As the Boston Globe reported, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Green Communities Act on July 2, 2008, a bill that will ultimately conserve energy and save consumers money.
One of the greatest things about this bill is that it will have positive short- as well as long-term outcomes for those living and doing business in Massachusetts. However, most importantly, the bill takes the energy conservation movement from the fringes of American society to the mainstream. By actively involving the business community in energy conservation projects (by making it attractive to them from both an economic as well as public relations perspective) Massachusetts makes certain that the bill takes on a living, breathing dimension in addition to its symbolic component.
"Business leaders praised the legislation, saying it could stabilize electric rates in New England, already among the highest in the nation. Utilities, including NStar and National Grid, said they have long focused on energy efficiency but are eager to ramp up the effort, as well as to provide solar power to customers. 'It pushes us to a new level,' said Tom May, NStar's chief executive. 'We get to cross the street to our customer side and help them with energy choices . . . such as windmills in a neighborhood or solar panels. It's helping them reduce their carbon footprint.'"
No, this isn't Greenpeace, but it's a start.
The Green Communities Act also stimulates business and raises awareness about small but mighty players in the (green) business world, such as Powerhouse, one of my favorites. Powerhouse is located in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and offers the PowerPOD--a fully configurable structure that is "[f]lexible enough to be anything from a home office to a dojo." With state of the art offerings such as radiant heat flooring, low-flow showerheads, and highly insulated building materials, the POD definitely packs a punch (and not on the environment, thankfully).
Products like Powerhouse's are only going to become more common as we innovate new ways to conserve energy and find new methods of building that will help people save money. It's times like these-- when things not only are changing but have to change--that I think entrepreneurs can be most successful. With your back against the wall (environmentally), it's always easier to expedite the process of innovation and design.
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