The Columbia River Economic Development Council in the past two months has courted 20 companies from outside the area interested in moving to Southwest Washington.

That’s compared with 55 companies in discussion with the council for the entire year past year, Bart Phillips, president of CREDC told business leaders attending a quarterly luncheon event Thursday at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver.

Despite Clark County’s high unemployment rate, near 15 percent in February, the development council sees reason for optimism about an economic recovery here.

With the passage of Measures 66 and 67 raising business taxes in Oregon earlier this year, many in Clark County’s real estate community have anticipated a flood of new companies across the border. But these 20 firms aren’t from Oregon, Phillips said.

Together, the companies considering a move to Southwest Washington this year represent more than 2,000 jobs and $100 million in investment for Clark County, he said. And about 75 percent of those companies are “mature” businesses in the manufacturing sector.

“Manufacturing may be what leads us out of this recession, versus consumer spending as it has in the past,” Phillips said.

Among the mix are also a few clean technology and renewable energy companies, though interest from that sector has declined compared with last year, he said.

Statewide, the clean energy industry has great potential to create jobs and stimulate the economy, said Tony Usibelli, director of the Energy Policy Division for the Office of Trade and Economic Development, in his remarks at the CREDC luncheon.

Existing companies, in particular, will find new ways to expand into the clean energy sector to tap into the state’s increasing demand for low-carbon energy sources as oil prices rise and greenhouse gas emissions requirements kick in, Usibelli said.

Washington’s clean energy industry employs about 100,000 workers, mostly in the energy efficiency industry. But energy technology manufacturing is a growing sector with a strong focus on smart grid and renewable energy components, Usibelli said.

“There are quite a number of opportunities on the manufacturing side,” Usibelli said.

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