Green focus pays, but work remains[

Friday, November 30, 2007

Green focus pays, but work remains

Leadership Summit covers various topics
Portland Business Journal - by Andy Giegerich Business Journal staff writer
Cathy Cheney | Portland Business Journal


Much of next week's annual Oregon Leadership Summit will build on last year's "Gaining Sustainable Advantage" theme.

At last year's summit, specific initiatives included supporting investments in such potentially green industries as wave energy and food processing; creating a consolidated pro-sustainability agenda on land use, transportation and permitting; and supporting signature research centers for various environmental fields.

While many of the initiatives are works in progress, Oregon Business Plan leaders found plenty of validation within the state's 2007 economic achievements.

* An Oregon Economic and Community Development Department report showed that companies within the state's "renewable energy" cluster experienced 8.12 percent average annual employment jumps between 2003 and 2006.

The cluster logged annual wages of $59,149 per employee, or about $20,000 more than workers' average wages in all industries. The segment's workers have also collected annual increases of 9.62 percent since 2003.

* Oregon also saw a multiagency effort this year to boost the photovoltaic industry's job base. Working with Gov. Ted Kulongoski's office and the Oregon Energy Department, the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department hopes to attract one polysilicon producer, two ingot and wafer manufacturers, two photovoltaic cell manufacturers and at least two module manufacturers.

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