Port of San Diego’s Green Business Network Going Strong
Retailers, ship-builders, hoteliers, marinas and restaurateurs along San Diego Bay all gathered recently to share their sustainable business practices at a Port of San Diego Green Business Network event.
More than two-dozen Port tenants and subtenants gathered at "Green Share: A Peer-to-Peer Event" on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. It was held at the Sunroad Resort Marina on Harbor Island.
Attendees exchanged tips on how to reduce their water and energy use as well as ways to save money in their businesses. The event even featured sustainable and organic food, provided by the Sheraton San Diego Hotel, served on plates made from fallen leaves.
Participants then took part in one-on-one "speed meetings," which allowed Port tenant businesses the opportunity to share environmental success stories and exchange tips with their Green Business Network peers.
Port Commissioner Lee Burdick attended the event and offered encouragement to businesses participating in the Green Business Network.
The Port of San Diego's Green Business Network evolved from the Port's 2011 Green Business Challenge. During the Challenge, 55 tenants and subtenants enrolled in the program to help them reduce their environmental impact through free tools and resources.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is a key partner in the program and ongoing Network, which includes free monthly training that offers advice on how businesses can be more environmentally sustainable.
SDG&E provided participating tenants with more than $134,000 in rebates and incentives that helped pay for upgrades such as lighting retrofits and heating and air conditioning tune-ups. The energy these businesses saved is about enough energy to power 70 homes for a year, which translates into almost $200,000 in annual savings.
Upcoming workshops for Green Business Network members and other interested Port businesses will include "Marketing Your Green Business" and "Energy Savings for Restaurants."
Port tenants and subtenants interested in attending may contact greenport@portofsandiego.org for more information.
About the Port
The Port of San Diego is the fourth-largest of 11 California ports. The Port was created by the state legislature in 1962. Since then, it has invested in public improvements in its five member cities – Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City, and San Diego.
The Port District oversees two maritime cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, 17 public parks, the Harbor Police Department, and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.
