June 2012 Posts (10)

From the Watauga Democrat:

..."I took it from there,” she said, “and began growing just a few varieties and selling them at the farmer's market. 



Soon, they developed a fan base at the Watauga County Farmer's Market. “I got better at growing them, and then we contacted Vidalia downtown and they were interested in buying from us for the restaurant,” Jill said.  



“People always think Blowing Rock and Banner Elk for fine dining,”…

From the Raleigh News & Observer:

The state’s lead utility regulator suggested Monday that a much-anticipated N.C. Utilities Commission ruling on the proposed merger between Progress Energy and Duke Energy could come any day.

At the conclusion of a brief public hearing in Raleigh, Commission Chairman Edward Finley Jr. said participants in the merger proceedings are welcome to make more filings for the commissioners to consider. But Finley warned that the…

Asheville, N.C. (June 27, 2012) – Land of Sky Regional Council, the City of Asheville and Mission Health today

held an event to celebrate the delivery of new natural gas vehicles to their fleets at the newly expanded City of

Asheville Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Station at 45 McCormick Place.

Constructed in 2005, the Asheville CNG Station was expanded to accommodate the increasing use of natural

gas powered vehicles in the region. The station is open to other…

Duncan McPherson, AIA, LEED AP Architect, is a principal and vice president at Samsel Architects in Asheville. SamselArchitects has produced award-winning design in Western North Carolina. The firm specializes in custom residential architecture, inns, galleries, retail,…

Each year, the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) recognizes businesses and individuals who show exemplary innovation and leadership in the advancement of North Carolina's clean energy economy. For a list of previous winners, click here.

Nominate your peers, business partners or yourself!  The 2012 Clean Energy Award winners will be announced at NCSEA's 2012 conference…

MOUNTAIN XPRESS: Last Wednesday, an amendment sponsored by Rep. Tim Moffitt (R-Buncombe) passed the North Carolina House as a part of Senate Bill 229. The bill subsequently passed the full House on Monday night. The Moffitt amendment ensures that funds received by the state from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) lawsuit will be given only to 16 Western North Carolina counties that are served by the TVA or are in the Tennessee River watershed.



“Any funds received from a…

Growing up on a Wake County farm, Barry Edwards learned to find uses for what others would throw away. As Catawba County’s utilities and engineering director, he’s taken that ethos to an award-winning extreme. Edwards oversees the county’s Regional EcoComplex, which has paired with the county landfill to become a center of energy enterprise and research.

From a rise overlooking the 800-acre site about 37 miles northwest of Charlotte, Edwards points out the pieces of a…

CLYDE — Haywood Community College promotes environmental sustainability in its operations, practices and education through the use of solar energy, biodiesel generation, low-impact development and extensive school and community sustainability projects.

Last month, the school was recognized nationally as an environmental sustainability leader when Second Nature and the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment gave the school…

"Not Your Father's Energy Efficiency": New "Intelligent Efficiency" Discoveries Focus on Interconnected Systems-Not Devices Such as Cars or Refrigerators; Shift in Emphasis Could Slash 12-22 Percent of Current U.S. Energy Use

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 5, 2012): America now has a major new source of energy that could rival the contribution made to the economy by natural gas, coal, and nuclear power, according to a report released today by the American Council for…

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES: Much of a pot of money intended to increase energy efficiency and reduce pollution in Western North Carolina could go to farms in the eastern part of the state. The 2012-13 budget bill passed by the state House on Wednesday would give the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer…