Minnesota Stories:

The Bright Future of Minnesota's Green Economy

Looking ahead, Quam believes, “The challenge of our generation is to switch how we do things, and it became clear to me the benefits for doing that: better jobs, more prosperity, better for peace and security in the world, and then the opportunity to make a difference about climate change.”

There are few people in this country better suited to speak about the green economy than Minnesota’s own Lois Quam. Lois recently started a green business incubator called Tysvar — which helps business startups in green energy and health care, and strengthens the transfer of technology between Minnesota and Norway. In the past, Lois has directed green investments at Piper Jaffrey and was an executive at United Health Care. Fortune magazine recently called her one of the “50 most powerful women in business.”

Conservation Minnesota recently sat down with Lois to hear what she has to say about Minnesota’s green economy.

“It is so important that our country invests in and builds renewable energy and clean technology,” Quam continues. “We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to leave them the kind of earth that they can be healthy and prosper in. We face a real challenge now. The science is really clear that because of all the things we’ve done the earth has gotten warmer. We’ve got an opportunity to make a difference and prevent the most damaging consequences. But we don’t have a lot of time. The good thing is that doing that is also really good for us and helps us live better lives.”

“I realized that if we are going to be successful in switching from the old energy economy to a fresh new energy economy, that it was going to take people who knew how to take small organizations into big organizations that can really make a difference at scale. That’s kind of what I do. That’s what I know how to do.”

The Spectrum Of Green Jobs
“I think one of the most exciting things about the green economy is how many different kinds of jobs there are for people. It is jobs AND the environment. Having a better environment is about how do we shift from old-fashioned energy to something fresh and new. That creates new jobs, the shift creates new jobs and the new forms of energy ultimately create more jobs.”

“The jobs in the green economy span a huge spectrum. Doing things that we really know well, like energy efficiency...  We could probably reduce our energy use in Minnesota by 30% by just using energy smarter — so there are really interesting jobs — all the way from being a computer programmer working on a smart grid (that is, we just get electricity when we need it) ...to making sure windows are sealed.”

“What are the new technologies? What are the new capabilities that we don’t have now? They are maybe being worked on in a lab at the University of Minnesota in the chemical engineering department.”

“I’m from Marshall in the southwest part of the state. When I was growing up, there weren’t any wind turbines. Now there are a thousand.  So there are people that repair wind turbines. I think we should manufacture wind turbines in this state. There is also a lot of opportunity for people that have worked in heavy manufacturing. It doesn’t get much heavier than a wind turbine.  There’s a factory in Appleton that makes geothermal systems.”

“Lastly, there’s the job-rich area of clean technology. How we make and produce everything. Clean technologies really fulfill a couple of goals. One is they’re carbon neutral. Second, they use less energy than other kinds. Third, they help people use less energy in the ways that they work. And the progress in this area is never going to end. The standard is how do we do better than we’re doing now?”

Kicking Old Habits
“There aren’t a lot of great jobs that come from the extraction of oil. Through renewable energy and clean technologies we’ve got the opportunity for there to be great jobs all over Minnesota — all over the country. I think one of the main ways we are going to get out of this economic slump is through putting the green economy into place and getting all the great jobs that come from that. On top of that, the frosting on the cake, think of how much more opportunity we would have for global security and peace if we didn’t have the challenge of oil in the Middle East.”

“One of the things I think we need to be conscious of is it is always possible when something new comes along to see the problems with it. Part of making this transition is going to require us to be open. To be able identify problems, but notice the good things and solve the problems to get it done.”

Ingredients For Minnesota's Green Economy
“I’ve looked at regions of the country that have been really good at attracting new industries and new fields, and one of the things you find is most important is really good public education. Regions of the country, like Silicon Valley, that have been very successful at attracting new industry and investment, are areas that are well known for liking people from all backgrounds. Innovation comes from the mixing of ideas. [It creates] a place that is exciting for people from all over the region and all over the world to live and work is really important.”

“How do we get out of this economic crisis? The hardship is immense. I know that food shelves are struggling to keep up with rising demands. We see good companies not getting the capital they need to sustain or grow their company.  This is going to be rough.” 

"The way to get out of this situation is to build the industries that will provide the kind of jobs that will be good for generations. And that is why building the green economy is how we get out of this economic circumstance."

“The opportunity we have now is to invest in things that really pay off. THAT is the green economy.”