Advanced and Alternative Energy : Featured Stories

From a national cutting-edge fuel cell and energy convention to an Octoberfest-style meetup, Ohio will host an array of dazzling events this fall that will attract techies and entrepreneurs alike from across the state as well as the nation.

As new VP of operations for the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp (LEEDCo), Dave Karpinski will guide the organization through the next phase in the process of building the nation’s first freshwater offshore wind project. With its first round of financing in tow, LEEDCo must now compete for a critical second infusion of funds against six other projects across the country.

As the founders of Ecolibrium Solar, Coupsmart and other startups can attest, pre-seed funding is helping Ohio companies find their footing when their founders don’t have the financial resources to get started on their own.

As the nation searches for clean energy sources that depend less on fossil fuels and more on advanced and alternative energy, Ohio is steadily becoming an epicenter for cutting edge fuel cell technology.

Ohio's alternative energy industry is thriving. According to the nonprofit Jumpstart Inc., Ohio ranks # 1 in the nation for renewable and advanced energy, bringing in more renewable energy facility projects than any other state. Yet for Ohio to keep its edge, leaders say, state and federal officials must work together to support the growth of this vital market.

Startup veteran and Ohio native Lisa Delp was recently appointed Ohio Third Frontier's new Executive Director. In this interview, she discusses how far we've come in creating a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, and how Ohio Third Frontier's new focus areas will help grow our high tech economy.

Ohio has been pushing to be a leader in business, technology and environmentalism, from innovative restaurants looking to go green with their recycling of food and waste, to state bills that help entrepreneurs and sustainability groups. Managing Editor Steph Greegor takes a look back at 2011 and the stories that were important to Ohio and hiVelocity readers.

A new report by the Brookings Institute says Ohio has done pretty well when it comes to creating "green jobs." The report, "Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment," by the institute's Metropolitan Policy Program, found that one-fourth of Ohio's green jobs are in manufacturing, with Akron, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton leading the state. hiVelocity spoke with Metropolitan Policy Program Senior Research Analyst Jonathan Rothwell about the report and what it means for Ohio and the nation.