Obama attracts green technology cheerleaders

Executives in the clean-tech sector plan to get a whole lot louder in their support for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. The drumbeat started Wednesday night at the University of California's Hastings College of Law. An estimated 400 people from the technology and clean tech industries came out to support Obama's energy policies under the new banner of a constituency group called "Clean Tech and Green Business for Obama."

Among the executives at the event were Dan Reicher, director of energy initiatives at Google.org; clean-tech investor Sunil Paul, who co-founded Brightmail; Steve Westly, CEO of the venture firm The Westley Group and former senior vice president at eBay; and Aimee Christensen, an adviser on climate change issues who has previously worked with Google.org.

Their goal? Get Obama elected. Following that, the charge is to elevate issues of climate change and buoy the clean-tech industry.

"We want to use the opportunity of this serendipitous moment where energy, the environment, and the economy are featured in this race...to create a political brand and voice," said Jeff Anderson, founding co-chair of Clean Tech and Green Business for Obama.

Steve Westly, CEO of clean tech venture firm The Westly Group and a former exec at eBay, recalled working for President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s when the president put solar panels on the White House. His successor, President Ronald Reagan, took them down immediately.

The group was founded six weeks ago by Paul, Anderson and others, and so far it has raised about £339,000 ($600,000) from individuals in the clean-tech sector. In the coming months, the group plans to raise £566 million through events like a fund-raising dinner with former Vice President Al Gore at the end of September.

Clean Tech for Obama aims to build a database of the companies and people employed by the green-tech business, especially in battleground states, so that voters are aware of the industry's ability to create jobs.

The group will also promote the idea that clean-tech businesses can ultimately help reduce petrol prices by developing new energy alternatives and efficient cars.

Photo: seiu_international