Oregon’s Governor Looks for Clean Tech Opportunities in Israel

Oregon’s Governor Ted Kulongoski (left) will be “fishing” for clean tech and high-tech opportunities in Israel later this month.

Oregon’s Governor Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat, will be coming to Israel for an 8-day trade mission later this month. Like other American politicians, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger included, Kulongoski is looking to meet with Israeli clean tech companies, high-tech cos, and venture capitalists to partner with. Israel has built its name in telecom, high-tech and, more recently, technology refugees from these arenas have moved over to clean tech offering creative ideas to problems such as water and renewable energy.

“They are as far ahead as any country in the world on renewable energy,” Kulongoski said in a local newspaper interview. “It’s a country we can partner with very easily on these things that we are trying to make part of our economic structure.”

Flying coach and with a conservative budget of $5,000 per delegate, Kulongoski has about 3 months left in office, and the trip is expected to be one of his last attempts at pushing the economic programs his office has initiated. No word yet on what companies Kulongoski has on his wish-list. But one can assume that the Pacific Northwest state (above California) would be interested in companies like Ormat, the geothermal concern that recently secured over $100 million in US funding, and BrightSource, which recently got President Obama’s endorsement in a public announcement for building a solar power plant in the Mojave Desert.

“I’ve always recognized that there was a connection between Israel and Oregon, an economic tie,” said Kulongoski.

Exports from Oregon to Israel were in the State’s top 25, at $107 million USD last year.

The Port of Portland will also send a group to be led by Director Bill Wyatt and Diana Daggett, the paper adds.

::OregonLive.com

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