It's official: Pittsburgh IS a national hub for energy.
Six Pittsburgh energy companies announced the founding of the United States Center for Energy Leadership (USCEL) to be based in Pittsburgh:
Plextronics,
Westinghouse,
Allegheny Energy,
EQT,
CONSOL Energy and
BPL Global.
The mission of the group is to re-establish the U.S. as a leader in energy technology development, which bodes well for southwestern PA and its plethora of high profile energy and research companies, says Andy Hannah, president and CEO of Plextronics who was instrumental in the formation of USCEL along with Aris Candris of Westinghouse.
The group will work to promote a stable environment for energy in the U.S. through energy independence, stable pricing and a portfolio approach. USCEL will also address energy issues as they pertain to government policy, investment and technology.
"We started reaching out to the now-founding members earlier this year with the idea to start an organization like USCEL, and the response we got was just tremendous," says Hannah. "Everyone quickly realized that Pittsburgh was in a unique position to be the home for USCEL because of our abundance of natural resources, global business leaders, a history of technological innovation, and a university system that generates both technology and a talented workforce."
Just last week, Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Allegheny Conference, and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl were quoted during the G-20 Summit saying that Pittsburgh is already the nation's energy capital.
"Working across energy sectors, Pittsburgh is making the extraction and use of traditional energy sources cleaner and more efficient," Yablonsky says. "We're innovating smart grid technologies, pioneering intelligent building systems, and finding reliable and cost-effective alternative energy solutions. By working together we will provide sustainable energy solutions."
Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Andy Hannah, Plextronics