The Rapid Commercialization Initiative was born in December 1994 during the White House Conference on the Environment. That's when the Clinton administration launched its national environmental strategy to build "a bridge to a sustainable future." The strategy, put forth by Vice President Al Gore, is based on the premise that instead of being mutually exclusive, the environment and the economy feed off each other to the benefit of both. Through public-private partnerships and regulatory flexibility, innovative environmental technologies can be more rapidly developed and deployed, which not only fosters quicker cleanups and a healthier environment but also contributes to the economic competitiveness of U.S. environmental technology companies.
RCI is the government's response to private-sector requests for expedited verification of innovative environmental technologies. RCI seeks to help small businesses overcome three barriers to successful marketing of environmental technologies--finding test beds, verifying performance and costs, and obtaining permits from regulatory agencies.
RCI is a cooperative effort between the private sector, states, and federal agencies. Federal partners in the RCI venture include the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Western Governors' Association, the Southern States Energy Board, and the California EPA are also involved. Private-sector partners will be selected through a competitive process.
On August 16, 1995, an announcement was issued to solicit proposals from industry for ways to overcome the three market barriers. Thirty-three proposals for RCI participation were received and have been assessed by peer review panels and an evaluation board. Projects are expected to be selected soon with agreement negotiations to follow.
