The summer season officially began this month and Mother Nature has not wasted any time exposing us to temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more in many parts of the country. Amidst this heat came the healthcare law ruling from the Supreme Court, which not only confused even our best known television news networks, but is bound to further raise the heat in all political circles and overshadow other policy issues for some time.   Meanwhile the price of gasoline has dipped below $3.00 so everything must fine in the energy world!

I hope the policy makers do not get complacent about energy issues as they are the driver and a basic cost component of virtually every other economic sector including healthcare. Without stable energy supplies, it is impossible to support a modern healthcare system such as ours; take a moment to think about the entire value chain of health care delivery that includes drug discovery and development, manufacturing diagnostic equipment such as x-rays and MRI's, insurance record data centers, and the hospitals themselves where some complexes resemble mini cites!  

Healthcare expansion relies on the assumption that the energy to power this monumental infrastructure is there with the flip of a switch or quick trip to a gas station.   According to a US Department of Energy (DOE) healthcare organizations spend about $8.8 billion on energy each year. An expanded healthcare system will also lead to many opportunities in energy efficiency and power generation. DOE estimates "every $1 a non-profit healthcare organization saves on energy is equivalent to generating $20 in new revenues for hospitals or $10 for medical offices. For-profit hospitals, medical offices, and nursing homes can raise their earnings per share a penny by reducing energy costs just 5 percent."  

At SBS we are always examining such niche opportunities that make sense in the market place. Entrepreneurs who are looking at the energy sector should look at the health care industry where an increase in the use of electronic records and advanced diagnostics will steadily increase demand for energy. Our Renewable Energy Venture Development Academy (REVDA) course drills deeper into five areas of risk associated with energy technology and project development and how it leads to economic development. The next REVDA is coming up on August 7th in conjunction with the Southeast Biofuels and Renewable Energy Conference in Jackson, Mississippi. Please register early for REVDA as space is limited for the course.

This month's exclusive interview with Jason Greiner at the World Economic Development Alliance sheds light on how entrepreneurs can benefit from local resources to move their projects forward. Our goal at SBS is to help entrepreneurs, investors, and economic developers build better business models, make better investment decisions, and consider incentives that help the sector to grow in a meaningful way. Please email me at sarora@mta.ms with your feedback on how we can serve you better and check out the stories below on some of the really cool projects going on in the southern region.

Sumesh Arora, Ph.D.