In this episode of BIC Presents, host PJ Moynihan is joined by Ben Sosne, Executive Director of the Berkshire Innovation Center, Tyler Fairbank, CEO of The Fairbank Group, and Doug Crane, retired manufacturing executive and founding BIC board member, for a wide-ranging conversation on clean energy leadership in the Berkshires. The discussion centers on the formation of the Clean Energy Leadership Group, one of several new BIC leadership groups designed to organize expertise, focus collaboration, and advance regional innovation priorities.

The guests explore why the Berkshires are uniquely positioned to participate in the clean energy economy, citing the region’s scale, grid simplicity, available land, and strong network of manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and institutions. A key focus of the episode is the concept of a microgrid at the William Stanley Business Park, envisioned as both a cost-reduction strategy for local businesses and a demonstration site for emerging clean energy technologies. The group discusses regulatory, technical, and organizational challenges, as well as the opportunity to pilot new solutions alongside startups seeking real-world deployment environments.

The conversation also highlights the BIC’s U.S. Department of Energy Make It Prize award, which supports Western Massachusetts as a testing and deployment hub for clean energy manufacturing technologies developed elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Throughout the episode, the guests emphasize collective wisdom, open collaboration, and community engagement as essential drivers for long-term economic development and a successful energy transition in the Berkshires.

Links:

Berkshire Innovation Center: https://www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com