President's Perspective: Green Innovation Starts Here

Darlene D. Kerr
President

2010 is the start of a new decade. What it will bring is anyone’s guess, but it is safe to predict that energy and the economy will be among the defining challenges of the next decade. In fact, some suggest that given population growth, dwindling resources, and rapid industrialization of developing countries, these two issues may present the most complicated international political endeavor of all time.

There is reason to be optimistic about what’s ahead. The Obama administration has set a goal of investing $150 billion over the next five years to create five million new green jobs, and the U.S. has pledged to commit 3 percent of our GDP to research and development.

Here in New York, commitments include:

A “45 by 15” initiative to reduce electricity use by 15 percent below 2015 forecasts and to increase the proportion of renewable generation to 30 percent of electricity demand by 2015.
A Climate Action Plan to identify strategies, actions and infrastructure needs to reduce green gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

More than $16 billion in federal stimulus money has already been committed to energy projects in New York. The state predicts that $1 billion in economic benefits will result from the roughly $500 million that New York has so far committed in renewable energy funding through its aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standard. We’ll be seeing those dividends in the coming year, following these recent announcements:

New York State Power Authority’s (NYPA) proposal for 100 MW of new solar production and up to 500 MW of wind production in what could be the largest off-shore fresh water wind farm project in the U.S.
National Grid and Northeast Power Alliance’s (NEPA) $1 billion upgrade of the transmission infrastructure along the Erie Canal corridor
The creation of the world’s most energy efficient green data center on the Syracuse University campus, a collaboration with IBM and NYSERDA
GE’s new $100 million advanced battery research facility at its global research center in Upstate NY
GM’s hydrogen fuel cell research for alternative fuel vehicles, being developed here in Upstate NY
Siemens announcement to develop intelligent buildings technology with the SyracuseCoE

These announcements are a great start to the New Year, but just the beginning. There is enormous challenge and opportunity ahead. It will take an entire new generation of clean technologies to create the green revolution, and this is the decade to make it happen. The first crop of new clean tech companies on our cover story is just the beginning. The Chamber, The Tech Garden and The Clean Tech Center are partners in ushering in change, and proud to say that green innovation really does start here.

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