July 2012 Posts (22)

"Sierra Nevada decided to drill for water at Ferncliff Industrial Park, where the company has purchased 100 of the park’s available 262 acres for development. On the second attempt, officials tapped into a dream water source.

According to Stan Cooper, who will co-manage the Mills River plant, the well will generate about 160 gallons of water per minute, which is roughly 50 gallons a minute more than Sierra Nevada needs for the…

from http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/27525-1

July 23, 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. - The wind that blows across North Carolina supports 3,000 jobs in the state, according to the Southeastern Coastal Wind Coalition. The organization says those jobs could be in jeopardy if Congress does not extend the wind Production Tax Credit (PTC), set to expire at the end of this…

Presented by AppState’s Energy Center, AdvantageWest and the EvolveEnergy Partnership

Renewable Energy Supply Chain Manufacturing Opportunitiesis a series of three workshops that seek to leverage the tremendous market growth for renewable energy equipment – both global and domestic – into increased industry activity and new manufacturing jobs in Western North Carolina.…

From WTOE/WKYK:

The Yancey County Health Department is looking for local farmers to help build the local food supply and thus help with the increasing problem of obesity in the area. The Department recently received a $35,000 Eat Smart Move More Community Grant. The grant will help support the supply and demand for locally grown fresh food available to Yancey County Schools and the local community through a project…

A new report from the nonprofit organization Climate Solutions presents the early results of a range of small- and medium-sized cities that are testing and refining strategies for clean energy and energy efficiency. The report, entitled Powering the New Energy Future from the Ground Up, describes innovative financial mechanisms, pilot projects, and clean energy marketing strategies that can serve as models for other communities around the United States.

Many of the communities…

ASHEVILLE — Farmers, area restaurants and energy-conscious drivers could benefit from a pilot program to develop homegrown biofuels in the mountains.



Blue Ridge Biofuels, AdvantageWest, Biltmore Estate and other partners have been awarded a $130,000 grant from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina for a yearlong study of the F3 or “Field to Fryer to Fuel” program.



Blue Ridge Biofuels will produce edible oils from regionally grown oil seeds, sell these oils to restaurant…

Each year Land-of-Sky Regional Council sponsors the Friends of the River Dinner. Its purpose is to recognize the valuable contribution that many organizations and individuals make to improve the French Broad River and its tributaries. Would you consider being a sponsor this year? Your willingness to be a sponsor of…

Some …

Sundance Power Systems, Inc. is a renewable energy company seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Commercial Sales Representative (Renewable Energy Consultant).  S/He is responsible for renewable business development in the commercial sector, focusing on PV systems 50KW and above as well as Solar Hot Water & Wind projects.  This position will work closely with both the Director of Sales and the Director of Business Development.  S/he will be responsible for all aspects of the…

Rural small businesses can request an energy efficiency assessment by Waste Reduction Partners at a reduced cost. The energy assessment will identify cost effective energy saving measures that can be pursued by your business. WRP’s team of energy professionals has received funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to perform energy efficiency assessments at qualifying rural small businesses in North Carolina. The assessments can also be used by the business as part of a grant…

Hosting an international audience of on-the-ground innovators and executive level decision makers from the public and private sectors as well as thought leaders from academia, SXSW Eco 2012 will evolve the conversation of sustainability beyond rhetoric and towards solutions. Join us in Austin, Texas from October 3-5, 2012 for discovery, cutting-edge discussion and unique…

Two North Carolina vineyards have recently adopted solar technology. In Glen Apline, Lake James Cellars, which is located in an old textile mill once powered by steam and coal, today is running largely on solar power. Owners Michael and Betty Fowler submitted a grant to the N.C. Green Business Fund, which helps small businesses gain improvements in the biofuels and green building industry. Sandy Cross Vineyard in…

On June 19th more than 80 individuals turned out for the third quarterly meeting of the North Carolina Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Taskforce. The meeting held in Kernersville, N.C., brought together representatives from across the state of North Carolina - from state and local governments, PEV industries, academia and nonprofit organizations to regional councils of government (COG), civic groups and PEV drivers associations. Important topics of the meeting included: the current…

N.C. Director of the Green Economy Larry Shirley joined U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, Piedmont Biofuels President Lyle Estill and a host of other government and corporate leaders on June 29 to cut the ribbon on an addition to Piedmont that is the first of its kind in the country.

Piedmont Biofuels opened the doors to the first enzymatic biodiesel plant -- the first facility capable of creating renewable fuel using enzymatic catalysis. The new technology expands the range of fats, oils and…

Like a Jedi responding to changing events by striving to bring balance to the Force, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under Chairman Jon Wellinghoff has been rapidly reshaping the formerly sclerotic electricity sector to make it responsive to new technologies. Some of the sector’s fossil fuel-centric rules left a high barrier to entry for so-called variable resources: energy like wind and solar that are only created when the wind blows or the sun shines, unlike, say, a gas or nuclear…

Several new, federally-funded grant opportunities for biofuel initiatives have been announced by the Obama Administration, as part of the ongoing commitment to reduce our reliance on imported oil. Summaries are listed below, but additional details can be found by following this link:

Additional Details About These Grant…

In May and June 2012, EPA’s Local Climate and Energy Program held a three-part webcast series to help local governments learn how to secure adequate and sustained financing for their clean energy initiatives. This was one of our most popular webcast series ever, so we are very glad to announce that recordings, transcripts, and presentations from all three webcasts are now available on EPA’s local webcasts page, including the Q&A sessions from each webcast.

Part I of the…

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has installed a series of metal trees baring solar panels on the branches near the three visitors areas on the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee. The artistic solar arrays fashioned in the form of a tree were installed at the Welcome Center on Tsali Boulevard, the visitors center on U.S. 19 and a public rest area and information kiosk near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park entrance. The tribe hopes the unique look will draw attention from visitors to the…

From the Wilkes Journal-Patriot:

The Wilkes County Landfill Gas Project is expected to start putting electricity on the grid through Duke Energy next week, said County Planning Director Eddie Barnes.

Under an agreement between Duke Energy and Wilkes County government, Duke will buy all electricity generated by the methane gas project at the old county landfill off Germantown Road in Moravian Falls. County commissioners unanimously approved…

On Monday, July 2, Duke Energy completed its long awaited merger with Progress Energy to become the largest utility company in the US as measured by enterprise value, market capitalization, generation assets, customers and numerous other criteria. Duke now operates five utilities in six states serving over seven million customers.The company will remain headquartered in Charlotte, with substantial operations in…