NorTech's vision for a thriving advanced energy cluster in northeast Ohio just got a boost.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration awarded NorTech $300,000 to fund a series of "roadmaps" leading to a cohesive regional strategy.
It's hailed as the first competitive federal grant to northeast Ohio for development of an advanced strategy.
Kelly South, NorTech's senior director, communications, says the grant will "help us and the region do a deeper dive in four advanced energy sectors that we think have real promise. These roadmaps are going to help us assess the assets that exist in the region and what (we need) to do to get from point A to point B."
She says NorTech Energy Enterprise, the organization's energy initiative, will lead the effort and focus on energy storage, smart grid development, transportation electrification (think electric cars) and biomass.
It's not the first dollar in the pot for NorTech, a regional nonprofit tech-based economic development organization that serves 21 counties in northeast Ohio. Last fall, the Fund for Our Economic Future, a regional economic development philanthropy, committed $1.7 million over two years to NorTech to lead an advanced-energy initiative.
"So we received a sizeable grant in September to really launch our advanced energy initiative and be a focal point for driving growth in the advanced energy industry," South says.
Efforts include education, advocacy and forming collaborations, she says, in addition to helping form groups like the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., which is focused on commercialization of wind power in Lake Erie. The organization named its first president, Lorry Wagner, last week.
Source: Kelly South, NorTech
Writer: Gene Monteith