Green could equal green for Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - The Lake Tahoe Basin could position itself to be at the forefront of the emerging green building and environmental innovation sectors, economists believe.

Environmental innovation is among three emerging economic sectors capable of igniting Tahoe's economy, according to Applied Development Economics, a Sacramento-based economic development firm in charge of spearheading the Lake Tahoe Basin Prosperity Plan. The two others include health and wellness and geotourism.

After presenting the draft prosperity plan in mid-July, ADE continues to collect input from residents, business owners and government representatives in preparation for a presentation to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in September. The presentation was originally scheduled for the TRPA meeting in August, but it has been pushed back a month.

Implementation of the final action plan will follow in October.

Green building and environmental innovation incorporates many facets of sustainability-oriented business, said Trish Kelly of ADE.

Retrofitting existing homes, offices, hotels and government buildings will create jobs and help many out-of-work contractors and tradespeople.

"There is an endless amount of work in retrofitting old buildings," said Eli Meyer of the Sierra Green Building Association. "Primarily, the sector will provide jobs to laborers, who have struggled to find work since the new home market has atrophied."

Energy auditors, landscapers, companies that transform recyclable substances into building materials, and sustainable lighting specialists are encompassed in the sector as well, Kelly said.

"All of these job are place-based," Kelly said. "You can't export trade jobs outside of the basin."

Related businesses like consulting or training firms could appear around the green redevelopment sector, Kelly said.

With its population of researchers and scientists, the Lake Tahoe Basin could become a center for environmental research and development, Kelly said.

"With the scientists working on environmental issues and studying snow, water quality (and) resource management, workers in the basin could create real-world solutions which will be utilized throughout the world."

Smaller local environmental firms, which have been growing steadily over the past decade, also are included in natural resources segment of the environmental innovation cluster, according to Kelly.

There is a high demand for updated accurate scientific data regarding the vast and diverse basin ecology, according to Kelly, which will continue to increase as the basin becomes a center for environmental research.

Another idea proposed by the prosperity plan, is to build a Alpine Research Center capable of housing a full roster of scientists and researchers that could analyze and track the unique Lake Tahoe environment.

"Innovation creates wealth," said Kelly. "It's not necessary to build a lot of physical environment to house these industries. It's ideas that translate into products and services. You don't need a big industrial park - just good ideas."