November 2011 Posts (36)

A series of three public outreach sessions will be held next week in western North Carolina to gather views of the public concerning a June 2011 settlement between the Tennessee Valley Authority and several states, including North Carolina, on the impact of coal-fired power plant pollution and its consequences for the states.

As a result of a negotiated settlement signed by a federal judge in June, North Carolina will receive about…

FLS Energy, recently ranked the 46th fastest growing company in the US by INC Magazine, will be moving from their Amboy Road HQ to Roberts Street, in the "heart of the River-Arts District". President, Dale Freudenberge has stated "In the end, it came down to which property would best meet the needs of our employees: a central location, a connection to…

http://icma.org/en/icma/newsroom/highlights/Article/101601/Solar_Power_and_Job_Creation?pub=104&issue=&utm_source=Local+Government+Matters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=

Blacksburg,SC may soon be the home to a 180,000-sq.-ft. solar  manufacturing facility. Franchise Investment Group has announced it will invest $18 million in this facility for Global Energy Franchise which will produce panels for residential and commercial customers.

Global plans to hirelocally from the area and conduct job skills training in partnership…

CEO of Colorado's Sundrop Fuels spoke last week on Thanksgiving about the new proposed  location of a $450 Million biofuels refinery; Wayne Simmons stated "Our decision to locate in Rapides Parish underscores Louisiana's commitment to the advanced biofuels industry" he said, "and we look forward to our partnership in helping meet the nation's growing energy needs."

This facility will…

Amy's Kitchen will be hosting on Monday Nov. 28th from 9:00am - 11:00 am a meeting with John Aselage, the Organic Purchasing Manager for Amy's Kitchen. Amy's Kitchen in the nation’s largest organic prepared food manufacturer and will be opening a facility in Greenville, SC. in the…

From the Office of the Governor:

Gov. Bev Perdue today announced more than $3.4 million in federal grants are available for North Carolina non-profits and government agencies to recruit AmeriCorps members.  Interested non-profits and government agencies that provide tutoring, mentoring, disaster services, environmental stewardship, education on healthy futures, job training and placement and aid to military families should apply.  

The N.C. Commission on…

On November 16th, 2011 FLS Energy Inc. announced that it has begun construction on what will be one of the largest solar water heating projects in the United States for a poultry processor in St. Pauls, North Carolina. When complete, the solar thermal plant at Prestage Foods' turkey processing plant will feature 2,100 AET-40 modules, for a total of 7,760 square meters of collector area. The system will provide an estimated 380,000 liters of hot water per day, with an annual…

Duke Energy Renewables revealed on Tuesday the completion of the acquisition of three 1-megawatt (MW) commercial solar projects in North Carolina, expanding to seven commercial solar farms, for an undisclosed value. The seller is ESA Renewables LLC. According to Duke Energy Renewables this portfolio consists of the 4,298-panel Murphy Farm Solar Project, the 4,340-panel Wingate Solar Project and the 4,242-panel Holiness Solar…

Following a trade case suit filed against Chinese Solar panel manufacturers by the US Department of Commerce, many companies are shifting production to South Korea, Taiwan and the US. The Department of Commerce filed an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy case against Chinese solar panel manufacturers on Nov. 9. Despite the appearance that these Chinese companies are "gloomy about their chances of winning the case" they have filed a trade case suit of their own against the US.

According to…

NC-CHP Owner I, LLC of Asheville, N.C., received a $5 million loan for the installation of a combined heat and power system in Montgomery County. The system will generate steam by using a boiler system powered by wood chips and will also generate 5.25 million kWh of electricity per year.

Deputy Agriculture Undersecretary for Rural Development Doug O'Brien today announced that USDA is funding a series of projects to convert biomass to energy through USDA's Rural Energy for…

N.C. RBAC

 

The purpose of this grant program is to reduce the flow of solid waste to disposal facilities and encourage the sustainable recovery of materials from North Carolina’s waste stream. To achieve that purpose, RBAC seeks viable, well-planned and effective proposals from recycling businesses in North Carolina wanting to start up or expand recovery efforts.

Projects involving the collection,…

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina seeks a visionary, creative, and experienced professional to position the Center and biofuels statewide and beyond with key constituencies and audiences through clear messages, targeted strategies, varied communicational formats, and trust.  Established by the Legislature in 2007 to implement North Carolina’s…

“Recycling proponents have joined this fray by sponsoring the "Less Pollution, More Jobs" report, prepared by the nonprofit research group Tellus Institute.

The report finds that waste diversion, unlike disposal, is more labor intensive and thus 85 % of the new jobs result from collecting, processing, and composting trash as well as making new products with recycled materials. It says a 75% recycling or diversion rate would generate 2.3 million jobs by 2030 -- 1.1 million more jobs…

Keiser Analytics has released a new report that highlights the continuing decrease in prices of solar energy. This report stresses that solar energy is quickly approaching "grid parity" and "installation cost is bringing PV pricing into the US$3-US$5 per watt range for residential installations, while some commercial installations in the US are already below US$3 per watt."

From the president of Keiser Analytics, "“We are about to cross an inflection point for solar PV demand in the…

North Carolina boasts an international smart grid cluster, two of the 50 fastest growing companies in the nation (both are renewable energy companies), and regional initiatives, including the EvolveEnergy Partnership, Charlotte New Energy Capital and the Research Triangle CleanTech Cluster. These assets are supported by a diverse sector with industry activities across all major focus areas. In only a few short years, the clean energy…

Annually, the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) issues orders on how much electricity rates must be increased or decreased. In making this decision, they consider several cost factors, such as the impact of fuel- and non-fuel related rates on utility ratepayers.In "Understanding the Impact of Electric Generation Choices on North Carolina Electricity Rates", the NCSEA evalutes the role of energy resource choices as drivers of electric rate increases in North Carolina over the past…

Yesterday from the NYT, Paul Krugman on Fracking: "Economics 101 tells us that an industry imposing large costs on third parties should be required to “internalize” those costs...it’s worth pointing out that special treatment for fracking makes a mockery of free-market principles"

Krugman also tackles why our federal government should continue to support solar energy despite "cries of 'Solyndra!'" from "the entire G.O.P." He states " 'there’s now frequent talk of a ‘Moore’s law’ in…

A new rooftop solar energy system at Viscotec Automotive Parts is helping the company reach its environmental goals, and helping with electricity costs for the City of Morganton, too. United Renewable energy installed the 200 kW solar energy photovoltaic system earlier this month. The array uses 871 230-watt crystalline solar panels. Viscotec Vice President Jeff Kale said the panels generate enough electricity to the meet the demand of 20 average American homes. The solar…