By Michael Ammann, President, Solano Economic Development Corporation
Now is the time for us to bring our community leaders together and take advantage of the tremendous growth opportunities for green energy growth in Solano County.
As a result of the recent publishing of Solano County’s Energy Cluster report, the hope of Solano Economic Development Corporation is that we can bring together these leaders from our cities and county to create a Solano Energy Cluster Team. Working together to establish policies and track long-term strategic goals we will be in a much better position to assure Solano County fulfills its opportunities in the rapidly transforming energy cluster.
We know that we have the wind, sun, natural gas and available land for research and production that can make Solano a vital player in the coming years. The Energy Cluster Team would make certain the necessary steps are taken to easily attract investment and growth from corporations and research institutions.
The result: we will capture more than our share of the abundant regional opportunities rapidly expanding in the clean energy cluster. Our existing cluster is diverse, with both carbon-based energy and clean-energy sectors. Together, these sectors employ over 1,500 people across more than 60 energy-related businesses. Jobs in Solano County’s energy cluster span a wide range of occupations offering high-, medium- and entry-level opportunities in both carbon-based (oil and gas drilling and petroleum refining) and clean energy (solar and wind) sectors.
Once a countywide energy policy is approved we can then work to remove any and all barriers that might result in a potential business moving to another area. One thing for certain, when a business is ready to act, to expand, or to move into a new location it wants to know it can be done with a minimum of red tape, rezoning, or community opposition. Those counties that eliminate these expansion barriers will be the counties that will prosper from the coming alternative energy growth.
I am firmly convinced that with a sound energy policy that results in strategic planning we can pool our tremendous people skills and enjoy a lion’s portion of the pie.
This is not a pipedream. Solano County is positioned as a potential leader in this growing field of economic development. We have abundant sun, wind, and location. We are in the middle of one of the largest energy research centers in the world, and we are well positioned between the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Research shows us that clean energy is one of the fastest-growing economic clusters in our county. For example growth in solar capacity (kW) increased 187% in Solano between 2007-2008 and only 38% in California. It is still small, when compared to other sectors, but the opportunities cannot be overstated.
Doug Henton, president of Collaboration Research, recently reported his firm’s findings on the energy cluster. Simply stated the research confirmed the potential for growth. Employment in the clean energy sector has grown 72 percent since 1995. And, the research revealed that the clean energy sector is attracting investors at a fantastic growth rate. In the past two years venture capital has increased four-fold in Northern California. The universities at Davis and Berkeley are research leaders in the various fields of creating innovation in energy, matching up with the more basic research under way at the two national energy facilities –in Berkeley and Livermore. All of these investments in energy research make Northern California a prime candidate for spinning out new commercial sources of clean energy.
Our current fossil fuel industry - centered in Benicia and Rio Vista areas - is a stable and important part of our economy, and will be for many years to come. We are not looking just to green and grow these refineries, but to provide opportunities for business and jobs in the totally new alternative cleaner fuels produced from biomass and algae now undergoing research at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, the national labs and the Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute.
We already have organizations including the Work Force Investment Board of Solano County and Solano Community College working to provide skill level training that will prepare our workforce for new green collar opportunities. These skills will bring our residents the chance to grab jobs in clean energy generation (i.e. solar, and wind), energy conservation products and service as well as clean transportation. Bioscience research, engineering, construction, and maintenance are just a few of the skills needed to fill the needs of a multiple-sourced energy cluster. While carbon-based occupations require moderate on-the-job training, most clean energy occupations will require associate degrees.
Clean energy jobs pay well. A statewide research study from the California Employment Development Department, shows annual wages range from $34,000 for electricians to $95,000 for biochemists and biophysicists. As more and cleaner energy firms locate in Solano (and we maintain our jobs in carbon-based energy), we will have a stronger workforce making wages that will sustain a high quality of life in Solano.
Recognizing the opportunities in clean energy, unions are already setting up programs that will train members, and have them ready for the predicted jobs that will be available.
Dan Broadwater, business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Works, and Michael Smith, IBEW business development, are setting up training programs to cross train members in clean energy.
As Broadwater says, “The jobs are coming and we want to be ready.” Over the past three years the Solano EDC has fielded a growing number of inquiries from companies, including solar, wind, natural gas turbine generators, electric vehicles, biomass, algae, batter technology and carbon sequestration.
But, showing an interest is only the first step. We in Solano must be able to show potential new business that we have a policy in place that will assure a smooth approval and a fast track toward construction and operation.
We have a great story to tell. We already have seen this story unfold within the updated Solano County General Plan that was approved last November and successful new commercial wind project at enXcom Shiloh II, and large solar arrays at Alza, Meyer, Budweiser and Novartis. But, there is so much more that we can do to fully prepare for the influx of funding and expansion in clean energy.
Supervisor John Vasquez, chairman of the Solano County Board of Supervisors made it clear in the Energy Cluster Report that we need a comprehensive and integrated strategy that “…conveys to the world we have a plan in action that will enable us to live up to our exciting potential.”
“The report confirms we are outpacing the state and the region on many fronts: growth in solar capacity, use of alternative fuel vehicles and the addition of energy-related jobs,” Vasquez said.
The choice is clear. By working together to create an aggressive energy marketing strategy for Solano County, we will open up opportunities to capture the scale up of regional energy innovation, expand local clean energy markets, and prepare county residents for new career opportunities in Solano County’s growing Energy Economy. All can benefit including local government through increased revenues, local residents through more diverse and higher wage jobs, and local businesses through increased customer and supplier potential.
We can accomplish so much by pooling our talents and creating an Energy Task Force to position us for the long term opportunities that Solano’s Energy Cluster presents. Take a look at the online version of the Solano County’s Energy Cluster Report at http://www.solanocounty.com/energycluster
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Solano EDC February 25 Breakfast
Manufacturing Opportunities and Challenges
Highlighted at Solano EDC Event this Month
A Solano County Manufacturing Summit will be held at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield,
The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex), a firm devoted to serving the changing needs of manufacturing in California, will host the event along with the Solano Economic Development Corporation as part of the monthly events held in Solano.
Michael Ammann, President of Solano EDC, said that Manex conducted a special workshop last year in Solano, which was “…so successful we decided to do it again this year in response to requests.”
Topics and speakers at the summit will be:
“Challenges and Solutions for California’s Manufacturers,” Jack Stewart, President and CEO of California Manufacturers and Technology Association,
“The Next Generation Manufacturing,” Bill Browne, Engagement Manager for The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex).
To register call Solano EDC at 707.864-1855. Reservations are $25 per person.
The monthly EDC meetings are made possible by the organization’s Chairman Circle Members, Syar Industries, Inc.; Republic Services, Inc; and Solano Garbage Company.
Highlighted at Solano EDC Event this Month
A Solano County Manufacturing Summit will be held at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield,
The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex), a firm devoted to serving the changing needs of manufacturing in California, will host the event along with the Solano Economic Development Corporation as part of the monthly events held in Solano.
Michael Ammann, President of Solano EDC, said that Manex conducted a special workshop last year in Solano, which was “…so successful we decided to do it again this year in response to requests.”
Topics and speakers at the summit will be:
“Challenges and Solutions for California’s Manufacturers,” Jack Stewart, President and CEO of California Manufacturers and Technology Association,
“The Next Generation Manufacturing,” Bill Browne, Engagement Manager for The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex).
To register call Solano EDC at 707.864-1855. Reservations are $25 per person.
The monthly EDC meetings are made possible by the organization’s Chairman Circle Members, Syar Industries, Inc.; Republic Services, Inc; and Solano Garbage Company.
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