FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 15, 2008
Contacts: Ali Sahabi, Founding Chairman, 951-808-0100
Daniel Cozad, Program Director, 909-747-5240
Deniene Husted, Media Coordinator, 714-423-9753
GREEN VALLEY INITIATIVE POSITIONS REGION FOR FEDERAL FUNDS
A GVI report qualifies the Inland Empire for U.S. Dept. of Commerce funding for green tech.
CORONA, Calif. – The Green Valley Initiative has helped open the door to federal funding for clean- and green-technology projects taking root in the Inland Empire.
A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) commissioned by the Green Valley Initiative and its parent organization, the Green Institute for Village Empowerment, (GIVE), was accepted Oct. 8 by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and has qualified the region for federal funding related to the initiative. A CEDS is required to qualify for EDA assistance under its public works, economic adjustment, and most planning programs, and is a prerequisite for designation by EDA as an economic development district.
GVI’s CEDS, “A Framework for Green Technology Business and Job Creation in the Inland Empire,” outlines the strengths, challenges and opportunities for promoting green-technology in the region, and identifies steps to be taken to help attain the goal of the Green Valley Initiative, a regional economic development plan focused on establishing the Inland Empire as a major hub for green industry – a move that will create jobs and elevate the quality of life for the region.
The Seattle Regional Office of the Economic Development Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, “approves your CEDS document and supports the Green Institute for Village Empowerment in your economic development efforts,” wrote Bill O’Neil, community planner for the U.S. EDA, in a letter of approval. “We hope the CEDS will assist your communities in their economic development activities as well as provide much needed help in seeking other public and private funding opportunities.”
The report, prepared for the Green Valley Initiative by the USC Center for Economic Development, identifies potential economic clusters within the region, with a focus on solar and renewable power, trade and logistics, construction and other industries.
To view a copy of the report, visit www.greenvalleynow.org
The Green Valley Initiative has begun pursuing many of the recommendations in the report, with a plan to launch a regional entity in January 2009 to implement the plan.
“This report has qualified the Inland Empire for funding from the EDA for projects related to our cause,” said GVI Chairman Ali Sahabi. “This is a huge windfall that will help establish new facilities, programs and enterprises and create quality jobs in our region.”
The Inland Empire has already attracted numerous large investments in applied green technology, such as the Kramer Junction Solar Electric Generating System, the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, and more, the report stated. Area colleges have responded as well by integrating green-technology curriculum into their standards.
Among the recommendations cited in the report are to help establish Green Technology Innovation Zones that will provide tax incentives to green energy companies. Sites proposed for this purpose included the March, Norton and George Air Force bases in the region.
California is widely regarded as a leader in green-tech, defined as any technology with environmental sensitivity that either restores, protects or reduces human impact on the planet. Examples of these industries include: alternative fuels, waste-to-energy power, green building materials, waste disposal and recycling, water purification and environmental components distribution.
The Green Valley Initiative is an unprecedented regional economic development plan to promote green technologies, renewable energy, alternative transportation and sustainable lifestyles to the Inland Empire. Launched in 2007 as a project of the Green Institute for Village Empowerment, (GIVE), the Green Valley Initiative began with 100 stakeholders from the region, and now boasts the involvement of more than 500 people representing government, education, business, transportation, utilities, environmental groups and the community-at-large. More than 20 cities and agencies have formally supported the effort.
GIVE is a nonprofit organization established in 2006 to promote balance in the way people live, how their choices impact the environment and others in their community. GIVE hosts events and initiatives, and sponsors college campus chapters to educate the public on issues related to sustainability, a term used to describe this social, economic and environmental balance. For more information visit www.giveforthefuture.org
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