1. 46 GREEN ENERGY Greentech Boston
GREENTECH
2. APRIL/MAY 2011 The American Business Journal 47
STATE FOCUS: MASSACHUSETTS
BOSTON 046
3. 48 GREEN ENERGY Greentech Boston
4. APRIL/MAY 2011 The American Business Journal 49
5. 50 GREEN ENERGY Greentech Boston
BOSTON IS CONSISTENTLY voted one of the clean- the New England area provides a great test
est and greenest cities in the U.S. and America environment, highly supportive to the cause
is a global leader of the cleantech industry, so through its green policies.
it comes as little surprise that Boston is at the “By focusing on policy that creates market
forefront of green policy initiatives. This ‘hub of conditions that are favorable to clean energy
innovation’, as the district is commonly referred to companies it gives us a leg up when it comes to
in the press, is intended to combine the resources attracting and retaining companies that have a
available in the region and attract business from cleantech focus.” These include such things as
the booming U.S. cleantech (or greentech) sector.
Galen Nelson is the Greentech Business at the city level, or the stringent green building
Manager with the Boston Redevelopment Au- requirements for both public buildings and the
thority, an economic development agency pro- private sector. There are also requirements that
moting business in different areas of the city. housing must be built with roofs that have the
As the go-to for all things clean, green, and ability to easily incorporate solar power and solar
energy, he is able to provide us with some valu- thermal systems in the future.
able information about the Innovation District.
“We are promoting a couple of behaviors that
are attractive to cleantech companies and one
of them is this idea of a living lab”. The idea
is that cleantech companies often need a test
market for prototypes of new innovations, and
6. APRIL/MAY 2011 The American Business Journal 51
Boston is clearly on to something, as the designers and green building design and engi-
cleantech industry has somehow resisted reces- neering shops, the variety of business continues
sion during a sharp downturn. “I’ve seen jobs to grow. There is also an array of cleantech ven-
created and I’ve seen companies land here. So
I am very positive and very encouraged by what
we have seen over the last couple of years.”
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has frequent-
ly spoken about the cleantech sector being the key
to drive the economy out of recession. Touted as
one of the greenest municipal leaders across the
U.S., many of Boston’s innovative policies are attrib-
uted to the mayor’s true belief in green policy. “We Keep an eye out for a future issue of ABJ
also have leadership in the White House that is very where we highlight some of the major players in
supportive of clean energy,” says Nelson, attribut- the U.S. cleantech industry. AB
ing the support from all levels of government to the
continual stability of cleantech. WWW.GREENTECHBOSTON.ORG
The cleantech (or greentech) sector in Bos-
ton covers a wide range of green business. From
green energy and renewable energy system
component manufacturers, to climate change
adaptation consulting groups, to green product
11. 56 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Jim Hunt
ABJ: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR DUTIES We have a strong university presence, as well as
AS CHIEF OF ENVIRONMENT?
JIM HUNT: My role is to serve as the mayor’s world. Boston is recognized as the hub for these
lead advisor on all environmental issues, sustain- things. We want to catch those innovations that
ability issues, and issues facing the city. I have are being developed at Harvard and MIT and the
direct oversight of several agencies facing the City University of Massachusetts and help support
of Boston from parks planning to building permits. those entrepreneurs and grow their companies
so that we can have a shared innovation. We
ABJ: WHAT IS THE INNOVATION DISTRICT? want to help those companies grow and stay
JH: The city under Mayor Menino’s leadership here in Boston to help economic development
and present opportunities for all Bostonians.
and development on the South Boston water-
front area. This is an area that was previously all ABJ: WHAT INITIATIVES ARE IN PLACE TO BUILD
brown and junkyards that was cleaned up when ON THIS?
the project was being developed in the 1990s. JH: It is not just about companies investing in
In the last year basically a new vision for this this area, it is about the City of Boston support-
area, which continues to grow, is in creating and ing these companies, by supporting innovation
rebranding an Innovation District—an area that and by helping these companies grow and bring
builds on Boston’s innovation and clean energy their products to market. This innovation district
leadership and many of the assets down the is not only home to these companies, but we
south Boston waterfront. The vision of this Inno- want these companies to test out their products
vation District is to build on Boston’s leadership here. Whether it is new rooftop technology or
in the innovation economy.
ABJ: WHY IS BOSTON AN IDEAL PLACE FOR A buildings, the vision is that this is an area for
CLEANTECH COMPANY? shared innovation. Shared innovation for the pri-
JH: We are locating entrepreneurs and start- vate sector, as well as this shared innovation with
up companies with some existing leaders in their the city and hopefully a shared innovation that will
touch all Bostonians by making our community
and the entire biotech and cleantech sector. greener, healthier, and more prosperous as well.
12. APRIL/MAY 2011 The American Business Journal 57
ABJ: WHAT OTHER FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO
know that we have to address broader issues such
BOSTON BEING RATED ONE OF THE GREENEST as climate change.
CITIES IN AMERICA?
JH: ABJ: WHAT ARE THE GOALS FOR THE FUTURE
had a vision of creating a cleaner, healthier Bos- FOR BOSTON IN REGARD TO ITS SUSTAINABILITY
ton. Being recognized as one of the greenest cit- POLICIES?
ies in the U.S. has to do with our policies. Boston JH: This year the city adopted a new goal in
regard to greenhouse gas emissions. We com-
the U.S. LEED building councils standards into mitted to a 25 percent reduction over the next
our zoning. Now you see other cities following 10 years by 2020. So for all of those reasons,
suit. We just adopted a new stretch energy code. Boston continues to be recognized as one of the
In addition to our green building code, that keeps greenest cities in the United States. So what is
Boston on the leading edge of clean develop- important to us, there is obviously a moral com-
mitment to do our part and to address issues
such as climate change, protecting our city for
ABJ: WHAT OTHER POLICIES CONTRIBUTE TO future generations. One of Boston’s hallmarks
BOSTON BEING GREEN? is that we connect our cutting-edge energy poli-
JH: We are one of the inaugural solar cities cies to job creation and economic development.
of America named in 2007 and since that time We are helping Boston grow as a greener and
we’ve seen the installed capacity of solar increase more prosperous place. Green the next frontier
over 500 percent in the last three years. We are of Boston‘s future. AB
pushing this agenda even further because, being
recognized as one of the greenest cities, we all WWW.CITYOFBOSTON.GOV
