Execs to pitch Triangle clean energy efforts in D.C.

A delegation from the Triangle, including executives with the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber are among executives briefing White House officials and members of Congress about cleantech efforts in the region.

And they are eager to spread the word about efforts to further develop the Triangle region as a hub for cleantech industry.

“We will have an opportunity to senior administration officials how they can support the successful growth of cleantech in the region,” said Lee Anne Nance of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership before the group headed to Washington, D.C. Nance also is director of the Cleantech Cluster program. “We will tell them why it is important to continue to support energy and cleantech innovation and R&D at our nation’s universities.”

The RTRP organized the Cleantech Cluster group, a growing organization that released a report irecently documenting growth of various cleantech efforts. The report found that 169 firms involved in cleantech operate in the Triangle area.

“We aren’t seeing a slowing of momentum in the Research Triangle Region,” Nance said.

One of the efforts regional officials will tout is the so-called FREEDM Center at North Carolina State University. FREEDM stands for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery andManagement Systems Center

“The example we will use is the work of FREEDM center, an NSF funded engineering center that is focused on development of new technologies associated with smart grid and advanced transportation,” Nance explained. “Like other such centers, FREEDM is a great example of public-private partnerships. FREEDM has dozens of companies supporting and joining them in their R&D. Their work and the work of other centers is crucial for the continued development of our nation’s energy future.”

Nance said the group also will tout workforce development efforts.

“Another point would be supporting education and workforce development efforts to ensure we have students and workers with the right type of STEM [science, technology, engineering, math] and technical expertise needed to support our current technologies as well as those that will be created in the future,” Nance said. “Hopefully those technologies will be created at UNC and NCSU.”

Executives from Chambers of Commerce and affiliate companies from 13 other states also are involved in Thursday’s meetings.