Westerly-based Chamber promotes green energy

The Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce has committed to grow green-energy businesses and to help others maximize energy-efficient use.
The Westerly-based group last month announced it had become a member of the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, a national organization dedicated to stimulating the economy through new energy technology.
“[Alternative] energy is a growing business,” said Lisa Konicki, executive director of the Greater Westerly Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce. “We don’t have a staff expert to provide help to area businesses. Their organization is equipped to help businesses become more energy efficient and to help those wanting to get into the field.
“We want to help companies in our service area save money so that they can be more competitive,” Konicki said.
The local program is in its infancy, so Konicki realizes it will take time to build up interest in the local business community. In the meantime, she has taken the initiative to form a collaborative relationship with Uplands Construction Group of North Stonington, Conn., a contractor specializing in energy-efficient construction. The company regularly conducts energy audits, installs insulation and replaces inefficient doors and windows.
“We’ve met with them and they’re ahead of the curve when it comes to conservation,” Konicki said.
An independent collective of chambers, the CICE has grown significantly since it was formed in the summer of 2010. Dissatisfied with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s lack of progress in promoting green energy and energy-efficient businesses, several chambers throughout the nation formed CICE – while still retaining their U.S. Chamber membership – to encourage the use of alternative energy. The chamber of San Francisco was one of the key groups behind its formation. The organization now boasts a membership of more than 68 chambers in 28 states, according to Diane Doucette, executive director for CICE. She said they regularly communicate with 500 chambers, sharing contacts and information. “[Alternative] energy is one of the most important issues today,” Doucette said. “It’s not only important in terms of energy but also as an economic strategy. We are behind businesses that are trying to [use] cleaner and more-efficient energy. New products, innovation, construction; we want to help businesses around the nation to lead the world in ‘clean’ energy.”
She said the organization is growing at a remarkable rate and hundreds have expressed interest in joining. “The fact that we’ve gotten so much attention is not only good for small businesses but also proves our point that not enough was being done,” Doucette said.
Konicki believes the group will advocate financial savings for small, area businesses. “We’ve met with them and talked about their long-term goals,” Konicki said. “I think our members will benefit.”
Locally, the North Central Chamber of Commerce is considering joining. “We’re reviewing their information and their programs right now,” said Deborah Ramos, president of the chamber.
CICE acts as a clearing house, disseminating information through their website, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. They interact with chambers across the nation and thousands of industries, from Bayer and John Deere, to Johnson & Johnson and National Grid. They also act as a Washington, D.C., advocacy group, promoting national energy and climate legislation to both Democrats and Republicans. Their goal: reduce oil dependency, increase national security and create new jobs.
“There are many opportunities to improve low-carbon emissions; solar power, wind power, these are the projects that interest us. By helping start companies that perfect these technologies we’re creating jobs that will also benefit businesses that can utilize this technology,” Doucette said. One cause CICE is promoting is Renewable Manufacturing America, a governmental agency designed to give technical assistance to chambers of commerce, economic-development agencies, energy offices and other stakeholders at the state and regional level. RMA would assist local stakeholders to identify and develop local alternative energy manufacturing. CICE and several other organizations are lobbying Congress for its passage.
A local resource CICE endorses is the Slater Technology Fund, a Rhode Island-backed venture capital fund that provides funding to promising energy-efficient technology entrepreneurs in the state. The fund was created in 1997 by then-Gov. Lincoln Almond and the General Assembly to stimulate the creation of new technology-based companies.
Slater provides as much as $3 million annually in funding for local technology-based startups. In October they received $9 million through the U.S. Treasury Department’s State Small Business Credit Initiative to help finance small businesses. Since its inception, it has supported more than 110 projects and invested $22 million into local businesses, including Alektrona, of Providence, which develops software and hardware solutions for energy-related applications; ModEnergy, a Westerly developer of battery technology for renewable energy; BioprocessH20, a Portsmouth provider of wastewater-treatment solutions; and VCharge, a Cranston technology developer that allows electric thermal storage heaters, electric cars, and other devices to participate in load-demand energy usage, reducing electrical costs between 30 to 80 percent. &#8226

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