Governor tries to imagine new economy for Mass.

If the dreams of Gov. Deval Patrick and top lawmakers come true, the "sacred cod" may one day be swapped for a "sacred hydrogen fuel cell," "sacred photovoltaic panel" or even a "sacred wind turbine."

In his first two years in office, and with the help of a Democrat-led House and Senate, Patrick has set about to imagine a new economy for the state.

From clean energy to biotechnology, casinos to filmmaking, Patrick has pushed to diversify the state's job base beyond the traditional areas of financial services, manufacturing and high technology.

By seizing early ground in the development and production of new technologies, and backing up those efforts with investment dollars, Patrick hopes Massachusetts will avoid past mistakes where it sprinted to am early lead, only to see brains and capital slip away.

But big dreams don't come cheap.

Patrick's signature effort, a 10-year plan to make Massachusetts a leader in life sciences, carries a $1 billion price tag. Another bill sponsored by House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi would funnel $13 million a year over five years into the development of "green jobs."

Patrick said the new economy, with an emphasis on innovation in health care and clean energy, plays to Massachusetts's natural strengths.

"It's a big upside for us," Patrick said. "It's an economy that depends on innovation, on high tech, on brain power, on some of the assets that we have in concentration already here in the commonwealth."

Not everyone is as enthusiastic.