States elbow for piece of drone windfall
The drones of the future could bring a windfall for the U.S. economy, boosters hope — so states are elbowing to get a taste of the action.
Twenty-four states have submitted proposals to the Federal Aviation Administration to be test sites for unmanned aircraft, competing to be among six selected by the end of the year. But the test-site selection is just the beginning, officials said Tuesday at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington.
The unmanned systems commercial market is set to explode, they say, and states such as Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, Utah, Ohio and Idaho are jostling to position themselves to reap the economic benefits.
“We were asked: Why does the lieutenant governor travel out here?” North Dakota’s Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley said. “I don’t look for opportunities to leave the state, but we’re here to try to impress upon people that, at the highest levels of our executive branch in our government in North Dakota, we are partnering with the stakeholders in this important initiative … Our state legislature produced $5 million just a couple months back for just the initial couple of years, to help secure the site, opening up our new test site. And if [we aren’t picked], we’re going to be very active in this arena nevertheless.”
At decked-out booths across the AUVSI convention floor, state flags and helpful ambassadors beckoned onlookers to talk about their states’ geographic advantages, practical applications of drone technology and their commitments to being on the forefront of the new market.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/states-elbow-for-piece-of-drone-windfall-95524.html
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