Reports & Articles on Bay Area Cleantech industry
The reports and articles listed below reveal the strength and extremely promising economic potential of the emerging cleantech phenomenon, globally and particularly in the Bay Area, even during the current economic downturn affecting all other business sectors.
The reports describe a dramatic explosion of University R&D, spin off businesses, government initiatives and grants, venture capital, etc., all focused on cleantech innovations spread across a wide spectrum of industries. So far, most of the action has been focused in the South Bay (Silicon Valley area) and San Francisco, but they are experiencing increasing pressure to locate elsewhere due to space constraints, housing costs, and traffic congestion.
Benicia is perfectly situated to capitalize on this economic opportunity, as we are situated 40 minutes from both UC Davis and UC Berkeley -- two of the key cleantech research centers -- with 527 acres of vacant land already zoned industrial/commercial. We also have a perfectly matched employment pool (well educated, with much of it white-collar professional, management, office, and skilled technical), most of whom currently have to commute elsewhere for jobs. And we have relatively low cost housing (in comparison to Silicon Valley and SF) and good schools.
Benicia's 10-year Economic Development Strategy, which was adopted by the City Council in Sept. 2007, sets out our city's strategy to increase "campus-style office" and "clean energy, high-tech R&D uses in our industrial districts" over the next 10 years, stating that such uses are more likely to provide jobs for Benicians because of our community demographics.
Click on the links below to read these important reports and articles that document the cleantech economic opportunity.
REPORTS
Clean Technology And the Green Economy, March 2008
Clean Energy Trends 2008, March 2008
California Green Innovation Index, 2008
Sustaining the Bay Area's Competitiveness in a Globalizing World, March 2008
Green Collar Jobs in America's Cities, 2008
Innovative Energy Solutions from the SF Bay Area: Fueling a Clean Energy Future, June 2007
Green Collar Jobs, (Berkeley, CA) 2007
The Economic Development Potential of the Green Sector, June 2006
ARTICLES
Bay Area in league of its own
"New game: Cleantech didn't even have a name five years ago."
San Francisco Business Times, Jan. 4, 200
Hopeful cleantech hubs proliferate around the bay
"Cleantech is the Bay Area's future."
San Francisco Business Times, Dec. 14, 2007
East Bay mayors, UC unite for 'Green Wave'
East Bay leaders, hoping to capitalize on energy research emerging from UC and LBL, intend to create a regional environmental hub.
Chronicle, SFGate, Dec. 4, 2007