May 19 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Ryan Lillis The Sacramento Bee, Calif.



Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has jumped into the region's effort to green its economy.

During an elaborate ceremony Tuesday at the California Museum, the mayor announced that he was launching a "green initiative" focused on making the city and region a national hub for green tech jobs and research.

Johnson's plan calls for a regional green authority to coordinate efforts already under way to attract green firms to the region. The initiative also calls for public outreach efforts to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles.

According to the mayor, the region has received $225 million in federal stimulus money for energy efficiency programs, and it already has 100 clean-tech companies contributing $750 million in revenue to the local economy.

 The green job sector has grown by 87 percent in the region since 1995, according to a recent report by Next 10, a San Francisco nonprofit group that supports green technology.

And with unemployment in the area hovering around 13 percent, Johnson has entered the ongoing push to make Sacramento less reliant on government and real estate employment and more of a hot spot for green jobs.

"I'm lucky enough to be coming along at this point to just join your team and hopefully build on what you've done and amplify it and help take it to the next level," the mayor told an estimated 300 people who signed on to be part of the eight-month initiative.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, both spoke to the group. The governor used his time to attack the ballot measure to suspend AB 32, the 2008 law requiring the state to cut carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Oil companies from Texas are backing the measure, which would suspend AB 32 until unemployment dips below 5.5 percent for four straight quarters.

Johnson said one of the goals of his initiative could end up being a push to preserve AB 32.

Johnson said his effort will explore five policy areas: energy; waste and recycling; water and nature; urban design and green building; and green and clean technology.

The mayor said he has not set specific goals for how many new green tech jobs would be added through the plan, waiting instead for the groups charged with exploring each of the policy areas to come up with their action plans. Those policy groups will meet monthly.

Johnson said he would unveil the action plan and the group's findings at his state of the city address next January. He said the initiative would come up with "very clear targets and goals we want to accomplish in the next five, 10 or 15 years."

Green technology has been a major focus of regional business leaders for some time now.

A collective of local utilities, business interests, researchers and city officials called the Green Capital Alliance has been working on building the region's green sector and attracting investment in local projects.

And at Sacramento City Hall, officials are working on attracting companies to a sprawling industrial site south of the California State University, Sacramento, campus by making the area "shovel ready" for those firms.

The city is also looking at designating a zone in the area where foreign-based companies could set up shop with expedited work visas, as long as they also hire local workers.

At the city level, the mayor said providing incentives to green companies and helping those firms get permits are policies worth exploring.

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Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085.

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