Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick addressed two dozen executives of solar, wind, bioenergy (biomass and biofuel), fuel cell, and energy service companies in the Governor’s Council Chamber, where they were convened by Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Dan O’Connell for the inaugural meeting of the Clean Energy Roundtable, a quarterly gathering to discuss ways to grow the grow the industry and to create renewable energy jobs.
"I am determined to make Massachusetts a leader in clean energy technology nationally and globally," said Governor Patrick. "A gathering similar to this, some 25 years ago, resulted in the founding of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. Since then, the Biotech Council has represented that industry well as it has grown from laboratory start-ups to multi-million-dollar enterprises. Similarly, the clean energy industry needs to find its own voice. I hope this morning’s meeting will be a start."
He called on the entrepreneurs to organize a trade association to represent their interests.
He also announced a plan to install solar PV at 12 state facilities by the end of the year: Salem and Worcester State Colleges; Springfield Technical and Mt. Wachusett Community Colleges; the Soldiers Home in Chelsea; MWRA’s Deer Island wastewater treatment plant, as well as Department of Correction wastewater plants in Norfolk, Concord, and Bridgewater; and at DOC’s Cedar Junction and South Middlesex correctional facilities.
Totaling 1 MW of generating capacity, these installations represent a ten-fold increase in solar power in state facilities and a nearly 50 percent increase in the total solar power installed in Massachusetts, which is just over 2 MW currently.
The solar installations, which cost a total of $9 million, are made possible in part by the first round of federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds. These zero-interest loans of $3.1 million will be paid off from the energy savings made possible from the solar panels. The balance of the cost will be covered by grants from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the state Division of Energy Resources. MassDevelopment is also playing a major role as bond issuer, introducing this new financing vehicle to investors.
Massachusetts is currently home to 556 companies, with 14,400 jobs, in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean energy consulting. Massachusetts also has the second largest clean energy cluster, after California, in terms of venture capital investment in this industry – $250 million last year.
Governor Patrick told the assembled entrepreneurs that he had a three-pronged strategy to help them make Massachusetts the world center of clean energy technology:
" Help with siting and permitting, with streamlined permitting for sites around the state, a permitting ombudsman, and a Clean Energy Team at the Department of Environmental Protection devoted to expediting permits for the sector;
" Financial incentives, offered through the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and its partners, especially the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which has dedicated funds for renewable energy companies and projects; and
" A reformed regulatory environment supportive of clean energy, with a new public utility commission committed to promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and distributed generation through rate design, as well as a new commissioner of the Division of Energy Resources, Philip Giudice, recruited from the ranks of clean energy entrepreneurs, who has expertise in private sector energy efficiency and demand management solutions.
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