CleanTech San Diego

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will join CleanTECH San Diego, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating San Diego's leadership in the clean tech sector, in kicking off the Algae Biomass Summit 2009 on Tuesday afternoon. The three-day global conference will explore the emerging industry of algae as a feedstock for Biomass and its related products. It is hosted by the Algal Biomass Organization and will take place at the San Diego Convention Center.

The mayor will be joined at the press conference by Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), CleanTECH San Diego CEO Lisa Bicker and regional algae stakeholders. It will be held on Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. aboard the USS Midway, located at 910 N. Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego.

“The San Diego region is a global leader in clean technology research and development, and we are proud to host the Algae Biomass Summit 2009,” said Mayor Sanders. “California’s aggressive environmental policies and the partnerships between our world-class research institutions and private-sector algae companies have created a network of collaboration that make San Diego a leader in the clean tech industry.”

San Diego currently houses the densest cleantech cluster in the nation, with 637 companies located in the region. Businesses related to the commercialization of algae represent a strong and growing component of San Diego’s clean tech cluster, with companies such as Sapphire Energy, Synthetic Genomics and General Atomics. Sapphire Energy relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego and is pioneering Green Crude Production. Synthetic Genomics is dedicated to developing and commercializing genomic-driven solutions to designing advanced biofuels. General Atomics was recently awarded a $19.9 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop affordable algae triglyceride oil and an algae-derived JP-8 jet fuel surrogate.

“San Diego has blazed the way for the nation in creating the next generation of cleaner fuels, and put the region on the map as a nexus of cutting-edge clean technology,” said CARB Chairman Nichols. “The San Diego region is proof that California’s pioneering climate initiatives spark clean technology innovation, help secure greater energy security for the nation, and drive the creation of thousands of new jobs even in these tough economic times.”

Since the 2007 launch of the mayor's Cleantech Initiative, which announced the commitment to promote the expansion, attraction and retention of businesses that develop products and technologies that provide environmentally sustainable solutions, the number of cleantech companies has grown to more than 637 in the region. Clean technology companies encompass solar power, wind power, alternative fueled vehicles, fuel cell technology, tidal and wave power, bio-diesel, green building materials and water treatment systems. This is part of The Mega-Region Initiative, a long-term economic development strategy for the greater San Diego County, Imperial County, and Baja California region.

“The presence of these sector leaders, coupled with San Diego's destination appeal, makes our region a natural setting for clean tech collaboration,” said CleanTECH CEO Lisa Bicker. “The Algae Biomass Summit 2009 solidifies San Diego’s position as the global leader in coalescing green technologies and creating viable opportunities in the sustainable marketplace.”

“We are already seeing the direct and indirect benefits of algae research and commercialization on the San Diego economy,” said CleanTECH CEO Lisa Bicker. “As research and other spending in this sector grows we expect to transform what is now over $30 million in economic activity into a huge economic engine.”