Actually, it’s pretty easy to be Green

Posted on August 30, 2009

greenSince this column started, the most-read article in the archive is from May 2007, entitled “Now Entering Virginia’s Green Technology Corridor.” Ten years before the article was published, our region was designated “Virginia’s Technology Corridor.” The article suggested that it might be more appropriate, and more marketable, to adjust that designation to focus on Green Technology

The article mentioned some green businesses that are tucked out of sight along the corridor. One of those businesses just moved into of the most visible buildings in the Valley. ADM Micro has developed new technology that saves companies millions of dollars on energy costs and reduces greenhouse gasses in the process.

When you look at their products and read about the big energy roots of its founders, this doesn’t immediately strike you as the typical “green technology company.” These guys view the reduction of traditional electric power consumption to be just as valuable as the conversion to alternative energy sources. It’s hard to argue with their success.

The point is that green technology means a lot of different things to different people. But now, with a flood of federal funds earmarked for green energy development, the only definition that really matters is the government’s. That definition is being forged in Congress as lobbyists for big energy companies and environmentalists each group tries to protect its own interest.

Whichever way the money flows out of Washington, green technology companies stand to profit. In South Boston, Virginia, a region that was devastated by the loss of textile and tobacco jobs, they hope they are floating in the right place to catch a wave of green. Several years ago, the economic development authority in the region tapped into a tobacco settlement fund to build a technology park. Through a partnership with Virginia Tech, the park is now home to Virginia’s Green Energy Incubator as well as a very advanced simulation and modeling lab. When you combine federal incentives, some matching funds from the tobacco commission, and some pretty nice tax credits, green energy companies could really take advantage of the situation.

The big question for companies like this in the Valley is whether or not the synergies among them can be packaged in a way that attracts other like-minded entrepreneurs to the area. It would be interesting to see what the list of green technology companies in our region looks like. Not many people know that Tetra Tech, a public company in the alternative energy space, now has a presence in South Boston. While we don’t include Southside in NewVa or the Roanoke Region, it may be worth the effort to redefine regionalism if that’s where investments are being made.

Positioning Roanoke to be in the path of the green wave of stimulus dollars should not be difficult. The most efficient way to do that may be through a simple partnership among companies that stand to benefit. If your company is developing green technology of any kind, could benefit from research grants, and would be interested in forming a collective marketing plan, please respond to this article. Two years ago, this column proposed that we lobby to have our region designated Virginia’s Green Technology Corridor. With stimulus money being appropriated right now, there’s never been a better time make it happen, one way or another.

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