- Greater Washington Initiative Releases New Industry Report -

Washington, DC –  The Greater Washington Initiative (GWI) has released its Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Industry Report, which highlights the Greater Washington region’s assets and competitive advantages in this innovative and important target industry sector.

Few industries have generated as much excitement as energy efficiency and sustainability.  Regions that successfully promote and support local growth in this industry will prosper in years ahead.  Greater Washington creates strategic advantages for companies and organizations in this industry better than any other region in the world – by connecting the dots of human capital, research and development, thought leadership, private enterprise, green expenditures, and a culture of sustainability.

The Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Industry Report is the first in a series of exclusive research products produced by GWI to provide substantive and quantitative data around key target industry sectors in Greater Washington.

“The critical mass of highly educated individuals in Greater Washington provides the region with a skilled workforce capable of addressing the country’s most pressing and complex energy challenges,” said Matt Erskine, executive director of the Greater Washington Initiative.  “While regions throughout the world are quick to proclaim their commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, few areas compare to Greater Washington.”

Highlights of the Industry Report include:

Human Capital:

• Greater Washington has the second-highest number of jobs in energy efficiency and sustainability in U.S.
• Greater Washington leads the nation in educational attainment – 47 percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree and 22 percent have a masters or doctorate degree.

Private Enterprise:

• Greater Washington is home to the country’s most innovative clean energy companies and is an established leader in areas such as smart grid technology, photovoltaic production and deployment, biofuel research and development, and energy finance.

Green Expenditures:

• Of the $5.4 billion allocated in the stimulus to improve the energy efficiency of federal buildings, Greater Washington is expected to receive $1.2 billion—nearly 22 percent of the national total.
• Pepco, the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, and BG&E won a combined $354 million in federal stimulus funding to implement smart grid technology and reduce power consumption.
• In 2008, investors poured $190 million in local companies active in energy efficiency and sustainability industry.

Research & Development:

• Greater Washington drives innovation with one of the world’s highest concentrations of research institutions, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), and The George Washington University Solar Institute.
• Greater Washington is one of only seven regions to boast multiple Energy Frontier Research Centers, established by the Department of Energy to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in the energy economy.

Thought Leadership:

• Greater Washington is home to numerous organizations such as the US Green Building Council, the Nature Conservancy, Solar Energy Industries Association, American Council on Renewable Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
• The District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland all have renewable portfolio standards, demonstrating the region’s commitment to energy sustainability.
• Maryland and Virginia (along with Delaware) created the Tri-State Offshore Wind Partnership to collaborate on the use of offshore wind resources and develop strategies to utilize academic institutions to create opportunities for training and workforce development.

Sustainable Culture:

• Greater Washington has the second-highest rate of sustainable commuting among the country’s largest metro regions, with more than 27 percent of residents carpooling, taking public transit, telecommuting, biking or walking to work.
• Per capita, Greater Washington has the second-greatest number of LEED registered and certified projects among the ten largest US metro areas (18.1 per 100 residents).

The full report is available for download on GWI’s website at www.greaterwashington.org.