We begin this week with another report from the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Gary Smith on the latest activities coming out of the Ohio House of Representative’s Alternative Energy Committee:

This week, the House Alternative Energy Committee heard compelling testimony from Dr. Henry J. Cialone, President and CEO of the Edison Welding Institute (EWi). Dr. Cialone’s testimony on alternative energy strategies seemed to pull everything together for the committee members. I think for the first time, they had a presentation that addressed the big picture—you could see the energy efficient light bulbs going off in their heads!

Dr. Cialone started his presentation by reflecting on Ohio’s history of manufacturing prowess. And the question he posed to the committee was: Is this manufacturing legacy just something we can look back and be proud of? Or, is it a part of the vision of Ohio’s future?

The answer, according to Dr. Cialone is a little of both. More pointedly, “advanced energy technologies are capable of leading the way to a sustainable, job-creating, market-driven manufacturing renaissance here in Ohio”.

According to Dr. Cialone, Ewi, the largest of Ohio’s seven Edison centers, is the largest engineering center in America that focuses on welding and associated advanced manufacturing technologies. About 30% of the EWi business is working with the energy industry.

In his testimony, Dr. Cialone addresses his concept of what advanced energy is, mandates to Ohio policy makers to make Ohio a more attractive location for advanced energy manufacturing, questions that need to be asked and answered, and identification of key opportunities for advanced energy here in Ohio (Lake Erie Wind Power, Fuel Cells, and Ethanol production).

I hope you will take the time to read the link to Dr. Cialone’s testimony—it is well worth the time to read.

Next week, the House Alternative Energy committee will hear testimony from a representative of the Energy Chairman of the Ohio Manufacturer’s Association (Jim O’Neil from Whirlpool) and John Felmy, the Chief Economist of the American Petroleum Institute .

The hearing will be held at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio at 11:00 a.m. in room 122.

[Reported by Garry Smith]