Economic Snapshot
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PSU's Impact program 'Elevates' awards finalists
Portland State University has announced finalists for three awards it'll bestow during next month's Elevating Impact Summit. Hundreds of attendees are expected to hit The Elevating Impact Summit to explore…
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SPRNG reigns: The 10 things I learned at UO's conference
Dave Frohnmayer, the former University of Oregon president who’s assumed a statesman-like role as he champions all walks of the state’s life and businesses, is always up for offering some useful advice…
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‘Polite’ coal discussion a refreshing change
There was no shouting. No harsh disagreement. No nasty verbal swipes. Information, not emotion, ruled the day at Lewis and Clark’s coal export symposium. I moderated a discussion yesterday organized…
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The region's top environmental consulting firms step up to the plate
Editor's note: Each week, the Portland Business Journal compiles lists ranking local businesses by industry or topic. This post is just a teaser – subscribers can view complete lists in the latest issue,…
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Look who's hiring: Portland environmental consulting firms adding workers in droves
If recent jobs posting data means anything, projects for environmental consulting firms must be sprouting all over town. Twenty-one of the top 25 environmental consulting firms in the Portland Business…
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Westly Group raises $160M cleantech fund
The venture fund led by former California Controller Steve Westly said on Tuesday that it has completed raising money for a $160 million cleantech fund. The Menlo Park VC firm fell short of the $175 million…
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Alta gets OK to start bike share in Portland
Alta Bicycle Share Inc. will begin raising funds to establish a bike share program with 750 bikes in the city. The Portland City Council approved a contract with Portland-based Alta Wednesday morning. “Alta…
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ReVolt Technology officially files bankruptcy
The parent company of a taxpayer-backer battery technology company has filed bankruptcy in a Norwegian court. Portland-based ReVolt Technology, whose parent company is in Norway, said last month it would…
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New Seasons announces another store in Northeast Portland
Capstone Partners LLC plans to break ground on a $60 million New Seasons Market-anchored project in the Hollywood District in early 2013. The Portland-based developer reached a deal with the local grocery…
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Five things the SEC should do to make crowdfunding work
Crowdfunding won’t work for small businesses unless the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission limits the burdens imposed on companies that use this new method of raising capital. That’s what crowdfunding…
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Willamette Superfund cleanup could put $2B up for grabs
When the federal government and Willamette riverfront businesses finally get around to cleaning the Portland Harbor Superfund site, the project will take hundreds of millions, if not close to $2 billion,…
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Sustainable agriculture heats up
Oregon has long been on the forefront of the local food movement but what started as a trend on Portland menus has grown into a global economic shift that has the attention of creative entrepreneurs and…
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OSU wins $90K EPA sustainability award
Oregon State University has been awarded a $90,000 grant as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's People, Prosperity and the Planet competition. More than 300 college teams submitted projects…
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Ecotrust helps launch Community Fisheries Network
Ecotrust announced Wednesday that it helped to launch a new national organization that will promote regional fisheries by helping connect consumers with "community-caught" fish. The Community Fisheries…
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Southeastern U.S. convenes on wind development
The inaugural Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference kicks off Thursday at the Charlotte Convention Center with about 300 attendees expected. State governments and industry groups will seek ways to collaborate…
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FoodHub makes second trip to White House
The Ecostrust's FoodHub program had its second cameo at the White House Monday when Amanda Oborne, acting director, participated with some 60 other industry leaders in a conversation about the importance…
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City, PDC team for $1M cleantech grant disbursement
The Portland City Council is expected to give a stamp of approval this week to an intergovernmental agreement with the Portland Development Commission to administer a $1 million grant from the U.S. Economic…
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Arizona's renewable energy industry worth $2B
Solar industry job figures have always been tough to find, but a new study released Tuesday by Elliott D. Pollack and Co. pegs the state’s nascent industry as providing about $2 billion to the economy…
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PSU Social Innovation Incubator adds to its roster
Portland State University's two-year-old Social Innovation Incubator announced Friday its new class of incoming startups, adding six members. The incubator, which specializes in working with socially…
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Portland cleantech initiatives morph
Two economic development initiatives tied to clean technology went quiet in 2011. They're both still alive and kicking, but they've evovled somewhat. Here's the update. Portland's relationship with Sir…
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Stop defending failure in the Columbia Basin
Northwest RiverPartners’ members should be disappointed to read the executive director’s recent guest opinion in this publication (“Federal salmon plan stands strong,” by Terry Flores). Flores…
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Report: Biomass tax credit created $12M in economic activity
An Oregon Department of Energy-run biomass tax credit program that started in 2010 created some $12 million of economic activity in Oregon in its first year, according to an analysis from University of…
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Iberdrola's N.C. wind project a no-go
Iberdrola Renewables has decided not to start construction on a proposed $600 million North Carolina wind project this year. The company says it has been unable to negotiate a power-purchase agreement…
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Startup Fork in the Road aims at 'food deserts'
What started out as a MBA class project has grown into a socially motivated startup bent on solving the problems of so-called food deserts in under-served urban neighborhoods. This month, Fork in the…
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Your consumption: Conspicuous or collaborative?
I'm a consumer. Every holiday season, I'm firmly reminded of this fact when tasked with giving gifts, eating large meals and traveling across the country. Consumer culture is alive and well, and in many…
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