Clean Tech Sector Shows its Strength

The Clean Technology program has seen a good amount of new activity over the past few months, a probable indication that the sector is coming out of the recession. New companies include: ClimaCover, a manufacturer and supplier of flood and erosion control materials and products, as well as tarps for household use; RainRock, a manufacturer of specialty pots and frames for gardens, pervious paving blocks, and building products, all made from recycled materials; and Northwest Wind Power, designer and manufacturer of residential and small commercial scale windmills with a unique vertical orientation.

A number of firms that the EDC has assisted in the past continue to do well. Hydrovolts, developer of portable turbines for irrigation ditches and other fast-moving streams, recently installed their first turbine in a canal in Yakima where it is exceeding power output expectations. Grid Mobility of Kirkland won a national award from the Clean Tech Open and continues to grow and attract investment. And Blue Star Autogas, a California-based company that promotes propane as a vehicle fuel, recently received a permit from the City of Tukwila and is in the process of constructing a facility there.

Finally, the EDC partnered with the Canadian Consulate in Seattle to take a group of companies to the GLOBE 2012 trade show in Vancouver, BC. The two-day trip allowed us to see the full range of exhibits as well as to hold in-depth meetings with a number of organizations from other parts of the world. Although past shows have featured alternative energy and energy efficiency, this year the emphasis was on water treatment technologies and waste to energy projects. We also identified two Canadian companies interested in opening facilities in Seattle.

Anyone interested in going to GLOBE 2014 should let us know!