Clean Technology Making Strides in Massachusetts
Over the past week, a couple of events occurred that show the growth in importance of the Cleantech industry to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. First, on May 16, the Boston Business Journal (BBJ) distributed a special publication entitled “Sustainable Boston” where among other articles, a ranking of the area’s largest Cleantech employers was compiled.
I am happy to report that according to the BBJ, Nuvera Fuel cells ranks as the ninth largest employer in the clean technology industry in the Commonwealth, and the only fuel cell company to make the list of the Top 25.
A few days later on May 20th, the Speaker of the House of Representatives for Massachusetts, Sal DiMasi, filed a bill that would invest $13 million a year for the next five years in the new Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center to help fund research at clean energy companies, invest in startups, and train high school and college students for the next generation of “green collar” jobs.
According to the Lowell Sun newspaper, the speaker’s bill would invest $5 million a year into research at clean energy companies throughout the state and provide $500,000 in grants to entrepreneurs in other business sectors to create a broader expertise of available clean energy technology.
Massachusetts is second only to California in its investment in clean technology companies, and with this new bill and focus on the Cleantech sector, the Commonwealth is signaling that it intends to compete for the title of the Cleantech capital of the United States.
Tags: Boston Business Journal, Clean Technology, Cleantech, Fuel Cells, massachusetts, Nuvera