Emerging 'clean tech' sector gets a local champion
BYLINE: Deirdre Gregg
Last week, about 150 people crowded into the headquarters of McKinstry Co. in south Seattle. While sipping local beer and wine from ordinary glasses -- the reusable kind -- and looking at literature printed on recycled paper, the crowd listened to speakers, including Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, describe Washington's opportunities in clean technology.
Washington already has about 400 companies involved in renewable energy, environmental technology and "green" building, speakers noted. But the demand for a variety of clean-technology products is widely expected to skyrocket in future years.
For example, clean-tech research firm Clean Edge Inc. estimates that the markets for biofuels, solar, wind, and fuel cells will more than quadruple over the next 10 years, from about $55 billion in 2006 to more than $226 billion in 2016. That kind of demand in clean energy and other sectors of the clean tech field could spawn many new companies.
"Seattle has the necessary expertise, innovation, and commitment to environmental stewardship to support and grow clean technology," Nickels said.
The event, which drew about three times the crowd that was initially expected, launched a new trade group, the Washington Clean Technology Alliance, which aims to position Washington companies to succeed in the emerging field of clean technology.
The group will focus on putting together teams of companies to bid on projects too large for one company to tackle alone, and pushing for state and local policies that support the industry.
As one speaker noted, other cities and states also are vying for position in this field, aiming for the environmental and economic development benefits.
"We're in a race, and I want to win," said Bert Gregory, president of Seattle-based architecture firm Mithun and a charter member of the alliance, to applause.
Other attendees apparently share his sense of urgency. Graham Evans, executive director of the alliance, said 16 companies and agencies had signed up as charter members, a level requiring a minimum $5,000 donation. Seven of those joined in the two working days after the event, Evans later told the Puget Sound Business Journal.
That's well in excess of what organizers expected. Evans, a former consultant who has worked with such groups as the Washington Technology Center, said he would have been pleased with 10 charter members, and with 50 people attending the event. Evans has also signed up about 15 core members, a level which has a sliding scale of dues depending on an organization's number of employees in Washington. The group will soon begin trying to recruit members in Eastern Washington.
The alliance defines clean technology to include sustainable design, clean energy and renewable fuels, energy efficiency, water conservation and treatments, waste management, recycling and recycled product, and environmental protection and remediation.
The alliance arose from the efforts of the Prosperity Partnership, a coalition organized by the Puget Sound Regional Council that aims to create 100,000 additional jobs in the region by 2010. Clean technology is one of the five business clusters the coalition is targeting.
Denis Hayes, a local environmental leader, noted that although there are many environmental groups in the region, there was no group advocating for clean-tech business and jobs.
And, Evans said, while other clusters contain giant, visible companies like Boeing and Microsoft, there are few giants in the clean tech sector. McKinstry, a contractor that does energy efficiency work, is probably one of the largest and most prominent.
Evans said what makes Washington's effort unique is pulling together companies in various industries that fall under the clean-tech umbrella. That could lead to useful collaboration: For example, a green architecture firm could introduce clients to a member who does energy efficiency work and another who has a method for cleaning pollutants from water.
While some of those collaborations are happening on a local level, it's on a limited basis. Evans said he went to a conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, last year and spent part of the time introducing attendees from Seattle to each other.
Another advantage of the group approach is that it helps participants identify needs, Evans said. For example, there's a shortage of some key skills in areas such as engineering, and the group can support education in those areas. It could also work more closely with research universities.
And a key role for the group will be in advocacy -- encouraging the state to develop a policy framework to encourage clean technology. That is key because many sectors of clean technology are affected by policy choices. Wind energy and biofuels, for example, receive tax breaks. Recycling and environmental protection are often controlled by laws and regulations.
"Any area where you have new technology, the right sort of policy can help," Evans said. "Getting consistent standards as well is important."
The alliance plans to hold monthly networking breakfast meetings in Seattle, and eventually in Eastern Washington. It also plans to conduct information sessions about opportunities and legal and regulatory issues.
The group also is gearing up for Globe 2008, a massive clean technology trade show that will be held in Vancouver, B.C., next March. Three Washington companies had a booth at the event in 2006, which drew 10,000 attendees. The alliance plans to send 15 to 20 businesses to next year's event.