MDC's missed opportunity?
We read about the Midland Development Corp. wanting to get involved in the financing or "at least the coordination of a Center for Energy Innovation & Commercialization on the north side of town."
And well, we have mixed reviews for what we have seen so far.
Getting involved in energy innovation and research opportunities? We believe is the right path for the MDC and our economic development dollars. Anything to expand our community's expertise in energy. As an editorial in Wednesday's edition says, "After all, there is no region in the United States that understands energy strategies than the Permian Basin. It makes sense this area should take the lead in creating, developing and researching new energy innovations.
"If we move in this direction, the Midland-Odessa area could remain the energy epi-center of this region. There should be no reason why we can’t harvest the best energy minds in the world to be the leader in such energy advancements. The proposed center would at least initially enable researchers to advance energy technology. That leaves a lot of leeway for the true purpose of such a center."
However, we do believe the MDC should stay out of the construction business. At this point, it doesn't make sense. Let the private industry lead the way and provide whatever support needed.
Having written that if the MDC is going to get into center creating business, maybe we could do something better than build another Center for Energy and Economic Diversification (CEED). Maybe the MDC could put money into adding to the CEED already in place. Doing so:
- You already have a partner with ties to energy projects around the Basin (UTPB).
- You add to what is already a strength and avoid duplication of efforts.
- It would be built in an MDC identified opportunity zone (along 1788 and 191) and inside Midland city limits.
- Should Midland College be on board you partner the two premier academic institutions (something we believe is a great thing)
- It could be seen as another attempt to partner with Odessa, something we believe is always a good thing.
I imagine there would be hoops to jump through when partnering with the UT system. My MDC friends may even respond and tell me such a partnership is not possible. However if it is, isn't it worth exploring?
And well, we have mixed reviews for what we have seen so far.
Getting involved in energy innovation and research opportunities? We believe is the right path for the MDC and our economic development dollars. Anything to expand our community's expertise in energy. As an editorial in Wednesday's edition says, "After all, there is no region in the United States that understands energy strategies than the Permian Basin. It makes sense this area should take the lead in creating, developing and researching new energy innovations.
"If we move in this direction, the Midland-Odessa area could remain the energy epi-center of this region. There should be no reason why we can’t harvest the best energy minds in the world to be the leader in such energy advancements. The proposed center would at least initially enable researchers to advance energy technology. That leaves a lot of leeway for the true purpose of such a center."
However, we do believe the MDC should stay out of the construction business. At this point, it doesn't make sense. Let the private industry lead the way and provide whatever support needed.
Having written that if the MDC is going to get into center creating business, maybe we could do something better than build another Center for Energy and Economic Diversification (CEED). Maybe the MDC could put money into adding to the CEED already in place. Doing so:
- You already have a partner with ties to energy projects around the Basin (UTPB).
- You add to what is already a strength and avoid duplication of efforts.
- It would be built in an MDC identified opportunity zone (along 1788 and 191) and inside Midland city limits.
- Should Midland College be on board you partner the two premier academic institutions (something we believe is a great thing)
- It could be seen as another attempt to partner with Odessa, something we believe is always a good thing.
I imagine there would be hoops to jump through when partnering with the UT system. My MDC friends may even respond and tell me such a partnership is not possible. However if it is, isn't it worth exploring?
Tags: mdc
Comment
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Comment by Newsroom Stew on February 3, 2010 at 4:28pm - We should be better than that.
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Comment by Ospurt on February 3, 2010 at 3:59pm -
I'm not saying the region shouldn't be actively involved in alternative and innovative energy, on the contrary, I am seeing evidence that they are already here, without the benefit of the MDC.
As for the CEED, if you poke around their website you will find the last online annual report is from 1999, and the last newsletter online from the Economic Diversification Program was from Fall 2004. From all the old EDP newsletters and reports, they were supposedly involved in these alternative and innovative energy projects.
I find this quote from the "What's New" part of their website troubling:
"The EDP has an Advisory Council which meets two times per year. This council is made up of members from throughout the service area. If you have questions for this group, please let us know. The most recent meeting was on Friday, August 27, 2004."
If the CEED hasn't experienced mission drift, they sure aren't publicizing whatever work they are still doing.
I will say my meeting and wedding comment is accurate, because over 1/3 of the CEED Overview is dedicated to talking about how ideal the place is for holding meetings and "even weddings."
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Comment by Newsroom Stew on February 3, 2010 at 12:44pm
- I think there will be some skepticism should a building be built and one of the first occupants is the MDC. Just a feeling. ... As far as building up the alternative energy profile, why not? Again, going alone doesn't seem to be the right plan. Too many regional projects and too many ways to connect with public and private entities. However, if the CEED isn't in that business anymore, then maybe it's not worth looking into.
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Comment by Ospurt on February 3, 2010 at 12:27pm
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On another note, this desire to build a CEIC has been programmed into the MDC since the TIP Strategy Report of a couple of years ago. So, this isn't exactly new. However, requests from locally operated (and TRACE Engines connected) GeoTek Energy to get the MDC to write a letter of support for a Department of Energy Grant last Fall seem to have raised the chatter level. (GeoTek even made the point they weren't looking for money, but political support).
I would also suspect that the execution of the State's Summit Power Grant Agreement turned up the conversation too. (Remember the MDC pumped a lot of money into the FutureGEN site selection process).
In my opinion, the concentration of alternative and innovative energy producers has already begun here in the Permian Basin and the MDC is just advertising their war chest, hoping someone will bite.
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Comment by Ospurt on February 3, 2010 at 10:26am
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If the MDC can invest $500,000 in the UTPB Led HT3R Reactor Project and invested in the University of Texas Lands Office, they can invest in the expansion of the mission of the CEED.
However, in the MDC minutes they seem to be focusing on a facility like the Houston Technology Center (a non-profit funded mostly by the City of Houston's ED giants). The blog comment speculation is that with the MDC staff being direct employees now, instead of Chamber employees paid with MDC funds, the MDC is looking for a home. Maybe they are tired of shacking up with the Chamber and meeting in the basement of City Hall.
It still isn't a good reason to duplicate efforts and facilities, because we all know the MDC's record on building facilities, or trying to coerce incentees to build in certain locations. Besides, the CEED has increasingly become known as that place that hosts meetings and weddings, not for their work on energy policy and economic dicersivication. The new blood might help them out.
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