As I’ve written before, many people overlook the Northwest as the home of a growing number of clean-energy- and climate-related concerns, ranging from startups to multinational corporations to nonprofits [see “Current Innovation: Stocking carbon,” nwcurrent, May 2007].

In fact, if business, community and government officials take the right steps, the region could be among an elite group of dynamic, global clean energy clusters well into the 21st Century.

Portland, for example, is already home to the U.S. headquarters of wind turbine giant Vestas and wind development leader PPM. It has more green buildings per capita than any other city in the U.S. and is becoming a center for biofuels and solar photovoltaic production. Solaicx, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based manufacturer of silicon wafers used to make photovoltaic panels recently announced that it plans to open a 136,000 square-foot, high-volume manufacturing facility in Portland [see “Solaicx eyes Portland," nwcurrent, July 2007]. And earlier in the year, Germany’s Solar World announced plans to locate a 500 MW solar cell and module manufacturing facility in Hillsboro [see "SolarWorld lands in Oregon," nwcurrent, May 2007].

Seattle is home to Imperium Renewables, the best-funded venture-backed biodiesel company in America, and was the first city in the U.S. to adopt the Kyoto protocol standard. Vancouver, B.C., is considered by many to be a leading center for fuel cell and hydrogen investment and development.

With so much activity happening in the Northwest, along with equally heated activity in such diverse locales as Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt, you might ask whether the clean-energy revolution will be a distributed one. The answer would be a resounding YES! Unlike the computer revolution, which for decades emanated primarily from one epicenter (Silicon Valley), clean technology is sprouting up on a thousand rooftops.

To compete in this global marketplace, the Northwest must capitalize on a number of distinct competitive advantages. The region, for example, has some of the best wind and wave resources in the nation, has a history of embracing sustainability and innovative clean energy policies, is rich in capital and talent from the region’s high-tech corridors out of Redmond and Silicon Forest and is perfectly positioned to serve two of the largest economies in the world: China and California.

But how does the Northwest ensure its current status and position itself as a clear leader moving forward?

Below, culled from research conducted by my firm, Clean Edge, and from findings outlined in my new book, “The Clean Tech Revolution,” are a number of steps a city or region can take to capture its piece of the clean energy prize:

Assess your clean energy assets. What industries have you already nurtured, in solar, green buildings, fuel cells and other areas, that fall under the clean-energy umbrella? What natural resources are in proximity  — such as wind, tides and river currents or farmland for biofuel feedstocks — that the city or region can leverage to attract companies with the technologies to exploit them?

Identify leaders. The region’s mayors and prominent city council members are critical to lead a clean energy effort. But cities should also look for business innovators that understand green development and local environmental leaders who are realistic about business needs.

Create a magnet clean energy institution. EcoTrust’s Natural Capital Center in Portland, Ore.; the Saratoga Technology and Energy Park (STEP) outside Albany, New York; the Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad, India - these are all hubs for public and private sector clean energy and green businesses and related activities. Such magnets come in many varieties; they can be business incubators for early-stage companies, workforce development and training centers or showcases for renewable energy products.

Create a high-profile project. A project of major importance and magnitude helps galvanize industry, the public sector and the overall community by providing a visible, central focus. Think solar panels on a major public building, a hydrogen or biodiesel fueling station in a prominent location, or (for coastal cities) a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient water desalination plant.

Involve local utilities. A city's or region’s electric power providers are a huge factor in encouraging or blocking clean energy developments. We believe cities with municipally owned utilities, such as Seattle, have a huge advantage here. Public utilities tend to be much more aligned with city government policy goals and can both test and purchase local companies’ clean energy technologies. Private sector, investor-owned utilities have a far more mixed record on cooperation in local and regional cleantech efforts. But if they’re brought in early on planning and strategy efforts, they’re less likely to resist cleantech development efforts as competitive.

Form a clean energy advisory council. Pull together key players from business, government, the financial community, educational institutions, research labs and relevant nonprofits to advise policymakers and business leaders on the best steps to take to attract and retain cleantech industry.

Of course, the above recommendations represent just a handful of strategies a city or region can deploy to harness human capital and build a clean energy base. Each city’s or region’s mileage may vary, but we believe the preceding recommendations could go a long way in helping the Northwest, and cities in the region, to maintain and establish leadership in the clean energy sector.

It will take a concerted, coordinated, “all-hands-on-deck” effort. But I think the Northwest will find it well worth it. We’re talking about nothing less than the future industries, jobs and security of a region and the environmental well-being of all its inhabitants.

Ron Pernick is co-founder and principal of cleantech research and publishing firm Clean Edge Inc. and co-author of “The Clean Tech Revolution.” Ron also teaches a course on cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship at Portland State University.