The Asheville area could see some 1,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2015, according to estimates by Land of Sky Regional Council. By the end of this year, drivers can start recharging their cars for free at 25 electrical stations around the region, funded by $150,000 from a federal grant, Bill Eaker of Land of Sky's Clean Car Coalition said during a news conference Thursday at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.…

Deadline: 9/1/11

Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Program: Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program

Description:   The purpose of the USDA SBIR program is to provide an opportunity for US-owned, for-profit small business firms to submit innovative, applied, research and development projects that address important problems facing American agriculture and have the potential to lead to significant…

Cheap Money for Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Projects

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

By Mary Tiger

The report, “Breaking New Ground,” contains data from a survey of…

The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) is expanding its policy and outreach staff in Raleigh and across the state. Click on the following links to learn more about each position and apply today:

• Senior Regulatory & Policy Analyst…

I know this isn't a WNC related article, but it was just too cool not to share!

Lawmakers in Nevada made a pretty forward-thinking move a couple weeks ago when they passed a measure ordering new regulations for driverless cars. Many vehicles already participate in once-human-driven activities like parking and skid control, and it’s not long until they’ll be…

The NC Department of Commerce’s State of the North Carolina Workforce 2011-2020 report provides an in-depth analysis of the supply of available workers and the workforce demand in the state.  The report highlights Energy and the Green Economy as an emerging cluster with potential for growth in renewable energy generation and “green” products and services.  The …

Today, Governor Bev Perdue announced that high concentration photovoltaic (hcpv) solar  module company Semprius will be locating a pilot manufacturing plant in Henderson, NC. According to Governor Perdue, " Semprius chose to launch this cutting edge technology in North Carolina because our investments in education and worker training ensure that they can find the job-ready employees they need,” and, “We welcome them to North Carolina: the smart grid capital of the world.”

Joe Carr,…

According to researchers Brookings and Battelle, green jobs offer 20% higher wages across the US, with median wages at $46,343 compared to $38,616. In an article by USA today,  "total jobs across the clean-tech sector now outpace those of the oil industry and are double those of the biosciences industry". This is part of their profile of a report recently released by the Brookings Institution. In this report, Brookings urged federal government policy makers to enforce strict tax policies on…

North Carolina has nearly 80,000 green jobs coming from solar, green building and electric vehicle tech industries. Buncombe county alone has 213  green companies and the Asheville metropolitan area, which includes Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Haywood, has more clean energy companies per capita than elsewhere in NC. This information comes from the NCSEA 2011 Clean Energy Databook, profiled…

On Friday, June 24, 2011, Governor Beverly Perdue signed SB 708 into law and, with it, approved a new Energy Conservation Code for the residential and commercial buildings in North Carolina. This new code, the fruit of over two years of work, will save home and business owners money on their monthly energy bills and help retain and create jobs in every region of our state. It delivers significant improvements in insulation levels, window performance and building…

North Carolina Manufacturing Competitiveness:…

UNC is seeking a dynamic, persuasive, creative, and analytical individual to update and maintain our greenhouse gas emissions inventories and  advance our climate action plan. If you like to crunch numbers that tell a story, display data in compelling formats, evaluate new energy options, and champion new initiatives, then please apply today. The position closes July 15.  …

The NC Energy Office Weatherization Assistance Program is recruiting for the below positions located in Wake County, Carteret County, and Asheville.  The first 9 are temporary positions (through March of 2012) and are part of a multifamily pilot project.  The last 2 are permanent positions with Weatherization and are located in the NC Energy Office in Raleigh.

Details and application instructions may be found below.  If you know of anyone who may be interested in these…

Lowe's,the world's second largest home improvement retailer, and Sungevity, the nation's fastest growing residential solar company announced a new agreement that will offer homeowners the easiest and most affordable solar solutions in the marketplace, marking a significant step in the mainstream adoption of residential solar. Through the agreement, Lowe's will provide consumers with Sungevity's quick, easy and proprietary iQuote, a process that utilizes satellite images and aerial…

Progress Energy Inc. is seeking proposals from newly constructed or existing wind power projects to meet the requirements of the state’s Renewable Energy and Efficiency Portfolio Standard.

Progress Energy (NYSE:PGN) has more than 100 megawatts of renewable-energy capacity but no wind projects in North Carolina.

The Raleigh-based company says it prefers facilities within North Carolina but will consider suppliers from other states. The deadline for companies to submit…

Grants to 17 New and Emerging Businesses Help Energy Efficiency and Job Growth

RALEIGH – Secretary Keith Crisco today announced that 17 new and emerging small businesses in North Carolina will share $3.7 million in grants from the Green Business Fund to help them use energy and resources more efficiently and cut utility costs so dollars can be focused on growing the businesses to create and retain jobs.  All together, these 17 projects will create or retain 108…