Jay Dykeman of Jay’s Garage in Southeast Portland fills up a car with a biodiesel blend. The city has decided to wait on a mandate that all diesel fuel sold in Portland have at least a 10 percent biodiesel blend by July 1. (Photo by Dan Carter/DJC)
Portland isn’t ready for B10 biodiesel. Or at least that’s the impression being given by the Portland Water Bureau, which has decided to delay implementation of a new Renewable Fuels Standard to meet goals for 2010.
The city’s policy requiring all diesel fuel sold within the city of Portland to have a blend of at least 5 percent biodiesel (B5) would have changed July 1 to require a blend of at least 10 percent.
But according to Anne Hill, program manager for Portland’s RFS, the city has decided to hold off on the policy adjustment due to industry concerns about quality standards and engine warranties. Also, a requirement for all diesel fuel sold in the state to have a minimum blend of 2 percent biodiesel went into effect this year, as did a qualifying feedstock rule that requires 50 percent of biodiesel to come from canola and other specific feedstock.
Hill said the Water Bureau, which last summer took over management of the RFS from the Bureau of Development Services, feels stakeholders such as oil companies, fuel distributors, station owners and trucking companies need time to catch up.
“There’s been a lot of change in Oregon and Portland around biodiesel this year already,” Hill said. “When you go over 5 percent, the fuel is no longer considered diesel and there are no ASTM standards. We’re waiting for the industry to catch up.”
ASTM International is a nonprofit that develops international standards for materials and products used in construction, manufacturing and transportation. Hill said fleet managers have expressed concern that running B10 in their vehicles could void engine warranties, since no standards have yet been identified for the biodiesel blend. And many car companies have not yet formally acknowledged that a higher biodiesel blend can run in their engines.
“Many car companies have been dealing with bigger things than a B6 to B20 standard,” Hill said. “And the majority of diesel is put into long-haul trucks. I can tell a guy from Texas pulling his rig in that B10 won’t affect his engine. But will he believe me? Or will he fuel up outside of Portland? We don’t want station owners to lose business.”
Oregon’s biodiesel industry has benefited greatly from Portland ’s Renewable Fuel Standard, according to Tyson Keever of SeQuential, a biodiesel supplier with offices in Portland and Eugene. (Photo by Dan Carter/DJC)
But at the same time, the RFS has been integral in growing the business of biofuels in Oregon, according to Tyson Keever of SeQuential, a biodiesel supplier with offices in Portland and Eugene. Keever said holding off on B10 for a year or two won’t kill Oregon’s growing biodiesel industry, but added that it will impact his business and those of suppliers.
“The technical differences between B5 and B10 are almost indistinguishable as far as performance,” Keever said. “Right now, there is a lot of misinformation and political land mines around biodiesel. But we have customers who have been using B99 for eight to 10 months with no issues.”
In fact, the Water Bureau’s own fleet for some time has used B20, B50 and B99 blends. Keever said the city’s use of biodiesel in its fleets has been a huge incentive for his company, which has expanded to producing approximately 1 million gallons of biodiesel per year. Other production facilities, including Beaver Biodiesel of Corvallis, GreenFuels of Klamath Falls, and Portland Biodiesel, also have come online recently due to Portland’s hunger for biodiesel.
“(The RFS) has driven growth and spurred development for farmers, production facilities and crush facilities,” Keever said. “Without this standard, our industry would not have grown. This has been a market mover. Portland is the envy of the (biodiesel) industry.”
Crush facilities process the organic materials used in biofuels into a form that can be used as fuel. Four new crush facilities have popped up in Oregon since the RFS was implemented in 2006, Keever said. An RFS also has been adopted in other states, and Washington’s state Legislature is considering implementation of a statewide B2-blend requirement.
“Other places are following Oregon’s lead because we’ve demonstrated that biofuels are working,” Keever said. “I have a sincere appreciation for (City) Commissioner (Randy) Leonard and the council for choosing to run biodiesel in our city fleet. By standing with the industry, they’re saying, ‘This is a real fuel today.’ ”
Hill was adamant that this year’s delay for B10 won’t turn into a reversal on the city’s biofuels mandate. She is monitoring ASTM’s progress in creating a standard for higher biodiesel blends, as well as car manufacturers’ progress in acknowledging that blends can run safely in their engines.
“Petroleum companies will hem and haw, but they will always comply because they don’t want the bad press,” Hill said. “But there are a lot of issues to work through. And we can afford the time to work through those.”
Portland City Council is expected to approve the suspension of the B10 standard at Wednesday’s meeting at 9:30 a.m.
Carpooling lets employees share rides (and costs) with fellow commuters. Portland’s Office of Transportation (PDOT) can help your employees find carpooling partners and discounted parking at select locations while helping your business provide employee subsidy options.
PDOT can help your employees connect with other people interested in carpooling. PDOT is a sponsor the CarpoolMatchNW program, which allows your employees to log on to CarpoolMatchNW.org and find carpool partners in the area. Contacting potential matches by email is just a click away!
Carpool Parking Policies and Procedures
This link is designed to give you an understanding of how to sign up for a carpool parking permit and information about the rules of the Portland carpool parking program. The Program offers discounted rates for parking in the downtown and Lloyd Center for carpools and vanpools.
Parking incentives
Motivate employees to use transit options by reserving parking spaces for carpools and vanpools near employee entrances. This has great appeal where parking is limited or lots are large. Put up a few signs, paint the parking spaces and promote yet another great benefit to your employees.
In certain locations, employees can take advantage of carpool parking discounts sponsored by the City of Portland. Employees must register with PDOT’s carpool program at 503-227-7665 to qualify.
CarpoolCheck
CarpoolCheck allows companies to pay part of their employees’ carpool parking costs at selected parking locations in downtown Portland where there is a monthly parking fee. Most of the operators in the downtown area will accept CarpoolChecks. Contact TriMet to create the Carpoolchecks after you have determined a monthly subsidy amount. Then distribute the Carpoolchecks so employees can submit them (with the balance of the payment due) to their parking facility each month. The parking facility will then bill your company for each voucher received. The parking operators will need to know your employer contact information for billing.
Financial incentives
Financial subsidies encourage employees to use commuting options. Most companies offering subsidies for carpoolers also offer cash, gift certificates or vouchers (like CarpoolCheck) that apply to the cost of regular automobile maintenance, gas or parking. Companies that offer employees carpool subsidies worth at least $10 per month are also eligible for TriMet’s Emergency Ride Home program .
Vanpools
Metro is now providing discounts of up to 50% on vanpools to work sites in the Portland metro area. Vanpooling is a highly efficient and cost effective ride to work. A vanpool needs five to 15 commuters including a qualified driver. Drivers may drive for free. Metro will pay up to 50% of the costs, not including gasoline, of a basic van for eligible vanpools.
Just pass it? Nike and other businesses, including Starbucks and Portland’s Gerding Edlen development firm, called on Congress to approve comprehensive climate change legislation this year and said a “clean energy economy” is the next great economic boom.
At a news conference on the Nike campus Tuesday, representatives from businesses, unions and youth groups, joined by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., announced a “Race for American Jobs” campaign that they hope will persuade the Senate to pass legislation similar to that passed in the House.
Speakers said the United States is in an economic arms race with China and must grasp the opportunity to create jobs, reduce its dependence on sometimes-hostile foreign oil suppliers and take advantage of technological innovation that will usher in a “low-carbon economy,” as Blumenauer described it.
“We are watching an opportunity that I think is unparalleled,” Blumenauer said. The alternative, he said, is for the U.S. to remain on the sidelines “and end up being China’s best customer for green products.”
He and others said a cohesive national energy policy of subsidies, regulations and incentives will result in thousands of jobs and pay for itself over time in the form of reduced energy consumption and a healthier environment.
Business representatives said their companies have a stake in climate change policies. Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact for Starbucks, said coffee beans grow in limited climate zones.
“Climate change poses a direct threat to our business; it puts our supply chain at risk,” he said.
The company’s new stores are energy efficient and water efficient, Hanna said, and Starbucks is retrofitting existing outlets. Simple steps such as replacing lighting with efficient LED devices reduce energy usage by 11 percent and will pay for themselves in a couple of years.
There are benefits beyond that: A company’s sustainability policies can attract high-quality employees, Hanna said. And Sarah Severn, Nike’s stakeholder mobilization director, said the company’s youthful customer base is concerned about environmental business practices.
Mark Edlen, a managing principal of Gerding Edlen, said a combination of extended tax credits and other incentives could produce thousands of jobs. In Portland alone, perhaps half of 75 million square feet of commercial office space needs to be retrofitted with efficient electrical, water and sewage systems, he said.
He proposed increasing the gas tax and dedicating a portion of it to energy efficiency projects, saying there is “a generation’s worth of work” for laborers, electricians, architects, engineers and those who arrange financing for such projects.
Joe Esmonde, renewable energy political liaison for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Portland, said trained workers are available to rewire buildings and hook up solar panels and wind turbines. “A lot of growth could be done if the market had the right signals” that would come with passing climate change legislation, he said.
Passage of comprehensive energy and climate legislation could produce 13,000 to 26,000 new jobs in Oregon by 2020, according to 2009 research by the University of California, University of Illinois and Yale University. Nationally, the legislation would create 918,000 to 1.9 million jobs, according to the analysis.
Organizers of Tuesday’s event are taking the campaign to Denver; Columbus, Ohio; and Manchester, N.H., gathering signatures and business support for climate change legislation. The information will be delivered to Congress and the Obama administration March 10.
For Steve Phillips, senior vice president, operations, Werner Enterprises, a green fleet is an aerodynamic fleet. “Eighty-eight percent of our fleet is aerodynamic. by that I mean full fairings, top and bottom, and approved as ‘aerodynamic’ by SmartWay. We have been purchasing SmartWay approved aerodynamic trucks for some time, and as we continue to sell off older equipment and buy new trucks, then sometime within this year, 100 percent of our fleet will be aerodynamic.”
Phillips says the company is also looking at the benefits of aerodynamic trailers, specifically those that are outfitted with skirting. “We are currently testing three different manufacturers’ skirting, including one of our own designs.” while the actual fuel savings associated with trailer skirting is up for debate, “there’s enough proof that it does improve fuel savings,” he says.
Phillips believes that new regulations from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are largely responsible for jumpstarting the move to trailer skirting. the regulations will be phased in over 11 years—between 2010 and 2020—and are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by heavy-duty tractors pulling 53-foot or longer box-type trailers. Equipment owners are responsible for replacing or retrofitting their vehicles with SmartWay-compliant aerodynamic technologies and low rolling resistance tires for operation on California highways.
“Manufacturers are claiming their trailer skirts will cut fuel consumption anywhere from 5 to 7 plus percent,” Phillips says, and while that’s admirable, cost has been an issue for some. “You’re looking at $1500 to $2000 for a set of skirts; but that cost will likely come down as they become more prevalent.”
Tires are also where carriers can see some real results. “Right now, we’re buying all low resistance tires, and we have been for some time. the latest are super single tires that offer even lower resistance. although super single tires aren’t widespread yet, we’re seeing some very positive impacts.”
Inflation systems are another worthwhile tool, says Phillips. “Drivers do a pretty good job of checking tire pressure on their tractor, but a pretty poor job on the trailers. Tire inflation systems are a very good investment because not only do they improve miles per gallon they also reduce tire wear. An improperly inflated tire is going to have half the durability of a properly inflated tire.”
Electric auxiliary power units (APUs) are also growing in popularity, Phillips says, as are single-drive axels. but, one product that hasn’t quite been accepted is biofuel. “It may be in part because the $1 tax credit expired on January 1st of this year,” posits Phillips.
As it turns out, biofuels have been sputtering for some time, and a new study by Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy is particularly critical of its future. for starters, the study questions the economic, environmental, and logistical basis for the billions of dollars in federal subsidies and protectionist tariffs that go to domestic ethanol producers every year.
On the topic of environmental and health impacts, the study asserts that the addition of ethanol to gasoline will impede the natural attenuation of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) in groundwater and soil, posing a great risk for human exposure to these toxic constituents if an underground storage tank leaks.
In addition, there are logistical challenges as well. while gasoline in the U.S. is distributed mainly by pipeline, the current U.S. ethanol distribution system depends upon rail, barge, and truck, which is more costly than pipeline.
Meanwhile, there are some more promising developments on the horizon. last month, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it would give $187 million to nine projects to improve fuel efficiency in heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles.
Cummins inc. will receive $53 million for two projects: improving Class 8, or so-called “super trucks,” by developing a cleaner diesel engine; and developing new technology for powertrains for passenger vehicles.
Most of the funding, about $115 million, will be spent on projects related to fuel efficiency for the super truck. In addition to the grant to Cummins, the Department of Energy awarded grants to Indiana-based Navistar to develop technologies to cut fuel use in half for heavy-duty trucks and trailers, and Daimler Trucks North America of Portland, Oregon, which will work on shrinking the size of the engine. wt
A new website has been launched in the US which concentrates on the key issue of climate change gas emissions caused by travel to ski resorts by skiers and boarders, which in most cases are far greater than the emissions in resort. The company behind energy snack CLIF BAR has developed the first guide in the US to “green travel” to and from ski resorts.
CLIF BAR’s new Save Our Snow (SOS) website, www.clifbarsos.com, helps skiers and snowboarders find local ski bus services, arrange ridesharing and learn winter driving tips to reduce their carbon emissions.
The new SOS website is part of CLIF BAR’s ongoing Save Our Snow program, which includes a free iPhone App that enables winter enthusiasts to learn what North America ski resorts are doing to combat global warming. The iPhone App also provides skiers and riders with up-to-the-minute snow conditions (download the free app from your iPhone, iTouch App Store or clifbar.com/sosiphone).
CLIF BARs, organic-certified energy bars, are made by athletes, many of whom themselves are winter sports enthusiasts. “Global warming is the most significant threat facing winter sports,” said Ricardo Balazs, sports marketing experience manager for Clif Bar and Company. “We want to help skiers and riders rethink how they reach the summit. We all can drive less, have more fun and help save the planet.”
Transportation accounts for nearly 30 percent of the US’s greenhouse gases-the leading cause of global warming-according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Winter enthusiasts alone make more than 57 million visits to U.S. ski resorts each season, reports the National Ski Areas Association. Taking a bus, says the U.S. Department of Energy, creates just half a pound of CO2 per passenger mile, compared with 590 pounds per passenger mile for the average car.
To locate a ski bus this winter, skiers and riders can simply enter their zip code on clifbarsos.com. They’ll see information about the nearest ski bus, the resort(s) it serves and a map directing them to the bus departure site.
The ski bus search tool has information on 35 ski bus companies serving more than 50 resorts in 12 states. The list includes shuttles from CLIF BAR, which is partnering with Greasebus to operate the nation’s most eco-friendly ski bus services this winter in three cities. Each Greasebus is fueled by waste vegetable oil from local restaurants:
Portland, OR: Runs daily throughout this winter season between Portland and Mount Hood Meadows ski resort. Debuted last winter as the nation’s first ski bus fueled by vegetable oil.
Vancouver, BC: Will serve Grouse Mountain in February during the Olympics, providing eco-conscious transport for area skiers, riders and Olympic spectators.
Seattle, WA: The Vancouver Greasebus will move to Seattle in March, offering shuttle service to and from Summit-at-Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass.
In partnership with Zimride, clifbarsos.com also helps winter enthusiasts find or offer car rides to others heading to ski resorts. Ride sharing helps reduce traffic and thus the overall climate impact of vehicles.
The Portland Trail Blazers announced Tuesday that the team earned LEED Gold status for its sustainability efforts at the Rose Garden Arena — a first for a major league sports facility.
The certification, awarded to the Rose Garden by the U.S. Green Building Council under their Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) program, identifies and rewards best practices for a building’s energy, water and natural resource performance.
“The Trail Blazers are proud to play a role in Portland’s drive to be the greenest city in the country,” said Larry Miller, president of the Portland Trail Blazers. “Today’s announcement is a result of the local expertise and innovation helping Portland foster a stronger, more sustainable economy. We don’t view this as a one-time achievement, but as an important step toward our long-term goals.”
The Rose Garden staff’s sustainability efforts included the following programs:
Recycling: Officials say more than 60 percent of operations waste is diverted from local landfills. Recycling stations for visitors and a food-waste composting program with vendors divert approximately 1,000 tons annually.
Transportation: More than 30 percent of Rose Garden attendees use public or alternative transportation, such as bicycle commuting. The team subsidizes transit passes for staff and uses bikes and electric vehicles for on-site operations.
Energy, Gas and Water: In addition to upgrading to energy efficient lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures, the Trail Blazers partnered with Pacific Power and NW Natural for the purchase of 100 percent renewable energy programs for the Rose Garden.
Purchasing: The Trail Blazers developed partnerships with suppliers for sustainable purchasing, including more than 95 percent compostable food and beverage serving containers and materials, 100 percent recycled content trash liners, replacing disposables with re-usable commodities, using green-certified chemicals and equipment and sustainable food and beverage alternatives for fans.
As we close the books on one of the the most economically challenging years since the Great Depression, ThinkOregon poses this question: Will 2010 be the year that Oregonians finally place economic sustainability on par with environmental sustainability?
It was a question echoed by Professor Timothy Duy, Director of the Oregon Economics Forum at the University of Oregon, in a December 17th presentation to the Westside Economic Alliance.
ThinkOregon has advocated for sometime now that Oregon adopt economically sustainable practices on the scope and scale afforded the environment; creating a supportive business climate in which employers are able to create new, living-wage jobs.
In his presentation, Profession Duy enumerated what makes a region attractive to firms:
Labor Supply
Infrastructure
Transportation Networks
Pro-business climate
Land supply
ThinkOregon agrees and goes one step further by recommending that state and local officials conserve limited taxpayer resources in order to stem the unfettered growth of government.
A look back at 2009 reveals just how fragile — and out of balance — our state’s economy had become. It’s as if Oregon had developed monocular vision, viewing all things exclusively through the lens of the environment. From our perspective, Oregon’s strength had become it’s weakness.
To be clear, ThinkOregon is not suggesting that Professor Duy agrees with our premise, but in a slide entitled “Big Question” Tim asks: “Can a region afford to set policies that make them undesirable to large firms?”
ThinkOregon has asserted on numerous occasions that instead of a balanced approach to policy making, the region has pursued policies that have put Oregon at a distinct economic disadvantage. The public discourse has become so single-minded that intolerance has crept into Oregon’s consciousness: Oregon employers are labeled as big corporations; profits are questioned; and, the wealthy vilified.
The unintended consequences for Oregonians have been nothing short of devastating: record unemployment, record food stamp enrollment, record school-aged poverty, record mortgage defaults and like a broken record, the list goes on and on. All this at a time when progressives and conservatives agree … the wealthier companies and individuals are … the more they contribute to the well-being of the environment, schools and those in need.
How then, do we regain our footing without rolling back what we all have come to cherish… and without damaging Oregon’s “green” brand equity? In a word: balance.
Professor Duy concluded his remarks to the group by asking: “Are we ready to admit that there is a problem?”
The fact he can ask that question in public without castigation is perhaps the very best sign that Oregon maybe ready to bring itself back into balance and place economic sustainability on par with environmental sustainability.
Click to read why you should consider voting No on Oregon Ballot Measures 66 and 67
Earlier in the week I was at our local health food store waiting for my turn at the check-out counter when I noticed the lady in front of me had bought her own re-usable carry bags which suddenly made a lot more sense to me than choosing “paper or plastic”. When we witness examples of people choosing to live in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way, it causes us to stop and reflect on our own living and buying practices.
The Global Green USA program that invites celebrities to arrive at the Academy Awards in energy efficient transportation started in 2002 with just four participants. This year Jennifer Aniston and supporting-actress nominee Frances McDormand were among the 25 VIPs to participate in the fourth annual “Red Carpet, Green Cars” event sponsored by the environmental organization Global Green USA and Toyota Motor Corp. Participants in the program arrived in either Toyota or Lexus hybrids.
Considering that close to 40 million people watch the Academy Awards it creates a great opportunity for a lesson in green living and shows that you can be environmentally minded with style.
The same applies to planning a “green meeting”. In the process you are not giving up anything and can be saving a lot in terms of cost and waste in the process.
A green meeting or event incorporates environmental considerations to minimize any negative impact on the environment. There are also economic benefits to using recycles materials, reusing items and reducing the amount of materials used. Plan an environmentally responsible event and promote your event’s environmental features keeping the following ideas in mind:
Prevent and Reduce Waste
Use double-sided printing for promotional materials and handouts.
Avoid mass distribution of handouts and allow attendees to order copies.
Provide reusable name badges.
Recycle and Manage Waste
Collect paper and recyclable beverage containers in meeting areas.
Collect cardboard and paper in exhibit areas.
Collect cardboard, beverage containers, aluminum cans, and plastics in food vending areas.
If re-usable containers are not used, encourage use of recyclable beverage containers.
Conserve Energy and Reduce Traffic
Look for naturally lighted meeting and exhibit spaces.
Publicize mass transportation options.
Provide shuttle service from mass transit stops or hotels to the event site.
Food Service and Accommodations
Plan food service needs carefully to avoid unnecessary waste.
Consider use of durable food service items.
Donate excess food to charitable organizations.
Work with hotel on non-replacement of linens, soaps, etc.
Buy Environmentally Aware Products
Use recycled paper and vegetable- and soy-based inks for promotional materials and handouts.
Consider selling or providing refillable containers for beverages.
Provide reusable containers for handouts or samples (pocket or file folders, cloth bags).
Where reusable items are not feasible, select products that are made from recovered materials and that also can be recycled.
Educate Participants and Exhibitors
Request the use of recycled and recyclable handouts or giveaways.
Request that unused items be collected for use at another event.
Encourage participants to recycle materials at the event.
Reward participation by communicating environmental savings achieved.
For more information and support in planning your “green meetings”, go to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Green Conference Initiative http://www.epa.gov/oppt/greenmeetings/
The Green Meetings / Conference Initiative was developed and is supported by the EPA’s Pollution Prevention Division to provide conference planners and suppliers of conference services, easy access to environmentally friendly goals of conference planning. The Initiative provides green options and opportunities for conference planning.
The City of Baltimore’s free shuttle service features a 21-vehicle fleet of EcoSaver IV hybrid buses supplied by Charlotte, N.C.-based manufacturer, DesignLine.
On Monday, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) launched its free shuttle bus service, the Charm City Circulator, featuring a fleet of 21 eco-friendly buses that will travel along three routes in Baltimore City.
This new fleet of hybrid-electric buses, manufactured by Charlotte, N.C.-based DesignLine, is the first of its kind in a major metropolitan area. The shuttles are designed to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gases while offering a reliable and convenient alternative mode of transportation.
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was joined by BCDOT Director Alfred H. Foxx and business, tourism and community leaders for a ribbon cutting ceremony to launch the new Charm City Circulator’s Orange Route.
“This new fleet of eco-friendly buses will provide a faster, cleaner and greener way to travel about Baltimore’s busy downtown neighborhoods,” said Mayor Dixon. “Similar systems in cities across the country have helped to decrease congestion and improve air quality. We are very proud to launch such an innovative alternative mode of transportation which is free of charge for all who want to ride.”
The buses will operate on three separate routes. The Orange Route, which began operation Monday, will travel along Lombard and Pratt Streets between Hollins Market and Harbor East. Two additional routes will be deployed in the spring of 2010.
The Charm City Circulator will provide citizens with the opportunity to connect between other forms of public transportation such as the light rail, MARC trains, the subway and even the Water Taxi Harbor Connector. The new shuttle service will also tie together growing communities in the busy downtown district and will allow for downtown employees to connect with less expensive parking areas on the outskirts of town.
In order to provide fast and convenient service, the Department of Transportation has installed designated bus lanes along with other transit priority mechanisms in the service area. These methods will keep the shuttles moving on a ten-minute frequency, seven days a week.
To learn more about the Charm City Circulator, visit www.charmcitycirculator.com. The Website provides detailed information including hours of operation, route maps and stop locations.
“In a generally bleak employment picture, the green jobs sector is growing faster than any other.” So writes Jim Motavalli in The Daily Green’s report about the best U.S. cities to find a green job. Growth in the sector was a robust 9.1% in the decade ending in 2007 (compared to 3.7% overall), and as many as another 1.9 million jobs are expected by 2020 from the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The stimulus bill is pumping $30 billion into the clean energy sector alone.
Green jobs can mean a lot of things — conservation and pollution mitigation, clean energy, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly production, along with training and support. But each state isn’t sharing equally in this bounty of new jobs.
“With unemployment over 10%, people need to go where the jobs are, and some states — and some cities — are making out better than others as the green jobs phenomenon unfolds,” Motavalli writes. “While every state and most American cities have a piece of the new economy, here are the five cities that — through a combination of federal, state and municipal programs — are faring best.”
New York City
Under newly reelected Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the city launched PlaNYC with 127 initiatives for greening the city, including an earmark $1 billion for building retrofits to increase energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Clean Edge ranks the New York metropolitan area (including northern New Jersey and Long Island) third among 15 top U.S. metro areas for job creation. New York State was the sixth leading state for clean energy job creation in 2007, adding 3,323 clean businesses and 34,363 new jobs that year. Some $209 million in venture capital was invested in the state’s clean energy economy between 2006 and 2008.
According to the New York Times, California had the most clean-energy jobs in 2008: 125,000, many of them in progressive San Francisco and nearby Silicon Valley. The Clean Edge report identifies San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose as the number one metro area for clean technology job activity (Los Angeles/Riverside/Orange County is second). SunPower, a solar company based in San Jose with 5,400 employees, is rated #10 in Clean Edge’s 2009 survey of top clean-tech employers. Green tech can only get better in San Francisco, where 20 big construction projects have applied for LEED certification and voters recently approved $100 million in revenue bonds to support renewable energy. In California overall, green businesses increased 45% between 1995 and 2008, and employment in the sectors grew 36%, according to the “Many Shades of Green” report from Next 10. The report said the most jobs were added in services (45% of the total), followed by manufacturing (21%). In research positions, the biggest private sector categories are green transportation, energy generation, and air and environment, said the report.
Starting with the fact that with its concentration of colleges –including MIT, Boston University, Harvard, Northeastern, Emerson and several more, the metro area is a great incubator for green technology. Named the “best walking city” by Prevention magazine last year, Boston has had a major climate protection plan in place since 2002. Its number three fuel source, believe it or not, is wind power. Its new buildings have to be constructed to top LEED standards, and most of its municipal vehicles are either electric or run on B20 biofuel. Boston (including Worcester, Lawrence, Lowell and Brockton) ranks as number four in the Clean Edge survey of 15 top U.S. metro areas for clean-tech job creation. The Boston area is, not surprisingly, home to some cutting-edge green companies.
Boston Power, for instance, is helmed by the ambitious Swedish executive Christina Lampe-Onnerud, who pioneered a better lithium-ion battery for HP laptops, and is moving into the electric car market. And a local competitor is the fast-moving A123, which also makes lithium-ion battery packs and has Chrysler among its customers.
The Motor City makes few Top Ten lists. Its vaunted monorail goes practically nowhere, its downtown is still struggling, and political turmoil at City Hall — added to daunting budgetary constraints — has kept civic progress at a minimum. Michigan has the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 15.3%, and it is also dealing with 3.6% job loss between 1998 and 2007. A Pew Center on the States report says that the state will have lost a million jobs by the end of the decade (a quarter in the auto industry, and more than a third this year). But help is on the way, in the form of federal Department of Energy green-tech grants that are funding factories and creating jobs to tap into the vast pool of skilled auto industry talent in the metropolitan area. The state had created more than 22,000 clean-tech jobs by 2007, but those numbers will jump impressively when recent DOE funding puts spades in the ground.
Michigan did make one Top Ten list: It was number seven on a list of clean energy jobs compiled by Pew Charitable Trusts. Clean Edge identifies the green transportation sector as one of four growth areas, and that benefits the cluster of companies making hybrid and electric vehicles in the greater Detroit area. Even companies not based in Michigan — such as California’s Fisker Automotive and Ford battery car supplier Magna International — have opened hubs near Detroit. A mechanical engineer working on plug-in hybrids and EVs can expect to make $63,600 median pay with a bachelor’s degree, reports Clean Edge. A great example of what’s happening in the Rust Belt is the transformation of the Ford Motor Company plant in Wixom, Michigan from a shuttered eyesore that had lost 1,500 jobs to an incubator for Xtreme Power (which makes power systems for wind and solar) and Clairvoyant Energy (solar).
Many rate Portland number one in sustainability. What other city can boast of 200 miles of walking and bicycling trails, a fast transit hub to the airport, fare-free light rail in the city core and free parking for electric cars? The city replaced a six-lane highway with a waterfront park, and it has 50 LEED-certified buildings. Despite strong challenges from Colorado and Tennessee, Oregon was the number one performer in creating clean energy economy jobs, reports the Pew Charitable Trusts. Oregon had almost 20,000 clean jobs in 2007, many of them in the Portland metro area. More than 1 percent of the Beaver State’s 1.9 million jobs are related to the clean energy economy — the highest percentage in the nation. Oregon is also number three in providing environmentally friendly manufacturing jobs. A Clean Edge survey of the Top 15 metro areas for clean-tech job activity puts Portland/Salem at number eight, just below Seattle/Tacoma/Bremerton. Like other cities on this list, Portland struggles with high unemployment, but it’s fighting joblessness with its prime weapon — sustainability.
Posted by Kitri McGuire, Marketing Communications Manager on January 26, 2010 08:00 AM|Permalink
Some of you who are more familiar with the inner workings of the Oregon wine industry might know the heavily used phrase, “It takes a lot of great beer to make great wine.” Or, as Alex Sokol Blosser says, “This wine was made with blood, sweat, and beers.” Since we crazies in the alcoholic beverage industry are pretty much of a similar mind, we decided to meet up with our brothers (and sisters) in the beverage industry at Rogue Brewery for our annual Sokol Blosser staff field trip.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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