Page 254 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

228 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

ECONOMIC COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS IN
ACTION

The CSFCC is an example of civic markets at work initially but turned into an
organization that wanted funding from a sourcedthe natural gas industry at
the turn of the 21st century wanted to get new technologies using their fossil
fuel for power. The CSFCC participants include all the major Japanese and
American car manufacturers, as well as firms interested in hydrogen economy
who were (and still are) natural gas companies. The collaborative works on a
variety of technical and marketing issues needed to get the technology
introduced. One of the most significant trends in many industries is the
collaborative programs undertaken by industry associations. To move forward,
California Governor Schwarzenegger issued an Executive Order in early 2004
for California to have a Hydrogen Highway. However, although the past
Governor Davis’ staff had already written the Executive Order, he also saw the
need for the state as well as the private sector to supply funding. The new
Governor in 2004 who issued the Executive Order did not. Instead over 100
companies worked for 3 years trying to develop a plan but failed to do that and
implement one.
It took a new Governor (Jerry Brown) to provide some state funds matched
by private sector funds to create and implement a California Hydrogen
Highway refueling system. By 2016 and then into 2017, this Highway has
begun as there are four active car companies leasing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
(HFC) in California. The demand for hydrogen refueling stations has grown as
over 2000 HFC are leased and more are coming. California now leads the
world in this new technology, with Japan, Germany, Norway, and China not far
behind.
Another example is the National Association of Home Builders, in the
fiercely competitive homebuilding industry, which sponsors many programs to
increase research on new materials, techniques, and markets for members. The
biotechnology industry also has collaborative industry programs. In sum, even
in the sectors of industry that are most heralded as being models of the free
market, most have deep cooperative and sharing strategies for building
capacity.
The most interesting new addition to the economics of power is the growth
of networks of firms and consumers that strive together for advantage. The
pervasive networks of firms are not only the generators who are connected to
the grid but also many firms in diverse industries that are networked in
buyeresupplier networks. For example, equipment manufacturers work with
installers, parts manufacturers, computer venders, software designers, and
hundreds of other related companies, and all benefit when a new generator is
ordered. Understanding the existence and nature of networks in the new
economy is one of the most pressing challenges for civic economics. In many