Colorado Cleantech Industry Association Executive Director Christine Shapard Appointed Council Chair of New Green Jobs Colorado Advisory Council

Christine Shapard, Founding Executive Director of the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) has been appointed Chair of the Green Jobs Colorado Advisory Council (GJCAC) by Donald J. Mares, Executive Director Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE). The announcement is made jointly by Mares and Shapard.

"Colorado's New Energy Economy has set a national precedent in research, innovation and clean-energy job creation. Through legislation and policy, Colorado has been able to create thousands of new jobs across the state," Shapard says. "The Advisory Council will work to build a workforce for Colorado’s New Energy Economy through administering the Green Jobs Colorado Training program and coordinating statewide green job efforts."

Further, Shapard explains, "While we've been able to continue to attract new clean technology companies, we must ensure our workforce development pipeline is training Coloradoans for these jobs. By providing incentives for certified training providers through our new training program, we will make sure Coloradoans can obtain the skills, both specific and transferable, needed to secure jobs in the wind, solar, energy efficiency and other renewable energy industries."

Link to the NewsRelease Wire Posting

Cleantech VC Visionary Ira Ehrenpreis Keynotes Colo Cleantech Awards Oct 19, Denver Marriott City Center

The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) will hold its first "Colorado Cleantech Awards Celebration" Tuesday, October 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Denver Marriott City Center. The announcement is made by Christine Shapard, Executive Director of the CCIA who says, "We're extremely pleased to welcome Ira Ehrenpreis, noted venture capitalist and cleantech industry expert, as our keynote speaker for the inaugural event. In concert with Mr. Ehrenpreis’ presentation, we'll also be showcasing those companies and individuals who have made a significant impact on Colorado's cleantech industry this past year, based on job creation, capital raised and other demonstrated criteria."

Widely regarded as one of the most experienced cleantech investors, Mr. Ehrenpreis will deliver a keynote address covering "The State of the Cleantech Industry." As one of the pioneers in the cleantech sector, he'll share how the sector has evolved over the past decade and review the drivers behind cleantech’s emergence as the fastest growing area of the venture asset class. Mr. Ehrenpreis will also review the challenges the industry faces and those issues notwithstanding, why he believes cleantech will continue to be a good bet in the years and decades to come.

Further, according to Shapard, "The CCIA luncheon is the one event where Colorado's cleantech community will come together to honor the creativity and dedication to our new energy economy put forth by entrepreneurs, educators, corporate innovators, volunteers and policymakers." Awards will be presented in multiple categories. Individuals are encouraged to nominate themselves, companies, colleagues, clients or vendors -- those who have made a major difference in Colorado's cleantech community. Nominations are open until Friday, September 17, 5 p.m. For more information, visit: https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=ccia&formId=84863

Link to the PR Web newswire

Link to the PR Newswire

Link to the Pitch Engine Social Media Release

"Nominations Deadline for the Colorado Cleantech Leadership Awards is September 17th"

"The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) is hosting the inaugural Colorado Cleantech Awards Celebration, October 19 at the Denver Marriott City Center. This celebratory luncheon will honor the companies and entrepreneurs driving Colorado’s thriving cleantech industry. Awards will be presented in multiple categories. CCIA encourages companies to self-nominate or to nominate colleagues or vendors that have made a significant difference in Colorado’s cleantech community.

Link to the nomination form can be found HERE.

Important dates to keep in mind: Nominations will close at 5:00pm on September 17; Finalists will be notified the week of September 27; Award winners will be notified the week of October 4."

Link to Colorado Energy News

September ColoradoBiz: Colorado's "Road map to a cleantech future" & More

"Colorado’s New Energy Economy needs a plan, and the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association is stepping in to help. The CCIA, together with Navigant Consulting and a 25-person steering committee, is developing the Cleantech Roadmap for the state of Colorado.

Christine Shapard, executive director of CCIA, says the road map will be an action plan, not just a report. 'A report sits on a shelf,' she says. 'This will be a living document. It will have specific actions for the state legislature, partnerships that need to be formed, grants that need to be pursued, and timelines and responsible parties.'"

Link to the Colorado Cleantech Roadmap article

Plus there's more on the Colorado Cleantech topic:

"Cleantech trends - It's happening now, and it's happening here

Venture visionary has deep roots in cleantech - Ira Ehrenpreis of Technology Partners will serve as keynote speaker at awards celebration

Powering up the future - Utilities balance new energy development while continuing to focus on reliability

NREL Growth Forum: gathering connects companies with investors

The race for global green - U.S. risks losing its position as the leader in cleantech

The Colorado Cleantech Awards Celebration 2010 is October 19 11-1 at the Denver Marriott City Center. Link for registration details (note: awards nominations close Friday, Sept 17, 5 p.m.)

"Colorado is poised to become a world leader in the cleantech industry" - By CCIA Founding Executive Director Christine Shapard

From the ColoradoBiz Planet-Profit Report Guest Voice Column - now online and in the September ColoradoBiz magazine:

"Consider these impressive stats – Colorado is No. 3 in the U.S. for cleantech venture capital financing; we’re No. 4 in the country for percentage of jobs in the cleantech sector, and the state is home to more than 300 companies producing cleantech products. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, Colorado’s cleantech industry is growing faster than the state’s other industry sectors.

Pretty impressive stats for a less-populated state like Colorado, aren’t they? We think so, and that’s why we started the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA). We aim to create a business climate that not only helps the state maintain its globally recognized clean technology leadership position, but also enables us to jump ahead and lead the world."

Link to the ColoradoBiz Planet-Profit Report column

Deadline Sept 17: Nominations for the 1st Annual Colorado Cleantech Leadership Awards

The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) is pleased to announce the inaugural Colorado Cleantech Awards Celebration, October 19 at the Denver Marriott City Center. This celebratory luncheon will honor the companies and entrepreneurs driving Colorado’s thriving cleantech industry.

Awards will be presented in multiple categories. We encourage companies to self-nominate or to nominate colleagues or vendors that have made a significant difference in Colorado's cleantech community.

Link to the online nomination form

Important dates to keep in mind:

Nominations will close at 5:00pm on September 17

Finalists will be notified the week of September 27

Award winners will be notified the week of October 4

New Study: The Mountain West Can Lead the Way on Energy Innovation

We want to call your attention to a report released yesterday by Brookings Mountain West.

Quoting from the report's conclusion: "The Intermountain West region is poised to help reinvent America’s fossil-fuel dependent energy system and so construct the “next economy” in the Mountain region and nationally.

The nation should move proactively and aggressively to build the proposed Intermountain West network of high-powered energy innovation commercialization centers.

Through such an intervention, the federal government could catalyze a dynamic new partnership of Mountain West businesses, research universities, federal laboratories, entrepreneurs, and state and local government to transform the nation’s carbon-dependent economy. Along the way, the nation could experiment with a dynamic new approach to leveraging for the nation’s benefit a powerful regional innovation complex while helping to empower the Intermountain West to reach its potential for prominence in a 'next economy' that will be opportunity-rich as well as export-oriented, lower-carbon, and innovation fueled."

Link to the study