At the Hynes Convention Center today, while the victorious Boston Red Sox paraded outside on Boylston Street, cheered on by thousands of adoring fans, I was inside, learning about the latest alternative/renewable energy startup companies at the Conference on Clean Energy. I also came to listen to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick give a speech about the importance of the clean energy industry in the state (am I committed to my job or what?!).

He talked for about 10 minutes about how the clean energy industry was growing at three times the rate of other industries in Massachusetts and how it was becoming one of the biggest industries in the state. He emphasized how he thought the sector was, like the life sciences, important to the state’s economy and competition edge and so he basically invited green energy lobbyists to talk to his administration about how his government can make it easier for clean energy companies to do business here. He also dropped some big hints that his administration would soon introduce a couple of bills, one to promote energy efficiency and one to promote the use of biofuels.

So our new governor has so far shown himself to be very pro high-tech industry and pro research. No wonder the audience gave him a standing ovation. After his speech, he zipped off to Beacon Hill, where he testified in a hearing about his life sciences bill, which would pump $1 billion over the next 10 years into life sciences R&D.