Laws pave way for green business growth

By Kevin Matthews
NSI Director, Energy and Environment

Landmark energy and climate legislation passed last week provided a critical step in energy reduction efforts that will provide clean-tech companies key financial incentives to grow their business.

The U.S. Green Building Council commended the House of Representatives for passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 on Friday. According to a USGBC press release, the legislation includes several significant provisions to accelerate the benefits of green building across the country. The USGBC, which consulted on some of the initiatives or provisions in the new laws, points to green building as critical to the nation’s future economy, energy security, and environment, as buildings account for 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption, 39 percent of CO2 emissions, and 13 percent of water consumption. Greater building efficiency can meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

The new laws are an important step toward putting energy efficiency at the forefront of economic growth and opportunity. In this vein, the new laws will generate billions of dollars in capital needed for cities, counties and states to spur and scale green retrofitting of public buildings and reduce the magnitude of energy used for generating a clean water supply while providing a myriad of financial opportunities for companies selling energy-efficient products. Businesses serving the green energy space have begun mapping their strategies and those that have not, should, from a market capture standpoint.

To view USGBC’s summary of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, visit http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6070.

Kevin Matthews is Director of Energy and Environment for NSI where he runs the sector operations and works with clients on sustainable solutions for interfacing with state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Matthews held various positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he worked for Administrator Carol M. Browner and served as both Special Assistant and Senior Congressional Liaison.