ITIF: Leverage cleantech to accelerate economic growth

There are numerous opportunities for policymakers and elected officials at the state and local levels to encourage clean energy, and doing so could spur economic development, according to a new report by David Hart, a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and a professor of public policy at George Mason University.  As state and local leaders pursue these strategies, Hart focuses on five non-exclusive tracks to pursue: offering incentives to clean energy manufacturers and other investors; nurturing technology-based start-up companies; deepening existing clusters of related industries; substituting indigenous for imported energy resources; and, stimulating market demand for clean-energy products and services.

In addition to providing examples of actions across each track, Hart also notes that there is a role for federal policy to complement these efforts by supporting economic development strategies, improving technology transfer at federal labs, and expanding investment in R&D programs such as ARPA-E and Manufacturing USA.