About Clean Technology

Business Case for Clean Technology

The Seattle region has a rich history of entrepreneurship, is home to companies that create technologies that change the world, and has an unmatched culture of commitment to the environment. These are just some of the reasons the Seattle/King County area is an exceptional location for emerging Clean Technology companies involved in Clean Energy, Green Building, and Environmental Technologies.

King County and its 39 cities are the center of the Puget Sound economy – home to 50% of the region’s population, 60% of its workforce and 70% of its economic output. King County plays a critical role in the future economic well-being of both the region and the State of Washington because it is both the business and population center of the Pacific Northwest.

The Seattle/King County area and the State of Washington have strategic advantages in the Clean Technology Industry sector, such as:

• There are 3,200 jobs and 390 companies currently involved in Clean Technology in Washington.

• Clean Technology firms grew by 24%, compared to 9% nationally (1997-2001 data for Puget Sound Region)

• In 2005, two important Legislative bills were passed – incentives for manufacturing solar energy systems and supporting renewable energy

• Seattle was ranked second in a 2005 Washington State University study of 28 cities across the U.S. that embrace sustainability

• There is a 64% greater concentration of CleanTech jobs in Washington State than the U.S. average

• Clean Technology Industry in the Puget Sound Region is a $330 million industry with a 4.6% compounded annual growth rate.