energy efficient/LEED projects are being led by Granger Construction and Wieland-Davco Corporation, both national construction companies headquartered in Lansing. Clark Construction Company recently finished work on Michigan’s first LEED platinum net zero school, which will produce as much energy as it uses.

And Consumers Energy, the region’s largest utility, is nearing completion of a 105-megawatt wind farm that will allow the utility to meet a state requirement that it obtain a minimum of 500 megawatts of new capacity from renewable energy resources by the end of 2015.

All of this activity is leading Daman and his chamber colleagues to begin to think in new ways about how to refocus the region’s branding. Having moved past the “Rust Belt” characterization of the past, Lansing can now promote a new story of how area businesses are revitalizing the region’s world-renown manufacturing infrastructure.

“As energy infrastructure ages and coal plants go offline across the country, it is critically important to have new and diversified sources of power to provide for a stable business environment,” Daman said. “As chamber member companies build better infrastructure and install more diversified sources of energy, Lansing can better recruit new businesses to the area.”

Chamber Helps Members Cut Energy Costs Through Car Sharing

Several years ago, businesses in urban areas started to realize that car-share services like Zipcar and City Car Share could deliver significant savings in reduced fleet, fuel, rental and taxi services. Chambers of Commerce around the country soon started to introduce member companies to the benefits of car sharing.

Zipcar is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the chamber there immediately recognized an opportunity to save its member companies even more through a negotiated partnership that eliminated application fees and offered lower rates. The program was an immediate hit with members.

“We’re continually looking for innovative ways to boost the benefits we offer our members that help cut the cost of doing business,” said Sarah Kennedy, the chamber’s Director of Government Affairs. “Energy use and clean air are also important issues in our community. Across the nation, Zipcar is believed to take thousands of emission producing vehicles off the roadways. Some companies can go further by offering their employees use of the hybrid or electric vehicle plug-in cars.”

The trend has spread with chambers across the country offering similar programs with various car sharing companies. In Virginia, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce also offers discounts for its member companies on business accounts with Zipcar. On the other coast, the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce offers discounted access to City CarShare, a local company and chamber member. And smack in the middle of the country, the Chicagoland Chamber also provides members with car sharing benefits.

A New York Times article discusses car sharing for businesses. Zipcar has a business-specific website here. 

Congressman Highlights Chamber Energy Efficiency Initiative

Dan Benishek represents Michigan’s 1st district in Congress. In August, he traveled throughout his district with a group called the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum, meeting with business owners, military leaders and elected officials who repeatedly deal with energy issues.

In a recent op-ed published in the Manistee News Advocate, the Michigan Republican said his key takeaway from the tour was that while it is important to increase domestic supplies of energy, “focusing on energy efficiency can have an immediate impact at work and at home.”

As an example, Rep. Benishek cited a partnership between the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce and the Traverse City Light and Power Co. called TCSaves that helps area businesses become more energy efficient.

During a recent CICE-organized trip to Washington, Traverse City Chamber President Doug Luciani shared details about the success of the loan program directly with Congressman Benishek and other federal lawmakers, highlighting how most of the projects have a return on investment of less than three years.

The chamber established the energy efficiency loan program in 2012 and later expanded it with support from Traverse City Light and Power Co. To date, the programs has made seven loans totaling $175,000. Companies that have received the loans have reduced their utility bills by $53,000 a year and saved more than 500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power a half-million households for a month.

“We’re very encouraged with the impact of our energy efficiency loan revolving loan fund, not only from the energy savings but also the reduced utility costs for our participants,” Luciani said in a piece highlighting the D.C. trip.

The op-ed from Rep. Benishek can be found here. More information about chamber’s trip to Washington, DC can be found on the chamber’s website here.

Chambers Highlight Opportunities to Tap Into Military Markets

Speaking at a chamber-sponsored roundtable in Raleigh last month, the director of the North Carolina Military Business Center offered suggestions for local businesses to tap into the growing demands by the Department of Defense and military bases across the country for clean energy solutions.

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce organized the roundtable, which was co-sponsored by the Cary Chamber, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

The event marked the second in a series of chamber-sponsored events in the Research Triangle of North Carolina on how the Department of Defense’s increased demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency for bases and on the battlefield can present new customers for businesses in North Carolina and nationwide.

“The military is the single largest user of energy in the United States,” retired Air Force General Ronald Keys told the roundtable. “The way North Carolina does it is a real showcase for the rest of the country.”

More than 35 representatives from area businesses participated in the discussion, which was led by Michael Haley of the Greater Raleigh chamber. Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina State — each of the Research Triangles Tier One research universities – also sent representatives to the roundtable.

“In the federal space,” said Sean Moser of the North Carolina Military Business Center, “teaming up is where it’s at.” He suggested that local businesses near military bases join together to present a bid to base leaders and that businesses already working with municipal customers could also have an easier time marketing a product to a military base.

The Military Business Center is an economic development initiative of the North Carolina Community College System. Since 2005, it has assisted companies in the state secure almost 2000 contracts with the military worth billions of dollars.

Local chambers in North Carolina are planning additional conversations across the region on business opportunities presented by advanced energy technologies including smart grid, portable solar and kinetic energy and biofuels for aircraft and naval vessels. The chambers plan to distribute summaries of the discussions to other North Carolina chambers.

An article about the event from the Triangle Business Journal can be found here. The North Carolina Military Business Center is online here. 

Orlando Chamber Drives Toward the Future

Orlando Chamber Sponsors Electric Car Program, Tackles Region’s Transportation Challenges

Orlando Inc., the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, is an early participant in a new regional program designed to offer tourists and business travelers a convenient opportunity to use an electric car. The chamber, which is hosting a “rapid charging” station at its headquarters, saw the “Drive Electric Orlando” program as an excellent opportunity to engage with many of its largest member companies in a regional transportation initiative seen critical to the area’s continued growth.

The Drive Electric program is a partnership between Orlando rental car agencies, hotels and tourist attractions. Electric cars are available at area rental car agencies and a network of charging stations has been located throughout the region at hotels, theme parks and the convention center.

Jose Fajardo, Executive Vice President of Orlando Inc., said the electric car program is part of the 100-year-old chamber’s broader focus on transportation. “In Florida, on average, we put more miles on vehicles than anywhere in America,” he said. “Things are very spread out here and during morning or evening drive, we can get gridlocked.”

The initiative is a key part of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s transportation plan and is designed to create a seamless rental car experience for visitors to see first-hand that electric vehicles are reliable and can meet their daily driving needs. More than 300 charging stations have been built in a 70-mile radius around Orlando, which hosts one of the largest tourism centers and rental car markets in the nation.

The chamber’s Fajardo said that the chamber received the donated charging station because of its central location. The chamber will soon be given a Nissan Leaf for six months to use as a “showcase” for its support for electric vehicles.

In addition to the electric vehicle program, the chamber’s transportation initiative has also included support of a 61-mile commuter rapid rail system designed to serve as the cornerstone of a regional multi-modal transportation system for Central Florida.

Orlando Inc. can be found online here. More detail about the Drive Electric initiative can be found here and here and here.

Cincinnati Chamber Ferrets Out Opportunities to Save Energy

Cincinnati Chamber Hosts Energy Summit to Help Member Companies Save Money on Energy Bills

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce chose the city’s famed zoo and botanical garden as host of its recent 2014 Energy Summit, recognizing and highlighting the zoo’s decisions in the last several years to make energy efficiency and innovation a central part of its facilities and structures planning.

Michael Pahutski, the chairman of the chamber’s Energy and Environment Committee, praised the zoo’s work in energy innovation and said that it was in many ways a model for how businesses large and small can save money on energy.

“The zoo has done a terrific job of ferreting out – pun intended – opportunities to save energy,” Pahutski said. “From lighting to HVAC to thermal storage, the zoo has rolled over energy savings to new energy projects, leveraging utility energy efficiency incentives to make the most of their EE budget.”

Other speakers at the summit included Jim Henning, the State President of Duke Energy Ohio-Kentucky, and Andy Holzhauser, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, a regional not-for-profit that seeks to reduce the barriers to investment in energy efficiency.

Pahutski said the summit was designed to help chamber members save money on their energy bills. “We have such a complex energy environment in Ohio that just understanding the options available to customers can be daunting,” he said. “We hope the Energy Summit helped Chamber members navigate this environment to find the best solutions for their businesses.”

This week, the City of Cincinnati is the site of the annual conference of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, a gathering of thousands of chamber executives from around the country. Pahutski, who is also a regional director for large account management at Duke Energy, commended the role that local chambers can play, particularly when it comes to energy.

“Energy involves a complex, evolving marketplace and chambers can help their member companies best take advantage of available technologies, commercial offerings and funding sources to optimally manage their energy spend,” he said.

Local Michigan Chamber Scores Triple Success By Organizing Tours of New Wind Park

The Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce in Michigan has scored a rare triple victory: it helped launch and grow a new business that educates its community on an important economic development project while generating new tourism spending. And it has done so on the topic of energy generation, typically not a topic that draws crowds.

What is generating all this interest? Kathy Maclean, Executive Director of the Ludington chamber, reports that a new wind energy park has become an extraordinary tourist draw. Working with Consumers Energy, which opened the 56-turbine Lake Winds Energy Park in 2012, the chamber organized tours of the wind farm. The tours start at the chamber office, where visitors watch a 30-minute educational video about wind energy and the construction of wind farms. After the video, visitors take a one-hour bus tour of the 100 megawatt wind park in Michigan’s Mason County.

In 2012, when the tours began, Maclean says that demand was so strong that the chamber expanded the number of available seats but still ended up turning away visitors. The tours continued to be such a huge draw that eventually the chamber spun off the work to a local bus company and tour operator. Consumers Energy initially helped to underwrite the costs of the tours, but this year visitors are charged a nominal fee with no noticeable decrease in enthusiasm.

Maclean says the tours have generated tourism and commerce for the Ludington area and raised visibility for the wind farm. Her community is not alone; according to CleanEnergy.org, wind turbines across the country – and throughout the world — have become tourist attractions.

The Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber can be found online here. A website about the Lake Winds Energy Park is here. A short video from Consumers Energy about the construction of the energy park is here. The article from CleanEnergy.org about energy tourism can be found here.

Chamber Leads Program to Deliver Solar Energy Savings to Members

The Metro South Chamber of Commerce in Brockton, Massachusetts, is housed in the building where Thomas Edison first perfected one of his greatest lighting innovations. Today, the Metro South Chamber is extending that history of energy innovation by pioneering a new national program designed to help local chambers of commerce and their member businesses take advantage of cost savings from installing solar energy.

The Metro South Chamber is the first local chamber to agree to participate in a new partnership between Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and EnergySage Inc. to help businesses use an innovative and user-friendly online solar marketplace to shop for solar. In addition to making the EnergySage program available for its member businesses, Chris Cooney, President and CEO of the Metro South Chamber, plans on installing solar panels on the historic Edison building.

“Lowering costs, saving time, and creating local jobs is a winning combination that strengthens business and increases profits,” Cooney said. “The EnergySage process makes it easy for our chamber members to receive multiple quotes, learn about tax credits, and gauge potential long-term gains.”

Under the new partnership, EnergySage has agreed to make a donation – ranging from $250 for residential systems to up to $5,000 for large commercial systems – to the local chamber whose members install solar systems through the EnergySage Marketplace.

Through the partnership with CICE and EnergySage, chamber members will have access to the EnergySage Marketplace, a robust system that provides instant estimate of the costs and savings of solar with various financing options and the ability to include local companies in the price comparisons. Chamber businesses that create a free account on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace will receive quotes from multiple pre-screened and high quality solar installers, easing the process of shopping for the right solar system.

In a news release, EnergySage welcomed the partnership with CICE. “We understand that solar can be complex for building owners and this partnership offers a great opportunity to help these decision-makers choose solar with ease,” said John Gingrich, Head of Corporate Development at EnergySage.

Diane Doucette, Executive Director of CICE, called the partnership a “win-win” for local chambers and their member companies. “Chambers are always on the lookout for valuable no-cost services for member companies,” Doucette said. “Our EnergySage partnership offers the added benefit of providing chambers with commissions for helping their member companies.”

The portal for the CICE partnership with EnergySage can be found here. A news release about the program can be found here. The Metro South Chamber of Commerce can be found here.

Chamber CEO Positions City to Reap Huge Wind Energy Benefits

About five years ago, Marc Jordan, President and CEO of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, and his chamber colleagues began discussions about the economic potential of clean energy for South Carolina. Back then, he says, “people looked at us a little strange.” Today, with the expected announcement in his hometown of federal leases for new offshore wind farms, Jordan and his chamber colleagues find more and more people sitting up and taking notice.

Jordan brings an infectious enthusiasm to his community, particularly on the subject of wind energy. “We have an entrepreneurial business climate here in North Myrtle Beach,” Jordan said. “We’re encouraging businesses in the wind energy sector – from component part suppliers to research companies – to move to our community. We see clean energy as the best way to separate North Myrtle Beach from the competition.”

In 2010, the Chamber helped build a coalition of local wind energy champions with a plan to bring clean energy investment, jobs, innovation, and statewide recognition to the town. The effort paid off: North Myrtle Beach became the first place in South Carolina to host a grid-connected wind turbine.

And with the expected fall announcement of new offshore lease opportunities for wind, the Chamber will see a huge return on its early efforts to bring wind energy to South Carolina. Jordan believes that the wind turbines will stimulate construction and maintenance jobs and attract further investment to his town.

Jordan’s early efforts on wind energy earned him an appointment by Gov. Nikki R. Haley to a task force on renewable energy. The Chamber also helped to craft and win passage by the South Carolina legislature of a resolution recognizing the merits of wind as an alternative source of energy.

An article about the expected announcement of new federal leases can be found here. 

KC Chamber Boosts Area Economy Through Smart Energy

Through an innovative new smart energy program, the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is doing what local chambers do best: convening stakeholders and partnering with industry and civic leaders to help its member companies save money and make the region more competitive.

Bringing together the Kansas City government, the real estate sector and the area’s leading utility, the Kansas City Chamber has launched the Kansas City Energy Initiative to boost the region’s economic competitiveness through smart energy practices.

At a recent news conference, Chamber President and CEO Jim Heeter said that thanks to the partnership with the city and the utility, “the Chamber will be able to provide the KC business community with the education and resources that will help them become energy efficient and positively affect their bottom line.”

“The cheapest form of energy is the energy you don’t use,” Heeter said, adding that the new initiative has drawn enthusiastic support from many chamber members from several different industries including healthcare, legal, retail, real estate, contractors and, naturally, the region’s largest utility.

As part of the new program, the utility is increasing the amount of money it will provide commercial customers who make energy efficiency improvements in their buildings from $50,000 to $250,000.

MC Realty Group, which manages 13 million square feet of office space in the region, said that using programs like those included in the chamber initiative, it has already slashed energy costs in about half of the space it manages. “The bottom line is it makes money,” a MC Realty vice president told reporters.

Speaking at the news conference, Kansas City Mayor Sly James welcomed the “collaborative spirit” behind the initiative and said that it once again demonstrates that Kansas City takes its “responsibility to increase energy efficiency seriously.”

Dennis Murphey, the city’s chief environmental officer, told reporters that by the year 2030 — if the city meets its goals during the next three years — building owners in the city will save about $50 million a year in energy costs, costs that they could pass onto their tenants. He said the city also is hoping for a 5 percent reduction in overall energy use.

An article in the Kansas City Star is here; a piece from the Kansas City Business Journal can be found here.

Local ME Chamber Helps Save Ratepayers $12 Million

Catherine Wygant Fossett, Executive Director of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce in Maine, is the kind of person who can assess a brewing crisis and see opportunity for growth. Her heavily tourist-reliant community is served by one increasingly overtaxed high-power electric transmission line. Upgrading it would cost ratepayers as much as $18 million in increased electric rates.

So when officials proposed a pilot program for so-called non-transmission alternatives to upgrading the power line — essentially various forms of efficiency at a projected cost of $6 million – Fossett jumped into action. She suggested that GridSolar LLC, the company hired to run the pilot program, join her chamber and, in return, she promised, she would turn on her “matchmaking skills” and “put on the PR engine to start educating members about the project.”

At a recent chamber dinner, Fossett revealed that she connected more than 80 local businesses to the pilot project. She also discussed how she helped another efficiency company called Ice Energy give away 32 new air conditioning units with high-tech storage batteries made of ice. The units cost $32,000 a piece and combined can offset 250 kilowatts of capacity or roughly the equivalent of unplugging 75 window air conditioners each afternoon.

According to a recent article in a local newspaper, the owner of a local car wash thought he was being scammed when he was approached by Ice Energy and asked if he’d like a free new air conditioner. But when he called the chamber to check up on the Ice Energy, he found that the company’s offer was for real and that the “chamber was in on the deal … it was having a box installed.”

Fossett says that more than 70 different efficiency measures have been implemented to date adding that this is the first summer season since the improvements have been made with results still being evaluated and tested. She calls the efficiency program a “crowning achievement” for her and her team of three at the Boothbay chamber.

The Boothbay chamber can be found online here. GridSolar is here and Ice Energy can be found here. An article about the efficiency program can be found here.