The center will provide assistance to clean energy startup businesses and serve as an incubator for the rapidly growing clean energy sector in Northeast Massachusetts. The grant was made by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), which was created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, a collaborative effort by Governor Deval Patrick and legislative leaders to put the Commonwealth at the forefront of green technology development.
“I am proud that my district has become a state leader in green technologies. With the help of local businesses and local officials, we have already made great strides in introducing clean energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines,” said Representative Costello. “The Clean Tech Center will accelerate those efforts by providing one-stop shopping for new clean energy entrepreneurs who need assistance with planning, logistical support and financing.”
“MassCEC is excited to see the Newburyport region help clean energy entrepreneurs develop their business models and move their technologies to market,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney. “I thank Governor Patrick, Representative Costello, Senator Baddour and the Newburyport Clean Tech Center for their support and leadership in helping to bring clean tech jobs to the area, and I look forward to seeing the innovative clean energy companies that will come out of the Clean Tech Center.”
The Clean Tech Center will use the money to secure a lease in Newburyport’s Lord Timothy Dexter Industrial Park at Arwood Machine Corporation and pay for other startup costs, according to the center’s President, Bob O’Brien.
“We’re at a critical juncture with the Clean Tech Center. Like any business, we have certain costs that we need to overcome. This grant brings a needed infusion of money that will allow us to move forward and succeed,” O’Brien said. “We appreciate the work Mike Costello to find where some funding was available. It was absolutely huge.”
“Timing is very important in the development of anything and the timing of this grant could not have been more perfect,” added Art Currier, chairperson of the board of the Clean Tech Center. “We already have a lot of the infrastructure in place. This will allow us to get into the space and offer our services in a much more aggressive manner.”
The ten-year goal of the Newburyport Clean Tech Center is to launch between ten and 15 new firms in the green products and services industry, and to generate between 200 and 400 new jobs.
“This funding will help Newburyport create an innovative Clean Technology Incubator Center that will provide resources for start up businesses to develop solutions to the multitude of economic and environmental issues facing us today”, said Senator Baddour (D-Methuen). “Throughout the region, Clean Technology companies have become extremely popular and are a driving force for our economic recovery on a state and national level. Newburyport has the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of this movement, serving as a foundation for sustainability in all aspects of living, working and growing in our area.”
“I’m grateful to Senator Baddour and Representative Costello for their work on the Clean Tech Center and recognizing the importance of this new imitative has for all businesses,” said Newburyport Mayor Donna D. Holaday. “The seed money will allow the Clean Tech Center to reach out and recruit new businesses and to become an incubator of new businesses.”
The Clean Tech Center will incorporate a leadership focus to help companies establish a solid foundation and strategic orientation to their marketplace. This goal will be achieved partly through a comprehensive and rigorous review of a firm’s opportunity by the center's professional advisors. Collaboration with city, state, and federal governments as well as private resources for funding and other catalyst opportunities are will be pursued.
More information on Newburyport’s Clean Tech Center can be found at its website: http://www.ecocollaborative.org/clean-tech-center.
About MassCEC:
Created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, MassCEC’s mission is to foster growth of the Massachusetts clean energy industry through funding to companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations; job training programs; and workforce development grants. MassCEC is also home to the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which supports the installation of renewable energy technologies with funds provided by small renewable energy charges on electric bills. More information is available at www.MassCEC.com