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The prospect of green growth in the Commonwealth of Virginia is tremendous because it is literally untapped and currently a vague vision in the minds of innovators and some bold  entrepreneurs.  With the advent of policies and visions such as the 2007 Virginia Energy Plan, setting the bar for development is wide open.  What is being made to work in California, effectively forcing changeover for utilities companies, may not work in other states.  Governor Kaine’s vision approaches attracting outside investment for small growth, a more conservative approach that certainly sidesteps speedbumps potentially associated with forcing the outright regulation that Governor Schwarzenegger has pushed.  A $4.5 million reward cap for outside interests investing in producing alternative solutions in Virginia is a start but other states are more competitive.  Green energy has to be proven in Virginia, and a few localities are taking notice of the opportunities.  If the Tangier Island pilot program can be pushed forward into reality, saving money for struggling Virginians can be as real as it was for those in Denmark on the island of Samsø.

Investment strategies are still open in Virginia.  The ability to acquire participation of national leaders in green energy, such as Solyndra, will hinge on the incentive offered for investment.  States such as Virginia do not market their economies for investment at random; incentives within the tax code are necessary for businesses to see Virginia as a suitable venue for formation of their pursuits.  If Virginia hopes to engage in green transition, it will need to attract the right type of investment with the right type of incentive.  Furthermore, Virginia must develop its home-grown green industries by paving the way to the acquisition of investment from sources such as the Virgin Green Fund, CMEA Ventures and others.

Student involvement creates a promising bridge between our future working force and our future environment and ability to offset costs that stem from inefficient fuel sources and construction practices.  Inefficiency can range from gasoline costs to a necessity of utilizing limited resources on this planet or even in our Commonwealth.  Reusing wood and stone not only can save money but saves our business community from relying upon suppliers that cut further and further into Virginia’s natural heritage through mining, quarrying and logging.  Student involvement already exists in Virginia, from the renown green engineering program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute to the student efforts at Mary Washington promoted by Noresco, one that has proven to save extensive amounts of money in an already tight state economy.

This effort will consist of pulling in the right resources to boost public interest in green solutions to energy.  Our Commonwealth’s interests can be matched by the talents that it offers from a diverse body of sources.  This site will find some of these and serve as a tool of advocacy.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.