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Jobs play role in ‘sustainable’ future for city

ReThinking • Special section asks what’s next for work force

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Mar 4, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (30 Reader comments)

KATIE HARTLEY / TRIBUNE PHOTO

Jeff Jones, vice president of manufacturing at Solaicx, stands next to a crop saw at the company’s North Portland facility. Tax breaks and infrastructure improvements helped lure the California-based startup company to build a solar power-related manufacturing plant here.

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“I am totally behind this request, and I’m not used to saying that about the PDC,” said Commissioner Randy Leonard, who frequently has accused the agency of lavishing too much money on private developers.

Such is the political appeal of virtually anything to do with sustainability these days. Faced with almost daily reports and news stories about the dangers of climate change, governments at all levels are rushing to support alternative energy sources and technologies.

The appeal is even greater when you add the promise of new, high-paying jobs, which is something else the PDC hopes to attract with the $500,000.

“We don’t have any exact predictions, but our goal is to attract lots of jobs,” said Erin Flynn, director of the PDC’s economic development department, which is requesting the money as part of its larger, approximately $5 million economic development budget.

The PDC has proved that city support can attract new sustainable businesses. Using a mix of tax breaks and infrastructure improvements, the agency helped persuade Solaicx, a California-based startup company, to build a solar power-related manufacturing plant in North Portland last year. Eventually, it will employ about 180 workers.

“Solaicx is a good example of the kinds of sustainable businesses we can attract here,” Flynn said.

Not everyone, however, is sold on the rosy picture of sustainable businesses that’s being presented. Union President Jerry Moss supports the goal of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

As president of Local 290 of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union, Moss represents workers who are installing energy-saving technologies in new and renovated buildings.

Moss is concerned that at least some of those seeking public money will be short-lived businesses that flourish briefly in a market niche, and then go out of business when economic conditions change.

“What good does it do to create a bunch of jobs that won’t be around in four or five years?” Moss said. “It would make more sense to spend the money on the public schools to prepare students for jobs that will be around for a long time.”

Sustainable looks stable

Although no government agency is tracking the overall growth of sustainable businesses, industry publications say it is huge.

A report released last year by the American Solar Energy Society estimated that renewable energy and energy-efficiency industries now generate around 8.5 million jobs and nearly $1 trillion in revenue.

The report, “Economic Drivers for the 21st Century,” estimated that the impact could grow to 40 million U.S. jobs and $4.5 trillion by 2030.

Jeff Jones, vice president of manufacturing at the North Portland Solaicx plant, agreed. He predicted that the plant would grow from its current 44 employees to about 180 by 2009.

“The growth in this field is at 30 to 40 percent a year, and that could go on for 30 years or more,” said Jones, whose company produces monocrystalline silicon ingots used in solar panels.

Such predictions help explain why governments across the country are trying to get in on the action. From New York to California, elected officials and the agencies they oversee are eager to land some of the jobs and revenue for their communities.

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