ED Now

State energy offices (SEOs) play a vital role in fostering local energy entrepreneurship and innovation through targeted programs and policies. It's important for SEOs to understand the current local energy ecosystem—including existing businesses, workforce capabilities, research institutions, funding sources, community partnerships, and market dynamics—to enable this cohesion to thrive.

Aaron N. Gruen of Gruen Gruen + Associates shares his 2025 Economic and Real Estate Outlook with ED Now.

Each new year brings new leadership to IEDC’s board of directors. Bryan Daniels, president and CEO of Blount Partnership in Blount County, Tennessee, will serve as IEDC’s board chair in 2025.

Technological innovations in artificial intelligence, life sciences, sustainable energy, and other fields will have wide-ranging transformational effects in the U.S., including the concentration of jobs and R&D in (mostly coastal) early-adopter metro hubs. Additional hubs in the Midwest and South are early adopters of AI applications in the production of goods and services. To maximize economic development opportunities associated with AI and other innovations, investing in workforce training and housing production where jobs are located will be critical.

When we commit to living a life of positive influence—as we do in the economic development profession—we can end each day knowing we’ve changed someone’s life for the better. Still, even the most veteran among us could benefit from tips on how to maximize our potential for influencing others. In his book “The Gift of Influence: Creating Life-Changing and Lasting Impact in Your Everyday Interactions,” Tommy Spaulding explains that living a life of positive influence boils down to three key everyday behaviors: showing interest, investing in others, and being intentional.

As part of our EDA Atlanta region grant, IEDC created a workforce housing strategies primer for a series of workshops developed in partnership with the Eastern Carolina Council, a nine-county regional economic development district in North Carolina. Learn about missing middle housing and availability, affordability, and funding solutions, and explore case studies from communities of all sizes.

In today’s economy, marketing missions serve as a cornerstone of economic development. They are strategic ventures that require careful planning, research, and execution, and success in these missions can yield significant investments, partnerships, and growth opportunities.

Economic Recovery Corps fellow Janie VanWinkle has already made a significant impact on the agriculture community in western Colorado.