Hi, I'm Jenni Nelson. I'm an intern in the GVC Energy Program. I work at the Sacramento Valley Office in Chico office under the guidance of the fabulous Lindsay Buckley. I'm a student at Chico State majoring in Instructional Design & Technology and Media Arts. This is my first blog for the GVC, and it is about the BayTEC Alliance, a collaborative group dedicated to improving Oroville and the surrounding region through Clean Tech industry and businesses.

I attended BayTEC Alliance's very first Public Informational Meeting on June 18th. At the meeting board members Jim Moll and Garry Ott, along with Dr. Glen Toney and Virginia Walker, consultants from the Jamison Group working with BayTEC, addressed a few key topics:

Reflections on the Past

• What is BayTEC?
• Why Clean Tech?

How You Can Help

Reflections on the Past

Dr. Glen Toney, who grew up in Oroville, spoke of the changes in the town since his childhood. He waxed nostalgic about fond memories and local landmarks that clearly displayed his love for the town. He then addressed Oroville today, and challenges the people of Oroville face: reduced economic base, high unemployment, low household incomes, low educational attainment, and a shift in values and morals. The BayTEC Alliance hopes to improve these challenges, and "was formed to help drive the transformation of the Oroville Butte County region forward to a community that is thriving economically, socially, environmentally and culturally."

What is BayTEC?

Garry Ott, chairman of the Board of Directors of BayTEC, explained the mission, purpose and goals of the Alliance. The mission of the BayTEC Alliance is "to compete aggressively and successfully for jobs, talent and capital for the Oroville Butte County Region and to ensure that the region is a premier place for all people to live, work, play and raise a family."

Why Clean Tech?

The Clean Tech Revolution describes Clean Tech as "any product, service, or process that delivers value using limited or zero nonrenewable resources and/or creates significantly less waste than conventional offerings." Virginia Walker of the Jamison Group, Dr. Glen Toney's sister and an Oroville native also, enlightened attendees of the power and potential of clean technologies. Virginia Walker is no stranger to building a up a community by taking advantage of up & coming industries, she was a key player in the joint venture of Austin, TX and the Silicon Valley in the mid 80s, by recognizing the growth that was to come in the semi-conductor industry. The BayTEC alliance hopes to have similar success, and believes that "communities like the Oroville region that embrace the green economy by building on local strengths will benefit from business expansion and new job creation occurring in green industries."

How You Can Help

Those who wish to get involved may do so by becoming a member of BayTEC Alliance, or by joining one of their task forces in Regulatory Streamlining & Public Policy, K-14 Education, Higher Education & Training, Infrastructure, and Incentives. 

Sign up and get more information here.

In the Oroville Regional Promise, BayTEC states that they "aim to position the Oroville region as the ‘CleanTech Capital of northern California.'." After attending the meeting, I feel confidents that BayTEC is capable of doing great things and has experienced, motivated people involved who can make those things happen. I even signed up to be a part of the Higher Education & Training task force and I'm very excited to be involved with the BayTEC Alliance.