Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden’s recent trip to China is already paying dividends.

Officials from China’s largest air-conditioning manufacturer are visiting Baton Rouge today and Thursday to meet with local university and corporate officials about several possible cutting-edge “green” energy projects.

Broad Air Conditioning has emerged as a world leader in developing technology that uses waste to power central air-conditioning instead of electricity. The company has tapped sources like waste steam, waste hot water, landfill gas, waste oil and waste cooking oil to cool buildings. Broad has more than 40,000 projects worldwide, and was involved in more than 300 projects in the U.S. last year.

The group from Broad arrived in Baton Rouge Wednesday from New York, where they participated in the United Nations Global Warming Summit.

During their two-day visit here, the officials from Broad Air Conditioning will meet with the Mayor and representatives from Exxon-Mobil and Entergy to discuss ways to harness Exxon’s waste steam and waste hot water and Entergy’s waste heat to cool the city-parish’s offices and buildings on the Southern University campus.

The Chinese businessmen will also visit LSU and Southern University, and meet with officials from The Shaw Group and Albemarle.

The visit is the result of the 10-day trip to China that Holden took in April, when he visited with the chief executive officer of Broad Air Conditioning in Changsha. Holden used campaign funds to make the trip instead of spending public funds.

Baton Rouge businessman Eugene Ji accompanied Holden on the trip to China, and served as his interpreter.

Ji also helped to arrange trips to China for banker and former Gov. Buddy Roemer and for lobbyist and former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston.



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