The Sacramento Metro Chamber announced it will lead the charge to add more than 20,000 new jobs created from the region’s emerging clean energy technology sector and the region is well-positioned to become the Clean Energy Capital of the World.

“If we all do our part, and work together in a coordinated and cohesive manner, all pulling together at the same time, our region can use clean energy technology to become what Silicon Valley became during DOT com explosion—but with a more sustainable outcome,” said Matt Mahood, Metro Chamber president & CEO, during today’s annual Metro Chamber State of the Region Forum.

More than 330 business and civic leaders attended the forum at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, where members of the boards of supervisors from the region’s six counties detailed clean energy developments in their jurisdictions. Also speaking was UC Davis professor Dr. Dan Sperling of the Institute of Transportation Studies.

Mahood committed the Metro Chamber to drive a regional effort of growing clean and green energy technology related companies by helping to:

• Streamline regulations

• Align regional business organizations around common objectives, leveraging unique strengths to further this shared initiative,

• Ensure the region has the proper workforce to meet the jobs skills that will be needed,

• Promote clean energy technology initiatives at the regional, state and federal levels,

• Be out front advocating for policies, programs and incentives for companies to start and expand in the region,

• Work to make the state and local jurisdictions bigger and better customers,

• And expand incentives for clean tech consumers and customers.


“As the region’s leading business organization,” Mahood said, “the Metro Chamber we will lead the charge to add more than 20,000 direct and indirect clean energy technology jobs to the region by 2015. Not only do we believe this number is achievable, the Metro Chamber believes this industry sector can and will be the next tidal wave of economic prosperity in our region.”

Mahood said the Metro Chamber will join strategic partners—Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance, Linking Education and Economic Development, CleanStart, Sacramento Area Commerce & Trade Organization, Valley Vision, Partnership for Prosperity and others—to ensure the six-county region emerges as the worlds “Green Zone” for clean energy technology, defined to include:

• Renewable energy—solar, wind, bio-energy, and environmentally friendly hydro-electric technologies,

• Energy efficiency and demand response—energy management systems technology, electricity end-use, green buildings and grid applications,

• Environment-enhancing technologies—advanced flue gas clean-up, ultra-low emissions generation such as fuel cells, environmental remediation and exceptionally efficient generation,

• And enabling technologies—power electronics, storage, low-loss cables and wires, sensors and instrumentation, control systems, materials and manufacturing technology, and integrated clean energy applications.

Dr. Dan Sperling of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies agreed with Mahood that Sacramento is well-positioned to capitalize on the emerging sector, given that UC Davis is the world’s leader in clean energy research, California is showing strong leadership in climate change policy and Sacramento is one of the top green leadership cities in the nation.

“The challenge is how to build on a solid foundation,” Sperling said, noting that it will be innovation and leadership—and not simple solutions—that are necessary for society to convert from petroleum to alternate energy sources.

Leadership by individuals, businesses and governments will be needed collectively, he added. The point was illustrated by members of the boards of supervisors of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. They said their county offices were including green building techniques in new county office construction and replacing vehicles with hybrid and natural gas engines.

Counties were finding obstacles, however, with regulations that prevented construction of facilities to produce alternate energy and asked for help from the Metro Chamber to eliminate of the hurdles they face.

“The regulatory environment is frustrating us,” concluded Helen Baumann, chair of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors.

The next Metro Chamber event on this topic is "Sustainable Sacramento"—an Industry Breakfast on Friday, Aug. 24—that will feature the business impacts and opportunities associated as “sustainable” penetrates the region’s regulations, economy and practices. Register online at metrochamber.org.