The eleventh largest city in Oregon with a population of 50,000, Albany has deep roots in manufacturing and farming. The self-described rare metals capital of the world, Albany is home to both Wah Chang Corporation, which has a 110-acre site focused mainly on producing zirconium, and to the Albany Research Center, which conducts life cycle research on metals, alloys, and ceramics.  Albany is also a major exporter of agricultural products. 

Albany began working with the New Energy Cities team in October 2009, in advance of a Workshop we conducted on November 5-6, 2009. The Workshop brought together representatives from private and public sector organizations to identify how the community could work collaboratively to reduce its reliance on traditional energy sources.

As a result of the Workshop, the City worked on projects ranging from charging stations for electric vehicles to creating an industrial energy district.