Next in our Sponsor Spotlight series, which highlights the ten companies that have supported NEWIEE’s growth over the past decade, is the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). A quasi-public/private agency, MassCEC was created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008 and is dedicated to growing the state’s clean energy economy while helping to meet the Commonwealth’s clean energy, climate and economic development goals. Since its humble beginnings in 2009, MassCEC has helped lead the way toward a “clean energy revolution,” notes Tamika Jacques, with women at the core of this initiative.

Jacques and her colleagues sat down with NEWIEE to discuss MassCEC’s work in the clean energy market, the future of energy, and the important role of women in the energy and environmental fields.

Do you think traditional fuels still have a future in the energy market?

“We need to make dramatic reductions in our fossil fuel use over a relatively short timeframe to meet Massachusetts’ greenhouse gas goals.” said Meg Howard, Program Manager for Clean Heating and Cooling. However, she and her peers agree that the overarching goal for the future of energy is to obtain an energy economy that runs largely on clean and renewable sources of energy. In the short term, “natural gas will still play a role as a bridge fuel, but the bridge must be narrow and short,” says Galen Nelson, Senior Director of Innovation and Industry Support at MassCEC.

Nelson added, “we’re seeing greater adoption rates for clean energy technology, and new and exciting clean energy innovations from Massachusetts entrepreneurs, but we need to move faster.”

What do you envision for the future of MassCEC?

“Even though the Commonwealth of Massachusetts only contributes 1% of the CO2 emissions in the country, the clean energy economy is a new growth industry for the Commonwealth,” said Craig Gilvarg, Media Relations Manager at MassCEC. “It is where we can leverage the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change to develop new technologies, create jobs and grow the clean energy sector, which is an important part of the state’s innovation economy.”

What could cause this “Revolution Roadblock”?

Jennifer Daloisio, Chief Financial Officer, notes that the main concern that keeps key stakeholders up at night is the fact that “climate change is happening faster than anyone predicted. With superstorms and limited storage, there is a rapid need for change to address the growing needs to reduce greenhouse gases.” She continues, explaining that, “anything that is contributing to greenhouse gases should be addressed. The recent efforts by the Commonwealth with offshore wind and hydro are moving the energy sector into the right direction.” But is it enough? And is it happening fast enough?

Are we prepared for the New Energy Economy?

“Like with all new economies, skilled workers to meet the needs of this new industry are lacking,” said Tamika Jacques, Director of Workforce Development at MassCEC. “Even though MassCEC has supported internships for over 3,000 students, many clean energy employers report a lack of qualified candidates. The future is bright for young professionals, but there is a lack of awareness that the clean energy economy needs all types of qualified employees, and not all of the jobs are STEM jobs.  There is a need for marketers, accountants, lawyers, and non-technical workers.”

And the space for women in this new energy economy is vast and bright. Elizabeth Cleveland, Director of Strategic Initiatives, recognizes that, “MassCEC is a leader in this growth for women, with 63% of the MassCEC workforce being women.”

And of that 63%, many hold leadership roles, such as Sarah Colao Wallach, Chief Operating Officer of MassCEC.

What are the forces at work at MassCEC that help to creative a positive balance for men and women working together?

All of the respondents agreed that the key ingredient to a positive working environment for men and women is collaboration.  There really is a team approach at MassCEC. The team is helpful to one another in working towards common goals, and understands the importance of providing praise and credit where it is due.

What value does MassCEC see in organizations like NEWIEE?

MassCEC envisions NEWIEE as an integral part of expanding the organization’s external relationships because NEWIEE is a very welcoming organization. The major benefit of NEWIEE is the opportunity to connect with other women in ways that they normally would not have a reason to connect.

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