At the end of last month, Energize California (the “energy innovation hub for Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties”) was launched.  The initiative – developed by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) – is seen as a way to bolster LA’s clan energy economy by backing the industry ecosystem and helping people access the business and technical industry that is needed to bring new technologies to market successful.

The funding from the program is coming from the California Energy Commission (CEC) over a six year period.  Energize California is getting $5 million over six years as part of the CEC’s goal of responding to escalating demand for innovation in the energy sector with the deployment of more renewable resources. Robert Weisenmiller, Chairman of Energy Commission said:

“You never know where the next great clean energy idea will come from, but having a centralized program like Energize California, where innovators can easily network with academia, industry, business and professional development resources, greatly enhances the chances of that happening here in Southern California.”

For LA businessmen and women in the clean energy industry, Energize California will help them expedite product commercialization and market entry by facilitating their connection to mentors, testing and prototyping facilities and pilot programs.