For three days last week, at a Clean Economy Leadership Exchange in New York, leaders from economic development and industry organizations, companies and clean economy investors from nine (9) metro-regions around the country officially joined forces to create a national network to promote innovative "bottom-up" strategies to grow clean economy markets and foster investments.

The 9 metro-regions at the round table included Austin, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Oklahoma City, Research Triangle (NC) and Silicon Valley. Event participants were identified as "investment-ready regions" that are leading their peers by aggressively pursuing intentional strategies for advancing the clean economy. Innovation in these and other regions can be accelerated by connecting and sharing efforts to grow the market for regions, nationwide.

"The clean economy is not an emerging market - it is here - with growth hubs across the country in diverse regions, including some of the most unlikely places," said Andre Pettigrew, Executive Director of Clean Economy Solutions, which hosted the leadership exchange in partnership with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. "Through our work at Clean Economy Solutions, we've recognized that a number of U.S. metro-regions are emerging as leaders in this market, making choices and taking actions to better position themselves to be ideal locations for growing clean energy technology companies and industries," Pettigrew noted.

"Considering the new proposed national carbon emission standards for coal-fired plants, long-term fossil fuel costs and that fact that the clean economy is now a 1.1 trillion dollar global market, it is clearer than ever that economic development practitioners and investors need to join together to secure the future of this promising industry cluster," said Richard Fleming, Chairman of St. Louis-based Community Development Ventures and Chairman of the Board of Clean Economy Solutions. 

Clean Economy Solutions will connect these regional growth hubs and help them advance the clean economy through shared best practices and collaboration, connecting businesses with customers and financiers (further specifics outlined below). The clean economy includes advanced and renewable energy, as well as efficient technologies for transportation, buildings, water, food and recycling.

"Consumers are demanding cleaner forms of energy and the smart private investor is getting in now," said event participant Carter Bales, Chairman and Managing Partner of private equity firm, NewWorld Capital Group.  "Around the country, there are 'investment ready regions', as Clean Economy Solutions has identified, that are prepared to help accelerate the success of these new companies— investing in a skilled workforce and infrastructure, as well as connecting organizations and supply chains support the success of clean economy businesses. The location of clean economy companies matters to their successful growth and development, creating an economic advantage for both the company and investor."

 "Connecticut's Green Bank initiatives spurred more than $220 million of investment in deploying energy in communities across the state. For every $1 of ratepayer green bank funds invested, nearly $10 was invested from private sources," highlighted Dan Esty, Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale Universityand former Commissioner of Energy for the State of Connecticut, and author of the prizewinning book "Green To Gold:  How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage." Connecticut's Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (Green Bank), demonstrates how states and regions are leveraging new 21^st century financial models to grow the clean economy.

"Metro regions across the country recognize the need for this collaborative national network as a means to grow their advanced-energy markets both regionally and globally," said Rebecca Bagley, President and CEO of NorTech, a technology based economic development organization in Northeast Ohio with an advanced energy "Hub" of over 500 companies. "Our strength in numbers can leverage progress in clean economy investment, technology development, market supply and demand growth, innovation and job creation, as well as help inform public policy at both the state and national level."

Clean Economy Solutions is facilitating a national network of investment-ready regions and will facilitate and manage the network by:

• Connecting regional clean economy leaders in aNational Network of Investment-Ready Regions to grow regional markets and share best practices, help gain greater visibility outside individual regions and attract more investors and clean economy economic development to regions;
• Facilitating strategic sessions with peer thought leaders, investors and site recruiters on advancing the national clean economy market; and
• Identifying financing solutions for clean economy projects, companies and programs that can be created and/or activated by investment-ready regions.

"The clean economy continues to be a political football, but the fact is these companies are growing at a robust rate - saving individuals and businesses money, which they spend on local goods and services,  driving real economic growth,"  said Doug Henton, Chairman and CEO of Collaborative Economics, strategic consultants to Clean Economy Solutions. "This collaborative network provides critical connective tissue enabling the regions to share best practices and work together to overcome barriers."

"This is the greatest underreported, sometimes misreported story of our time. The facts don't change.  Over time, fossil fuel prices will be volatile, but they are only going up. Who will win? Those who are diversifying to clean renewable energy," said Morrow Cater, President and CEO of Cater Communications, a strategic communications company that specializes in the energy sector. "Each region has its own assets and opportunities, and together they can accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy."

For more information, visit www.cleaneconomysolutions.org