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Inland region gets go-ahead to pursue funding for green-based industries, jobs
By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
The Press-Enterprise
October 22, 2008
The Inland region has gotten the green light from the U.S. Department of Commerce to seek funding for projects that vow to bring green industries and jobs.
A comprehensive economic development strategy from the Green Valley Initiative, the Corona-based private-public group launched in June 2007 to foster the growth of green jobs in the two-county region, was approved this month by the federal agency and will last until Oct. 31, 2009, when it will need to be renewed.
The group's strategy, developed by the USC Center for Economic Development, suggests 18 programs in the group's "blueprint" to making the region a green business hub to combat job loss and low wages.
The Inland region is among a crowd of areas hoping to be a green version of Silicon Valley.
"Urban and suburban and rural areas are jumping on the green," said Eduardo Martinez, regional economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
Martinez said the Inland region holds an advantage in at least two ways: abundant land not found in Northern California, Los Angeles or Orange County and relatively young universities more likely to collaborate than compete to develop green technology.
But the question remains whether green ventures will be forever dependent on grants or will be able to survive on their own, Martinez said.
Ali Sahabi, the Green Valley Initiative's chairman and developer of the Dos Lagos master-planned community in Corona, said public and private funding at the onset is necessary.
"We are in the early stages of the development of our clean and green technology clusters. Just like any other industry. Most of the successful enterprises are public and private initiatives," he said, citing the current financial crisis that paralyzed private lending as a reason funding from entities like the Department of Commerce are even more vital.
His group recently received a $100,000 grant from Southern California Edison. Earlier, Bank of America gave the group $50,000, and both county economic development agencies have pledged $25,000, Sahabi said.
Areas that can receive federal Economic Development Agency funding must prove their unemployment rate is at least 1 percent higher than the national average or have low per capita income. Ontario, Chino and Redlands fall into the former category and Apple Valley, Rialto, Fontana and Indio satisfy the latter, according to the report.
Victorville, Hesperia, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley and Hemet qualify for both.
It's unclear whether the cities mentioned are the only areas eligible for Economic Development Agency funding or whether a green project elsewhere in the Inland region could still apply.
The group plans to hold a meeting with Inland cities in November to discuss the process for getting funding for EDA qualified projects.
Sahabi said the group is in talks with the U.S. Department of Commerce to determine whether newer, higher unemployment rates in the Inland region can be taken into account and thus funding could be available for projects in the entire two-county region, Sahabi said.
