Sources: US Department of Commerce, press release, September 29, 2011 | US Congressman Jay Inslee, press release, September 29, 2011.
The US Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced a $1.3 million dollar i6 Green Challenge grant to the Washington Clean Energy Partnership Project through the Washington Clean Energy Regional Innovation Cluster. The cluster is a collaboration between the Puget Sound Regional Council, South Seattle Community College, Cleantech Open, and InnovateWashington created to spur jobs and the creation of new companies and export opportunities in the market for energy efficient technology and practices.
“This is exactly the type of public/private partnership that will drive economic growth in this thriving market,” said Representative Jay Inslee. “Energy efficiency is a market with enormous potential to create jobs, reduce our energy use and reduce carbon emissions responsible for climate change. In addition these new technologies and knowhow, with a home base right here in the Puget Sound, can be exported around the world to feed the world market.”
A portion of the $1.3 million of federal support that will now flow to Washington’s state’s Clean Energy Partnership will be dedicated towards the building out of BETI, the Building Efficiency Testing and Integration (BETI) Center and Demonstration Network. BETI will be a physical living laboratory space for innovators in the energy efficiency field to test their products, designs, and services prior to launching them into the marketplace.
Acting US Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez today joined the Obama Administration in announcing a national initiative leveraging resources of five federal agencies to advance clean technology commercialization. Six winners were announced today of the i6 Green Challenge, an initiative to drive technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in support of a green innovation economy, increased US competitiveness and new jobs.
The winning projects of the i6 Green Challenge announced today include:
- Ames, IA: Iowa Innovation Network i6 Green Project
- Holland, MI: Proof of Concept Center for Green Chemistry Scale-up
- New England: iGreen New England Partnership
- Orlando, FL: Igniting Innovation (I2) Cleantech Acceleration Network
- Ruston, LA: Louisiana Tech Proof of Concept Center
- WA State: Washington Clean Energy Partnership Project
Winning i6 Green applicants will support emerging technology-based businesses as they mature and demonstrate their market potential, making them more attractive to investors and helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas and innovations into businesses.