Sacramento Area Commerce & Trade Organization

July 31, 2006                                                             Barbara Hayes, Executive Director

Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization

400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2500

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 441-2144

 

 

 

A group of international journalists recently gathered in the Sacramento Area to take part in an intensive two days of meetings throughout the region to explore what has emerged as a significant industry cluster –green energy/clean technology. The tour was organized by Development Counsellors International (DCI), the only public relations firm focused exclusively on marketing places, in cooperation with the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO). The journalists who participated represent Genetic Engineering News, Environmental Health Perspectives, American Society for Microbiology’s Journal, China Global Times, Taiwan’s Central News Agency and Canadian national news magazine, Building. 

 

The two day tour included presentations at several institutions, jurisdictions and companies across the region, beginning with UC Davis. The team spent an entire morning meeting with researchers and program managers at UC Davis’ Institute for Transportation Studies, Energy Efficiency Center and Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways Program, followed by a tour of the California Lighting Technology Center and the Low Energy Cooling Center. They also met with university representatives of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Research and the California Biomass Collaborative. The group then when on to meet with representatives of the city of Roseville where they had an opportunity to see the site of a new clean-energy focused research park, established by the city, and learn about the creation of the Renewable Energy Institute. 

After meeting with the city of West Sacramento and the Executive Director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the journalists met with several representatives of clean energy/green technology firms in the area, including SunTechnics, Jadoo Power, Downstream Recovery Services, High-Merit Materials, ReCOOP, Heliodynamics, Inc., and Mariah-Power. Representatives of SMUD, PG&E, the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance, Velocity Ventures and CleanStart also had an opportunity to provide information on programs and projects.

 

By the end of the tour, the journalists had a firm understanding that the Sacramento Region has quietly become a center for clean energy/green technology innovation, research and development. 

 

“There are very few places in the United States that have seen the level of institutional investment, entrepreneurialism and innovation that exist in the Sacramento region in this emerging industry cluster,” stated Jeff Koewler, SACTO Chair. “The opportunity to share this research and innovation, in the form of breakthrough technologies and commercialized applications, with the nation and the world is immense,” continued Koewler.

 

SACTO and DCI would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of UC Davis, the city of Roseville, Roseville Electric, SMUD, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the city of West Sacramento, PG & E, Velocity Ventures, as well as all of the individuals from various organizations and companies who took the time to meet with the journalists over this two day tour.