The National Electrical Manufacturers Association is front and center in the nation’s efforts to promote energy efficiency, said NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis, who attended the Senate Democratic Green Jobs Leadership Summit June 17 at the Russell Senate Office Building.

The event invited businesses and organizations that are investing in clean energy and working toward make America the engine of innovation in the 21st century. In representing the electroindustry, Gaddis outlined critical short- and long-term goals that must be met before green jobs and clean energy opportunities can be implemented.

“Before we can make this country the engine of green innovation, we need to have stimulus money released,” Gaddis said, citing that barely one percent of the $787 billion dedicated to economic recovery has been made available. “Then we need to look at energy storage and battery technology. Auto makers and other manufacturers who are developing the technology to build and use storage systems are looking outside the U.S., to South Korea, Japan, and Europe. We need to develop the technology and have the manufacturing here.”

According to Gaddis, electrical manufacturers are integral to the nation’s energy infrastructure and its impact on the economy. They design, manufacture, install, and service energy-efficient technologies in the areas of energy storage, Smart Grid, renewables, and other energy efficient technologies. He noted that NEMA member Cree Lighting, which participated in the summit’s educational forum, was nominated as a Clean Energy Industry by Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.).

NEMA is the association of electrical and medical imaging equipment manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end use of electricity. These products are used in utility, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. The association’s Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Division represents manufacturers of cutting-edge medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Worldwide sales of NEMA-scope products exceed $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing and Mexico City.

www.nema.org