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Explores Opportunities in Wind, Solar, Biomass and Geothermal Energy

ST. LOUIS — Key stakeholders in the development of jobs in St. Louis met Monday, Jan. 11, 2010 with new Missouri Economic Development Director David Kerr to discuss business-building strategies, including opportunities in the wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy industries. The breakfast was sponsored by the Electrical Connection and held at the Economic Development Center (EDC) of St. Charles County.

Among those attending were St Charles Community College President John M. McGuire, Ph.D.; Missouri State Representative, 90th District, Sam Komo of House Springs, Mo., who also serves on the Missouri Governor’s 2020 Jobs Task Force; and representatives from Ameren, Cassidy Turley, the EDC and two local renewable energy companies — Earthwise Energy and Excengin.

While the session examined economic development in all business sectors, a key focus was renewable energy. “Since our founding in St. Louis in 1891 as the nation’s first electrician’s union, our workforce has adapted and grown with the changing needs of energy installations,” said Stephen P. Schoemehl, business manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1, which partners with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) — St. Louis Chapter to form the Electrical Connection. “So it makes sense for the Electrical Connection to take the lead in cultivating a renewable energy industry that our highly skilled workforce will build and maintain.”

Co-hosting the meeting with Schoemehl were Douglas R. Martin, executive vice president of the St. Louis Chapter, NECA, and Jim Curran, executive vice president of the Electrical Connection. Curran is also District 5 Director for the Missouri Economic Development Council, a statewide, nonprofit association of economic development professionals and community leaders dedicated to enhancing economic growth through program initiatives and collaboration.

Later in the day, Curran attended a conference of 52 economic development leaders from eastern Missouri to explore ideas for job retention, expansion and attraction in a discussion led by Kerr.

Members of the Electrical Connection provide safe and reliable electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services across eastern Missouri.

(From L), Stephen P. Schoemehl, business manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1, and Michael S. Kearney, C.Ec.D., economic development manager, Ameren, at the Jan. 11, 2010 breakfast hosted by the Electrical Connection exploring strategies to cultivate a renewable energy industry in St. Louis.

The Electrical Connection is working to cultivate more jobs in renewable energy like this installation last fall by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1 of the largest solar array in Missouri at the Emerson Data Center in Ferguson, Mo.