Community Sustainability
Beginning in 2004, the Kitsap SEED Project was initiated in direct response to the New Apollo Project and Apollo Alliance. Both efforts are designed to promote the potential benefits of new energy development for the United States. Apollo set forth that investment in a clean and renewable energy market which would create jobs, protect the environment and enhance national security. Much of the economic benefit was verified in an analysis known as the Perryman Report written in affiliation with the University of Texas in 2004.
From a national perspective, the United States has suffered from a decrease in manufacturing and production jobs for many years. New markets should form the foundation of a strong economy as they provide net wages and revenues on both the local and national scales, which in turn fuel the secondary services and retail sectors.
The good news in clean technology is that it holds the strong and vast potential for creating new, better paying and more leading-edge primary jobs in our community. The Perryman Report projects 3.5 million jobs nationally within ten years. We can therefore reap double benefits – clean technology will help us keep energy related costs down, and fuel an active growth economy.
The indications that this is becoming reality are all around us. For the past ten years or more, the economies of Europe and Japan, which invested much sooner than we did in new energy have grown steadily. As of 2007 clean technology had become the 3rd or 4th largest overall – and the fastest growing – investment sector in the United States. From a policy perspective, it is notable that all of the leading candidates for the 2008 presidential election have very strong new energy policies and incentives in their platforms.
The SEED project will take a broader view in providing incentives and amenities to its clean technology tenant business partners. The economic development health of any community has to be measured not just by the increase in economic benefits attained, but also by the costs incurred, or reduced, in attaining them.
Older cost models which measured only immediate expenditures often failed to project rising costs in environmental impacts and clean-up, resource depletion, traffic, time and even health concerns. Through its clean technology focus, the SEED Project will increase benefits and lowers negative impacts at the same time. Advanced water re-use systems, high-efficiency energy systems, use of renewable & local materials - and looking ahead to more efficient transportation and live-work potential - provides in SEED the best of both worlds – a true venture into sustainable growth.
An economic analysis of SEED projects show that in the long run up to 2000 jobs will be available through new businesses and research partnerships at its Kitsap campus. On that basis, using a 15 year build-out scenario, the early public investment will return approximately six times in local revenues, and many more in-state revenues while conducting the business of reducing impacts and degradation.
Currently clean technology is considered one of the fastest growing and leading investment sectors. The sector will remain a critical consideration as the investments have a high potential for financial return. The SEED project will continue as a forward-looking effort, remaining focused on finding and prioritizing opportunities which also ensure a sustainable community.