Gov. Patrick eyes the future, one line item at a time

As it is now, Patrick estimates that the clean energy sector employs 14,000 people across the state, and that number could grow as oil continues to hover near the $120-a-barrel mark and the cost of regular gasoline edges closer to $4 a gallon.

“I really believe we must think of this as a shift in age, not just a shift in resource,” Patrick told a breakfast meeting at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “The Stone Age didn’t end, as someone said, because we ran out of stone, but because humankind had a better idea — better for our pocketbooks, better for the planet and better for the economy, too.”

And this is where Patrick’s global approach and ability to think big is starting to gain traction within that most parochial of places, the State House.

“I believe the age of fossil fuels is coming to an end and the age of clean energy will follow,” Patrick told the business leaders. “The idea is a simple one: If Massachusetts gets clean energy right, the whole world will be our customer.”

Did someone say China?

Last November, with several business, academic and state leaders in tow, Patrick took off to Shanghai and Beijing to explore possible deals and partnerships on clean energy, life sciences, education and transportation. Not much has come as yet, but it’s starting the process that matters.

“We can’t compete by looking inward,” Patrick said at the time. “To move Massachusetts forward, we have to look outward to new markets.”

But in order for Patrick’s plan to work, he needs businesses to thrive in a state known for bureaucratic inertia — and high taxes.

“What I hear from business owners throughout the Commonwealth is the need for predictability in the tax code,” Patrick told the Banner. “They understand on the whole they must pay their fair share.”

All this from a man who readily claims he had a serious learning curve when he took office.

“I wasn’t necessarily green when it came to the budget, but I had very much to learn,” he said. “The budget is like a different language.”

And Patrick is a different sort of governor.

“At some level, my candidacy challenged the people of Massachusetts, and not just on the issue of race but on a whole array of issues,” he said. “It challenged people’s assumptions about trying new things and thinking big and finding solutions.”

Patrick said he thinks that the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama challenges the nation on a similar level.

“Does the nation want the same old-same old, or does it dare to think big again?” Patrick asked. “It’s one thing to trade pot shots and petty insults. It’s another to have substantive discussions and meaningful legislation.”

But it’s not all nitty-gritty with Patrick. He likes a certain amount of buzz in the Commonwealth. Some of that buzz is coming from Hollywood and the many recent film shoots here in Boston.

And yes, he is running again.

“I’m governing for the long haul,” Patrick said, smiling even brighter than when he took office.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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