Executive Director's Update on Target Initiatives

As I’m sure you have seen or heard by now, Minnesota’s clean energy sector continues to grow and thrive! In fact, according to the recent findings of the 2016 Clean Jobs Midwest Survey, Minnesota is the proud home of over 54,000 clean energy jobs, placing the state #4 among the twelve state Midwest region! In addition, jobs in the sector are projected to grow by 4.4 percent over the next twelve months. As our energy system continues to transform, market momentum is increasingly shifting towards energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment. In 2015, a record $286 billion was invested in renewable energy globally with 68 percent of new power capacity in the U.S. coming from renewable energy – the second straight year that renewable energy projects outpaced fossil fuels. Of course, significant work lies ahead to safeguard, and increase, Minnesota’s competitive position while ensuring the state continues to prosper during this transition to a clean energy economy. To accelerate the advancement of our state’s robust clean energy industry, our team is focused on tackling the issues that matter most to you, our business members and partners. These initiatives include: improving access to capital, unlocking opportunities at the nexus of energy and the Internet of Things (IoT), cultivating a connected network of strategic partners, and providing a business voice to inform forward-thinking public policy to name just a few. We look forward to keeping you up-to-date on our activities as well as those of our members and partners with our newsletter. We also hope to see you in-person at one of our upcoming events. Thank you for your interest and support!