Governor Patrick Visits Ameresco to Highlight Company’s Success in Clean Energy Sector

Framingham-based Energy Solutions Company Celebrates Recent IPO

FRAMINGHAM — Tuesday, August 17, 2010 — Continuing his nation-leading commitment to energy efficiency, Governor Deval Patrick today visited the corporate headquarters of Ameresco Inc. in Framingham to highlight the energy solutions company’s success and its commitment to grow in Massachusetts, and to celebrate its recent Initial Public Offering (IPO).

With the passage of the Green Communities Act in 2008, the Patrick-Murray Administration has been aggressively moving forward on multiple fronts through: public investments to improve the energy performance of schools, fire stations and other buildings; utility-operated energy saving programs; aggressive building energy codes; and the work of energy service companies like Ameresco to make the Commonwealth the most energy efficient economy in the nation.

“I want to congratulate Ameresco not only for their investment in the Massachusetts economy, but for their commitment to helping us move toward a clean energy future. The clean energy technology developed here has made us a national leader in the industry and has enabled us to put people back to work in every corner of the Commonwealth.” Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick

Since day one, Governor Patrick’s top priority has been to create jobs and build a stronger economic foundation for the people of Massachusetts. Through fiscally responsible, targeted investments in the life sciences and clean energy sectors, along with the largest investment in our public infrastructure in decades, the Patrick-Murray Administration is putting people back to work across the Commonwealth. As a result, Massachusetts is emerging from the recession faster and stronger than any other state in the nation.

As a result of the Commonwealth Solar program, launched by Governor Patrick in 2009, over 400 solar installations have gone up across the Commonwealth – doubling what was installed statewide at the time the Governor took office. Additionally, as a result of the program, the number of solar installation contractors jumped by a factor of three in one year – from 25 to 75 – not including subcontractors associated with each project.

June was the fifth straight month of job gains in Massachusetts – with a total of almost 45,000 jobs added since December 2009. In April, the Commonwealth had the largest single monthly job gain in 17 years, adding 19,000 jobs to our economy. Additionally, CNBC recently ranked Massachusetts the fifth best state to do business in, a significant improvement from 15th in 2008 and eighth in 2009. It also marked the first time in the history of the rankings that Massachusetts has finished in the top five.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reports that since the national recession began in December 2007, Massachusetts’ economy has performed better than 33 of the 50 states. In the last quarter of 2009, Massachusetts outperformed 48 other states. And, expressly citing the Governor’s successful management through the national fiscal crisis, all three national rating agencies – Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s – have re-affirmed the state’s AA bond rating.

To learn more about the Governor’s job creation and economic growth initiatives, visit www.ma.gov/governor/jobs.