EDM Articles And News Blog - Industry Trends

Advanced Manufacturing Opportunities

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:27:00 -0500

In today’s economy, communities that sit back and “wait to see what happens” will lose out to communities that adopt flexibility, develop new skills, and aggressively pursue new opportunities. Communities must be creative and think in new ways to attract investment in their area.

According to the US Department of Commerce, advanced manufacturing accounts for 11% of employment in the country and 14% of the national GDP. The entire US private sector invests $193 billion annually in research and development, and a whopping 60% of that comes from manufacturing firms. [More]

Renewable Energy: Following the Supply Chain

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:03:00 -0500

You don't need to be in a wind-producing state to attract renewable energy companies. You don't need to be in a state with tremendous amounts of sunlight each year to attract sub-suppliers in the solar energy industry.

What you must do is position yourself as a manufacturing hotspot to attract industries that make up the industry cluster--the sub-suppliers that are required to produce windmills and solar PV arrays as well as the industries that complement these systems.

We all know that renewable energy is the future. Green energy methods are growing quickly. But their influence is not limited to the future; they impact the immediate present. The new emerging federal government promises to place a much greater emphasis on green energy solutions. Thus, more federal funding will be earmarked for the development of renewable energy infrastructures on a national basis. Economic development agencies can position themselves to take advantage of these emerging trends.

There is one key element that will help you discern how to approach this industry, and that is what I call following the supply chain. I want to discuss a few examples of this with you to help you understand what I'm talking about.

More than half the states now have mandatory requirements specifying that electric utilities generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and biomass. For instance, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an executive order that requires utilities in his state to produce 33% of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.

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Alternative Energy

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:27:00 -0500

"As America’s electricity appetite continues to grow, it is critical that both government and the market come together to support policies that encourage the development of clean energy alternatives."
Duke Energy

Close to half of the states and the District of Columbia have adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) which requires electricity providers to obtain a minimum percentage of their power from renewable energy resources by a certain date.

These include, but are not limited to: Solar Water Heat, Solar Thermal Electric, Landfill Gas, Wind, Biomass, Hydroelectric, Geothermal Electric, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, and Ocean Thermal.

For example, Duke Energy proposes a $100 million plan to install solar panels in North Carolina. Also, the Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland, has announced his Energy, Jobs and Progress plan which includes an advanced energy portfolio requiring at least 25 percent of the electricity sold in Ohio to be generated from renewable and advanced energy technologies by 2025.

This is a great opportunity for Economic Development Agencies to attract new investment, create jobs, and create an alternative energy cluster which would include manufacturing, transportation, and project construction. New projects in the Great Plains prompted Denmark’s LM Glasfiber to open a rotor blade manufacturing plant in North Dakota. In addition, wind turbine tower and component manufacturing have created jobs in several states.
Economic Development Marketing (EDM), an iGroups company, can help you develop your alternative energy cluster. We have developed an extensive list of companies, both domestic and foreign, involved in green energy technologies. EDM can help you reach these companies with your message detailing the benefits of locating in your region.

EDM has been assisting cities, counties, regional economic development groups, states, and provinces throughout the US & Canada develop marketing strategies to attract new investment since 1997. We are a single source for marketing strategies, target market studies, and investment attraction.
States that currently have Renewable Portfolio Standards

http://www.eere.energy.gov/states/maps/renewable_portfolio_states.cfm

Green Energy Technology

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:03:00 -0500

Venture capitalists are investing billions of dollars in environmental technology.

According to a recent article by Cargill, “Environmental technology is predicted to be the second fastest growing sector in the world after IT over the next twenty years.” (Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services.)

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