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Wilmington goes 'green' to grow jobs

The city wants to attract companies in energy conservation or alternative energy.

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By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 1:29 AM Thursday, July 16, 2009

The city of Wilmington is prepared to designate itself as a “green enterprise zone” in hopes of encouraging job creation by attracting companies in energy conservation or alternative-energy fields.

The designation also would establish a program in which Wilmington would provide matching grants to help retrofit existing businesses to encourage energy efficiency and use of energy from sustainable sources, which can include solar, wind, grains and grasses.

The Wilmington City Council is to give a third and final reading on Thursday night, July 16, to an ordinance that would declare the city a “green enterprise zone” and establish a Green Enterprise Zone Development Council. The ordinance would take effect 30 days after passage on final reading.

The ordinance defines “green projects” as those that reduce dependency on fossil fuels or the carbon-containing emissions of a building.

The seven-member council and city officials would advise the City Council on annual funding for the enterprise zone program.

“We hope that it’s a big step in the right direction,” community activist Mark Rembert said Wednesday.

Rembert and fellow activist Taylor Stuckert formed an organization called Energize Clinton County in 2008 to try and help Wilmington overcome the loss of thousands of jobs that express shipper DHL wiped out in its U.S. freight hub operation at Wilmington in a cost-cutting reorganization.

Energize Clinton County, city officials, Clinton County Regional Planning Commission and Pure Blue Energy, a Charlotte, N.C., company that promotes green energy products and services worked together to develop the green enterprise zone.

“We don’t want to leave any stone unturned,” Wilmington Mayor David Raizk said of the efforts to attract new jobs to the Clinton County city of about 12,000 people.

The city-administered enterprise zone would complement an existing one approved by the Ohio Department of Development, through which companies can obtain tax incentives and grants for creating new jobs.

For more information

Energize Clinton County, at (937) 728-0048 or online at www.energizecc.com.

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Some act like they really know about cleantech and the energy industry. But other than fact-free negative opinions they offer nothing of substance. For thousands of years man could only stare (often in complete ignorance) at the moon - and within a decade of deciding we would land on, and safely return from, the moon we did it; a tremendous feat of technological innovation and collective national effort. Energy independence is just as achievable, and will take similar resolve and effort.

George
6:01 PM, 7/16/2009

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I agree with the comments posted here. Politicans think that the green industry will somehow in someway solve our job problem. Unfortunately they are just living in a cloud. Green energy can only, at best, supplement coal and oil, it cannot replace it. Well, unless you want outrageous electric bills and brownouts/blackouts.

We need to make real consumer goods in this country. Think of how many jobs we would have if we made our own shoes, shirts, electronics, furniture,ect.

Anonymous
11:50 PM, 7/15/2009

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(Quoting from story)
Don't get your hopes up, there Mark Rembert. The whole green movement is a scam when it comes to effective ways to replace fossil fuels. The nation has been greenwashed to the point where they actually think these wind, solar, biofuels are going to make a dent in our oil and coal usage. I wish it were true too, but that doesn't make it a reality. I choose not to live in a make believe world, but sadly many do, and it will continue to ruin the economy.

greenscams
10:11 PM, 7/15/2009

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I wish these folks well..... But this green industry is a joke, boon doggle, shell game, whatever you want to call it. Green industry is going to Denver, Salt Lake, San Jose, Portland. Ohio is a great place to build, but heavy industry! Take the jobs, but cap and trade is a killer to what is done best in OH.

paul
9:55 PM, 7/15/2009

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sorry for the typo 30 thousand gm/delco jobs lost in dayton since the early 90's,,,show me one,,one profession in this region that can provide say 15000 jobs that pay more than 30k a year,, the average gm/delco worker made 50-60k a year.. we have to protect and get back our manufacturing. Im a realist. america can make anything. but we all have to work together,,government,business,consumers. This countrys dying and if we dont stop it..were going to have the poor and the not poor,no middle class

jason
7:58 PM, 7/15/2009

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