This is such a bright idea! I’ve heard a number of Californians — a state that is, of course, ahead of us east coasters on the road to energy-efficiency — say that they’ve made the mistake of not including green job development from the get-go. Now they have technologies and incentives for retrofits, etc, but not enough people to install/do them. (I wish they would say this louder and prouder to really hammer the message in!)
Legislatures have been slow to invest money in green job development, though I think that’s starting to turn, and with a bit success, a program such as yours would be, I imagine, an attractive place for funders (which will hopefully include the federal government in the next couple years). One of its strengths is that it grows jobs slowly but solidly, the tortoise versus the hare, and ensuring that jobs don’t grow faster than demand — a major concern of legislatures, or so I’ve heard. And minority/women/low-income-owned business is a promising economic growth model, as we’ve learned in parts of the developing world.

What kind of business is yr program lending to? And what do you call yr program?

Btw, I work in green job development in the NYC building sector for City Univ of NY, and I’m a member of the Apollo Alliance/Urban Agenda’s Green Jobs Taskforce, so if I can help in any way, of if you simply want to chat/vent, drop me a line: 2050 at shermanhome.com

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Andy, this is a great, great idea with so much potential!

I started a conversation to explore the potential of peer to peer micro lending to fund green and social entrepreneurs here (http://tinyurl.com/greenloans) and would like to share resources and help you with your idea. Please drop me an email at Joe[@]EngageJoe.com.

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