Mar 26 2010
Utah Business leaders are increasing their focus on “Green” initiatives and projects in 2010.
The Utah Technology Council (UTC) has launched the “Clean Tech Initiative,” with five distinct areas of focus:
- Renewable Energy: Focusing on the development of wind solar geothermal, biomass and hydro power generation, processing technologies for turbines, generators, PV cells, materials and manufacturing, landfill, agricultural and public treatment-based methane capture and power generation, as well as renewable energy technologies for fuel cells, tidal power and hydrokinetics.
- Environment Technologies: Centering around cleaner energy – nuclear, IGCC, hydrogen, CO2 capture & storage, emissions monitoring and pollution controls, water conservation and treatment, and for clean innovation technologies for traditional carbon-based fuels.
- Energy Efficiency and Demand Management: Smart grid & smart metering technologies, utility grade energy storage technologies and lighting, insulation and HVAC technologies. With an additional focus on energy efficiency and alternative energy appliances, efficiency technologies for electrical power generation and motors and for traditional oil & gas production and recycling and waste reduction.
- Green Materials: Consists of bio-products (green cleaning, disinfectants and bio-plastics), green infrastructure, transportation, packaging and nanotech materials and green building & construction materials.
- Transportation: Bio-fuels/green-fuels (algae, cellulosic, non-corn based ethanol), CNG and LNG transportation fuel innovations battery and energy storage technologies energy transmission for transportation.
Two UTC trustees, Todd Stevens, managing director, RenewableTech Ventures, and Tim Hunt, president, Go Natural CNG, are championing UTC’s efforts as co-chairs of this initiative.
“Utah is on the cusp of amazing accomplishments in the Clean Tech industry. Now is the time for business leaders to act,” said Richard R. Nelson, president and CEO of the UTC. “Currently, the largest number of green jobs in Utah is in the water/wastewater and recycling/waste segments. Our hope is that the other green segments, specifically in the lower concentration areas such as energy, will soon be expanding as well.”
Additionally, the National Governor’s Association reported several Utah weaknesses in its green economy, including this low concentration of energy jobs. The report also showed that Utah’s venture capital investments are slowly climbing as well. “Utah can and should attract much larger amounts of VC investments in its Clean Tech industry,” the report said.
Utah business leaders hope to get on a level playing field with other green-leading states such as Colorado and California. Colorado received $458 million in VC green investments in 2008, while California tallied an astonishing $3.5 billion in 2008.
Source: http://www.utahtechcouncil.org