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This video appears on the TED website and really challenges traditional thinking on construction…

Proposals are due by March 18, 2011.  The NC Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach (DEAO) would like to announce the opening of the 2011 Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant Round!

Applicants may request any amount of funding up to a maximum of $30,000.  Applicants must provide at least a 20 percent cash match to the requested grant amount. DEAO has committed $700,000 for this grant cycle.

Counties, municipalities, councils of governments…

   Duke Energy and China-based ENN Group announced an agreement Tuesday to collaborate on the development of technologies to help build greener cities in China and the United States.

The agreement creates the Future Energy Technology Demonstration Platform and paves the way to exchange knowledge on advanced energy, building and transportation technologies.

   The companies’ shared vision for a “green” city encompasses electricity produced via cleaner generation technologies,…

A new report from  the Center for Clean Air Policy shows that smart growth practices enhance community prosperity and create economic benefits for local businesses, households, and governments. Reduced driving and efficient land use are key components of this report: Growing Wealthier: Smart Growth, Climate Change and Prosperity.

Growing Wealthier reports that cities investing in public transportation and downtown development are experiencing cost savings, growing tax revenues,…

Marshall McLuhan's famous quote 'the medium is the message' hits the nail on the head in regard to Eco Arts Awards driving mission to keep ecology top of mind in as many people as is possible. It seems in our overly electronic culture it isn't enough to "see" copious amounts of liter strewn along our roads with our own eyes, we need to see it in a video or perhaps in a photograph to impact us?  Perhaps its simply a numbers game as more people might "see" the photograph than walk down any…

We just received an update from Duke that they've extended the deadline for companies to apply for fully funded clean energy interns to February 4th.  Companies with project ideas would select from graduate-level students at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, Fuqua School of Business and Pratt School of Engineering.  Here are more details about the program and where to apply...

Oftentimes companies find themselves with more projects than…

Ford is working with consumer electronics leader Best Buy to offer a 240-volt home charging station for the company’s all-new Ford Focus Electric battery electric vehicle and future electric vehicles in the United States. Best Buy intends to sell the charging station and offer complete consultation and installation services through its Geek Squad subsidiary and third-party licensed electrical contractors.…

RALEIGH, N.C., – The North Carolina Solar Center, already firmly established in renewable energy circles, is now positioning itself to capture more solar-testing business with a new lab that would be one of only five of its kind in the country.

The Solar Center aims to get the lab accredited by the Solar Rating and Certification Corp., or SRCC, a standards body for the…

An interesting business model that could have great potential in WNC...

SunRun, based in San Francisco, installs solar panels on residences at nominal or no cost. Homeowners sign 20-year contracts to buy power at a fixed price, around 15 percent less than their current electric bills. The contract is linked to the house; when the homeowner sells, the next resident inherits the panels and the arrangement. Houses that generate more power than they use receive credits.

"To unlock…

A new study released today by America 2050 identifies the high-speed rail corridors with the greatest potential to attract ridership in each of the nation's megaregions.  Corridors connecting populous regions with large job centers, rail transit…

Application Due: March 10, 2011. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) helps distressed communities establish a foundation for durable regional economies throughout the United States. EDA generally allocates funds for the Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund (GCCMIF) to support projects that foster economic competitiveness while enhancing environmental quality. EDA anticipates that these funds will be used to advance the green economy by supporting projects that create…

Application Due: February 4, 2011. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development request proposals for the Transformation Initiative: Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program. Through this RFP, HUD is primarily interested in sponsoring cutting edge research in affordable housing development and preservation, transportation-related issues, economic development and job creation, land use planning and urban design, green and sustainable energy practices, and a range of issues…

As gas prices inch past the $3 a gallon mark, coalitions across the nation are moving forward with plans so drivers can “charge-up” as well as fill-up.

As coordinator of the Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition, Waynesville resident Bill Eaker is working to implement a state grant which will fund up to 25 charging stations in the five-county region.…

From Scott Mouw, NC State Recycling Program Director

North Carolinians can do something simple every day to help get the state’s economy on track – recycle.

A recently completed study by the N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach (found online at http://www.p2pays.org/ref/53/52107.pdf) shows that recycling continues to be a driver of economic activity and job growth in North Carolina. Successive studies from…

The North Carolina Energy Office intends to post a solicitation for a second round of proposals from owners of commercial facilities, industrial facilities and incorporated large nonprofit organizations for energy efficiency upgrades using commercially available technologies to reduce energy and petroleum consumption, cut costs and emissions.

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a large nonprofit organization is one whose proposed project contains at least one…

InnoVenture Southeast 2011 is accepting applications to present from champions in industry, academia and entrepreneurial firms who have game changing opportunities and seeking customers, capital, talent, or technology from influential, connected…

This request for proposals from the NC Division of Air Quality, totaling about $350,000, is funded by a federal grant which allows for funding diesel projects only. Local governments, private and public schools, non-profits, for profit businesses, etc are all eligible to apply.

Examples On-Road Projects:

• Replacement or alternative fuel truck projects.
• Biodiesel buy-down projects.
• School bus projects.
• All other projects…

The US Department of Energy recently launched The Home Energy Score, a new web-based tool for homeowners to compare the energy performance of their home to similar homes. The Home Energy Score will offer homeowners straightforward, reliable information about their homes' energy efficiency. A report provides consumers with a home energy score between 1 and 10, and shows them how their home compares to others…