For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Montgomery County officials today convened a newly appointed Green Economy Task Force as part of County Executive Isiah Leggett’s new Green Economic Development Initiative (GEDI). The goal of the initiative is to advance businesses, technologies, and jobs within Montgomery County that develop, deploy or adopt green products and services.
“As ‘green’ economic development and clean energy initiatives have become national priorities and a cornerstone of the Obama administration’s economic recovery strategy, Montgomery County has been pro-actively working to become a national leader in this sector,” said Leggett. “Developing a green economy and advancing clean energy are prominent items on the national agenda, and they have been a priority throughout my administration. Now is the time to couple our progressive sustainability policies with our strategic economic development efforts. To achieve this, we have brought together the best and brightest in this field to help us forge a comprehensive strategy to develop and sustain a leading green technology industry well into the future.”
The 30-member Green Economy Task Force, which held its first meeting today at the Universities at Shady Grove, was created to help guide and implement the GEDI under joint leadership from the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Task Force members represent a diverse range of business, academic, and public sector entities united in their interest to develop and implement a green economic strategy for Montgomery County.
Leggett was joined at the meeting by Council members Roger Berliner and Valerie Ervin, along with DED and DEP staff, and offered opening thoughts as the group prepared to embark on development and implementation of the County’s Green Economic Strategy.
“All of you represent a diverse range of backgrounds, with a common thread of interest in the convergence of the environment and economics,” said Leggett. “Whether business, education, technology transfer, or community based, you all possess the skills and expertise necessary to help the County craft a realistic, sustainable green economic strategy that builds on our existing strengths to generate long-term environmental, economic, and social value for County businesses and the community at large.”
Key objectives of the GEDI include:
• Attracting new businesses that provide green services;
• Driving innovation, research and development into next generation technologies;
• Retaining existing green product, service, research and development sector businesses and fostering the creation of new green companies;
• Forming a cohesive green business network to enable information exchange and partnerships;
• Translating progressive County policies into green business opportunities;
• Leveraging and directing private investment and federal funding to County businesses;
• Facilitating workforce training and retraining to meet the needs of next generation green jobs; and
• Promoting the County’s green business cluster regionally, nationally and internationally.
“The County’s highly-educated workforce, proximity to federal government agencies, relationships with leading academic institutions, business partnerships, sustainability policies and progressive residents, provide unparalleled opportunities to advance our green economy,” said Dr. Pradeep Ganguly, DED director. “This array of assets makes Montgomery County the ideal community for green consulting and design services, research and development, local product and service providers, manufacturing in collaboration with regional partners, and related target sectors.”
To help create the foundation for GEDI, the County has contracted a Montgomery County “green” business, Sustainable Design Group (SDG), to develop a green economy ten-point plan. SDG is nearing completion of the first phase of their work, which includes:
• Defining the green economy in Montgomery County;
• Taking an inventory of the County’s existing green industry cluster, and identifying key state and County policies that support the industry’s growth;
• Identifying key lessons and models of programs in other jurisdictions; and
• Recommending strategies for measuring the County’s progress in nurturing its green economy.
The task force will also serve as a resource to help identify and facilitate access to existing and future federal, state, and foundation resources that can leverage the County’s efforts to foster the growth of its green economy.
Last month, the County’s Sustainability Working Group submitted a comprehensive Climate Protection Plan to the County Council detailing 58 recommended actions the County can take to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals of 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.
“Montgomery County is a national model for progressive sustainability policies. Fostering a local green industry is essential to mitigating the County’s environmental footprint while ensuring the County’s continued leadership,” said Bob Hoyt, DEP Director. “My department is fully committed to supporting the work of the task force and advancing the Green Economy in Montgomery County.”
About the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development
The Montgomery County Department of Economic Development (DED) is charged with implementing the County’s economic development vision of being a globally-competitive, highly-diversified and knowledge-based economy that provides for the retention and growth of existing companies, stimulates new job creation and enhances entrepreneurial opportunities for all businesses. The Department offers a broad range of programs, services, partnering opportunities and strategic financing resources to stimulate and expand the County’s business, job and tax base. To learn more, visit www.SMARTmontgomery.com.
About the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the lead agency in Montgomery County responsible for programs which protect and manage the County’s environment; coordination of the County’s regulatory response on environmental issues; and technical and scientific analysis used in the development of environmental policies and legislation. Key programs include: solid waste management and recycling; watershed monitoring and restoration; sustainability initiatives; renewable energy and management. To learn more, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP.
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Media Contact: Kristina Ellis, 240-777-2024