Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

Monday 12 June 2017 BUSINESS
A24

Small businesses in clean energy sector still hope for best

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG of natural gas and renew-
AP Business Writer ables.
NEW YORK (AP) — Small Arcadia Power, which
business owners who install helps consumers and com-
solar panels or help cus- panies switch to wind and
tomers use clean energy solar power for their elec-
don’t seem fazed by Presi- tricity, has seen orders rise 5
dent Donald Trump’s plan percent from its usual pace
to withdraw the U.S. from since Trump’s announce-
the Paris climate accord, ment last week, says Ryan
saying they expect de- Nesbitt, president of the
mand for their services will Washington, D.C.-based
still keep growing. company. Demand was
They’re confident in two particularly strong for the
trends they see: A growing electricity supply plans the
awareness and concern company offers through
about the environment, solar power producers.
and a desire by consum- “They sold out over the
ers and businesses to lower weekend. We’re scram-
their energy costs. bling to get more,” Nesbitt
“It’s an economic decision says. Some customers who
people are making, al- signed up for Arcadia’s ser-
though it also makes envi- Solaria CEO Suvi Sharma stands beside a PowerXT solar panel at company headquarters in Fre- vice said they were doing
mont, Calif. Small business owners who install solar panels or help customers use clean energy
ronmental sense,” says Suvi don’t seem fazed by President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate so in response to Trump’s
Sharma, CEO of Solaria, a accord, saying they expect demand for their services will still keep growing. announcement, Nesbitt
Fremont, California-based (AP Photo/Ben Margot) says. State and local en-
company that designs and vironmental laws, which
sells solar energy panel sys- one of the gases that sci- & Entrepreneurship Coun- says John Arensmeyer, the can be tougher than fed-
tems. entists cite as a key factor cil doesn’t believe Trump’s group’s CEO. eral statutes and regula-
Trump said he was put- in global warming. action will hurt the United The American Sustain- tions, have contributed to
ting U.S. interests ahead Many of the nation’s larg- States. able Business Council also the growth of small busi-
of international priorities est companies opposed “Even without the U.S.’s warned that global warm- nesses in the energy sec-
in leaving the agreement Trump’s move, and some formal participation in the ing would hurt companies, tor. So companies that
that would, among other have already committed pact, we believe our na- giving them “a chaotic help businesses track and
things, require the U.S. and to reducing emissions and tion will continue to lead and unsustainable future report their carbon and
other countries to report are spending billions to in carbon reduction and of business disruptions from other emissions shouldn’t
greenhouse gas emissions. do it. Small business advo- clean energy,” says Karen rising seas and changing see their business disap-
The U.S. is the world’s sec- cacy groups are split over Kerrigan, CEO of the group. weather patterns.” pear if the U.S. isn’t part of
ond-emitter of carbon af- the impact of a U.S. with- “The market is demanding Whether business owners the Paris accord. At ERA
ter China, and carbon is drawal. The Small Business as much and the private outside energy-related in- Environmental Manage-
sector and investment are dustries are likely to support ment Solutions, whose cus-
responding.” But the Small the Paris accord may de- tomers include companies
Business Majority, which has pend on how much they’re that use paints and other
supported limits on green- worried about climate chemicals, “nobody’s
house gas emissions as a change, and whether coming out and telling
way to help the environ- they’re concerned about us they’re going to stop
ment and the economy, saving on energy bills. doing a project,” owner
said the U.S. needs gov- A private equity firm that Gary Vegh says. But Vegh,
ernment policies that “pro- invests in clean energy whose company is based
mote the development of companies doesn’t expect in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsyl-
renewable energy and the Trump’s action to have vania, says companies are
implementation of energy much impact on U.S. com- also reacting to changing
efficiency standards.” panies whose business is perspectives.
“America’s entrepreneurs reducing greenhouse gas “Each generation is get-
understand that the fu- emissions. Neil Auerbach, ting more educated about
ture of our economy and CEO of Hudson Clean En- the environment,” Vegh
the job growth associated ergy in Teaneck, New Jer- says. “Even preschool and
therewith depends upon sey, said the U.S. has been elementary children — the
policies that move us for- able to move away from new generation is already
ward, not backward,” carbon fuels with more use aware.”q