Strong City/Chamber Partnership Lands Chattanooga on World Economic Forum Working Group

The World Economic Forum announced that 36 global cities will pioneer a smart technology policy roadmap as part of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. Only two U.S. cities — San Jose, CA and Chattanooga, TN — were selected to pilot adoption of the roadmap.

“We are honored to be among the 36 global cities, and one of only two U.S. cities, selected to pioneer the G20 Smart Cities Global Alliance’s policy roadmap. We began our smart city work a decade ago when EPB launched its community-wide fiber network and have been working to become a leader in this space ever since. This project is an important next step in our smart city journey as we build upon the groundwork we’ve laid and prepare Chattanooga for a smarter, stronger future,” said Christy Gillenwater, President and CEO, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

A recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan found global smart cities can spur $2.46 trillion in business opportunities by 2025 — that is, if such cities have policies in place to support those opportunities. As global economies buckle under the weight of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this new policy effort serves as a blueprint for unlocking that potential of smart cities to aid recovery efforts.    Chattanooga's "entrepreneurial mindset" has been credited to much of its success in smart city-related efforts partnering with the chamber to accomplish the following: The first U.S. city to offer fiber optic internet to every citizen Deployment of an advanced traffic signal system  Smart-tech programs initiated in collaboration with the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA,) U.S. Department of Energy and Vanderbilt University.  Tech-driven development featuring micro-grid programs, smart building energy mandates and solar field projects To learn more about the smart city initiative check out https://globalsmartcitiesalliance.org

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ACCE Chamber of the Year Knows a Winning Project When It Sees One

Christy Gillenwater, President and CEO of the 2017 Chamber of the Year, is wise to trends -- from the economic to the demographic.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, like those Gillenwater has led before, is also very effective at what chambers do best: driving economic development. The chamber drove more than a half-billion dollars in economic impact from July 2015 to December 2017, according to a recent report.

So it should perhaps come as no surprise that when its member -- the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport -- recently announced that it was positioned to become the first airport in the nation to be 100 percent powered by solar energy, Gillenwater championed the move.

"We applaud the Chattanooga Airport -- and our region -- for continuing to demonstrate such exciting and important leadership in energy innovation," Gillenwater said. The airport's transition to solar energy, which is being funded largely through federal grants, is expected to lower costs and make the airport energy self-sufficient.

Gillenwater has also observed that investment in renewable energy is important for communities that want to attract young talent.

"I think it is important today for chambers to be engaged in clean energy, as the millennial generation is very focused on these issues; and if you want to attract that kind of talent, it's critical to look at clean energy as a core value," she said. "Local chambers are perfectly positioned to lead this."

Read more in the Times Free Press.

Greater Memphis Chamber Seizes “Clean” as an Opportunity for Business Growth, Cost Savings

The Greater Memphis Chamber is no stranger to creating a brighter, cleaner future.

Since 2014, the 2,200-member organization has taken the lead in an initiative known as “Memphis Clean by 2019” in partnership with the non-profit, Clean Memphis, which has a goal of making Memphis the cleanest city in the nation. 

More recently, after Amazon—one of the world’s top renewable energy purchasers—announced that they were accepting proposals for a new $5 billion headquarters, Memphis jumped at the opportunity to apply.

And, increasingly, the Chamber is working to help member businesses save money through energy innovation.

Phil Trenary, President & CEO, Greater Memphis Chamber

“At the Greater Memphis Chamber, we have a commitment to economic growth for all,” said Phil Trenary, President and CEO. “And we recognize that the growing opportunities in clean energy are an important part of that mix for our members.”

One way they have done this, for example, is by working closely with the local utility, Memphis Light, Gas and Water, to promote energy workshops for member companies to learn how they can make their workspaces more energy efficient.

One well-known member company, IKEA, also recently installed the largest solar panel array in state of Tennessee. Companywide, IKEA plans to invest $2.5 billion in renewable energy by 2020, reflecting growing corporate demand for clean energy across the nation.

With the work being done to seize the economic development opportunities in renewables by the Memphis, Bartlett and Chattanooga Chambers, Tennessee could soon be a hub for clean energy development in the South.

Local TN Chamber Guides Members Toward Efficiency Incentives

In 2010, the Bartlett Area Chamber launched an innovative new energy efficiency service for its member companies that helps assess energy use, plan upgrades and implement action plans. In a two-year period, the chamber helped 43 companies implement efficiency projects valued at $5.5 million.

“Over and over again, we realized that most commercial buildings are wasting anywhere from 20 percent to 30 percent of their energy,” said Chamber CEO John Threadgill. “In this economy, our members can’t afford to throw their money away. Energy efficiency is the solution.”

More recently, the Bartlett chamber began working with the county’s Economic Development team to educate companies about the available tax benefits for energy efficiency and similar resource saving programs.

Click here to read our profile of the Bartlett Area Chamber and how it created a staff position to help its member companies with energy efficiency.