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Charlotte's path to new energy jobs, a national expert told an economic development forum Wednesday, begins with making smarter use of the energy it already creates.
Energy efficiency, said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, “should be the first resource you use.”
The Charlotte region already employs 21,000 people in energy-related businesses, anchored by Duke Energy. Buoyed by the availability of federal grants and tax incentives, a state focus on renewable energy and manufacturers eager for new markets, economic developers want more.
Fifty companies and organizations attended a Duke-sponsored energy summit in April. The Charlotte Regional Partnership, which hosted Wednesday's forum, has led follow-up efforts toward growing the energy hub.
The Partnership became the first economic development agency to join the Alliance to Save Energy, a Washington-based nonprofit that is co-chaired by Duke CEO Jim Rogers and includes nine members of Congress on its board. The group helped craft federal energy bills in 2005 and 2007.
Energy efficiency offers proven results – saving $400billion a year since 1973 – and vast potential for new jobs, Callahan said. She cited one study that estimated 77,000 new jobs in the field could be created in Appalachian states including North Carolina by 2030.
Despite $265million in federal stimulus money coming to N.C. energy programs, Callahan said, barriers remain. Builders have little incentive to construct energy-efficient homes. Information is scarce on how soon energy savings can recoup purchase costs for new technology.
Panel member Gene Christiansen of Metso Power, a worldwide firm with a Charlotte office, said money problems limit the commercializing of new technologies. “We have the technology,” he said, “but we need the financing to help develop it.”
On the upside, panelists said, the Charlotte region offers good colleges, a large manufacturing base for turning out energy components and an attractive business climate.
Duke's presence aids the region in growing traditional energy jobs, such as nuclear power, said Charlotte Chamber president Bob Morgan.
“The challenge,” he said, “will be how do we grow our presence in other forms of energy when we don't have that competitive advantage?”
