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Chamber: DOI business mission a great success
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Posted on May 18 2005
Saipan is one of the best locations in the world for ocean thermal energy development, said one of the participants in the two-day business conference on Saipan this week, according to Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Alex Sablan yesterday.
Sablan said that Common Heritage Corp., one of the 14 U.S.-based investors who participated in the event, want to begin a scientific study for an ocean thermal energy project here.
“They want to do some scientific analysis. They believe that [Saipan] is one of the best locations in the world for that. They said that because of our air, ocean depth, the current, we’re one of the best locations,” said Sablan.
The technology for generating electricity from different ocean temperatures is known as ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC.
Common Heritage Corp. was represented in the conference by its board chair, Charlotte Vick.
Financial capital groups and education groups are also “very interested” in the CNMI, said Sablan.
“We’ve got very good interests from capital groups. They are talking to us in establishing financial services. The education group, they came out with various strategies, seeing opportunities for extension programs for Asia here,” he said.
Overall, he said that the CNMI generated great interest among the investors, primarily due to the Commonwealth’s unique labor and immigration system.
“The feedback was very positive. They see the CNMI as a unique business destination, owing to the fact that we control labor, immigration and wage aspects,” he said.
Further, educational institutions appreciate the no-visa program in the CNMI, he said.
Office of Insular Affairs field representative Jeff Schorr said the visitors had a very positive impression of the island.
“From the feedback I got, they had a real good visit. They were very appreciative of the island hospitality and they seem to feel, from my perspective, that they met most of the kind of people they were hoping to meet,” said Schorr.
