North Carolina’s Green Realtor Blog

By Jim Morrill
jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

Three Charlotte-area companies are among those that will benefit from more than $2.5 million in federal stimulus money coming to North Carolina to foster jobs in the so-called green economy, officials announced Wednesday.

The three are among 18 companies receiving nearly $1.4 million in stimulus grants announced by Gov. Bev Perdue.

And U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., announced more than $1 million in grants. Most – $946,000 – will go to the state’s Employment Security Commission to collect and publicize information about green jobs.

Hagan said $100,000 will go to Telamon Corp., a Raleigh nonprofit, to train workers in green industries.

“The number one issue on everybody’s mind is jobs – jobs, jobs, jobs,” Hagan said in a conference call with reporters.

Meanwhile, Perdue, like Hagan a Democrat, announced grants of up to $100,000 to small N.C. companies to develop and market green and alternative energy technologies and products. They’re part of the third round of grants from the state Commerce Department’s Green Business Fund.

Among the recipients:

Haywood Landfill Gas LLC, Matthews: $100,000 to help develop a green energy facility in Haywood County that would convert landfill gas to energy.

SBM Solar Inc., Concord: $100,000 to help produce solar roofing for commercial and residential buildings.

SunQest Inc., Newton: $50,718 to help commercialize a solar thermal system to heat residential, building, pool and other medium-temperature applications.

Earlier, Hagan had announced other stimulus grants for green energy.

In October, Duke Energy and Raleigh’s Progress Energy each received $200 million to invest in a smart energy grid. And in August, Charlotte’s Celgard received a $49 million grant to produce components of next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Big screens that gulp electricity spur first energy-efficiency rules for television makers.
By Samantha Young
Associated Press
Posted: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. California regulators adopted the nation’s first energy-efficiency standards for televisions Wednesday in hopes of reducing electricity use at a time when millions of American households are switching to power-hungry, wide-view, flat-panel, high-definition sets.

The 5-0 vote by the California Energy Commission is just the latest effort by the state to secure its place in the forefront of the environmental movement.

California represents such a big consumer market that environmental groups hope the new standards will lead manufacturers to make energy-saving TVs for the rest of the nation, just as California’s stringent fuel standards for cars and trucks forced automakers to produce more efficient models for all of the U.S.

“Once again, California is leading the way, and we hope others will follow,” said Noah Horowitz, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The commission estimates that TVs account for about 10 percent of a home’s electricity use. The fear is that energy use will rise as people buy bigger, more elaborate TVs and put more of them in their homes.

The California regulations requiring televisions to be more efficient will be phased in beginning in 2011. The standards will become even tougher in 2013.

“We have every confidence this industry will be able to meet the rule and then some,” state Energy Commissioner Julia Levin said. “It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health, and it will spark innovation.”

Some manufacturers warned that the regulations will cripple innovation and limit consumer choice.

By Bruce Henderson
bhenderson@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

The N.C. Utilities Commission on Wednesday denied environmentalists’ move to stop the expansion of Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal-fired power plant west of Charlotte.

The N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network had asked the commission to revoke its approval of the 800-megawatt expansion, called a certificate of public convenience and necessity, that was granted in 2007.

“The decision reaffirms that Cliffside is needed so we can continue to provide our customers” with electricity, said Duke spokesman Jason Walls.

With the ruling, the only remaining challenges to Cliffside are before a state administrative court. A federal lawsuit filed by environmental groups to stop or modify the expansion was dismissed earlier this year.

Before the utilities commission, WARN claimed that completing the project was no longer in the public interest. The need for the expansion, it said, is based on Duke’s potential sales of wholesale power, not the electricity demands of its Carolinas retail customers.

Duke argued that there was no legal basis to revoke the certificate. Despite slumping demand for electricity, it said, the Cliffside expansion is still needed.

The utility commission’s Public Staff, which advocates for customers, sided with Duke.

In denying the WARN motion Wednesday, the commission found there is a continued need for baseload power generation – the workhorse electricity producers such as coal-fired plants. It noted that Duke had already invested $1.1 billion, through 2008, of the $1.8 billion construction budget.

WARN executive director Jim Warren said the group has not decided whether to appeal.

Developers are planning a new eco-friendly development in Kannapolis, meant to serve as a gateway to the N.C. Research Campus.

The 32-acre, $35 million Research Commerce Park will feature 275,000 square feet of commercial space, including a convenience store, office buildings and two hotels.

DPE Investments of Charlotte created a master plan for the site, near Interstate 85’s exit 63, with Kannapolis and Concord officials and the LandTrust for Central North Carolina. DPE swapped 62 acres of land – to be permanently protected from development – to the city of Concord in exchange for 17 acres it will use for part of the commercial park.

The plan for the park includes three ponds and a 300-foot buffer from Lake Fisher. Buildings will feature natural and recycled materials.

“This is very positive for the area,” said Doug Ehmann of DPE Investments. “It provides economic development for Kannapolis, watershed protection for Concord and a conservation easement for the state. It is a win-win-win situation.”

Ehmann plans to break ground on the project next year and finish three or four years later.

By Bruce Henderson
bhenderson@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Monday, Jul. 06, 2009

Duke Energy will build a new wind farm in Colorado, the company said today as it closed on its acquisition of a wind project in Pennsylvania.

Duke will develop the 51-megawatt Kit Carson Windpower Project on 6,000 acres near Burlington, Colo. The power will supply 44 electric cooperatives under a 20-year purchase agreement with the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

The 34 wind turbines will begin spinning in late 2010. It will be Duke’s first wind project in Colorado, but the company has three farms operating or under construction in Wyoming.

Duke closed today on its first wind project in the East, the 70-megawatt North Allegheny Windpower Project 95 miles east of Pittsburgh. Duke bought the project, to start operating later this year, from turbine maker and developer Gamesa Energy USA.

Duke has more than 500 megawatts of wind generation in operation, and another 5,000 megawatts in potential development projects

As builders and remodelers retool their businesses in a tight credit market and recapture the interest of jittery consumers, this spring is the greenest yet for the nation’s home building industry, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). More than 3,100 builders, remodelers, designers and others in the home building business have earned the Certified Green Professional educational designation. Based on the successful completion of 24 hours of instruction, industry experience and commitment to continuing education, the designation provides consumers with confidence in the qualifications of credentialed professionals, Robson said.

More than 200 single-family homes, remodeling projects and developments in 43 states have received National Green Building Certification, with another 300-plus scheduled for inspections.
-RealTrends

The new North Carolina Budget eliminates most of the Renewable Energy and sustainable manufacturing TAX CREDITS. This would hurt the state with new jobs, new business starts ups and ultimately the sale of real estate.

Read and article here for details:

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001T2AuwWIviA-Evcg2vHmp6N-l_6xobxqGdwXPoVoL4cY23qDDlg9pl5YppllV32AXhLQTwSSBbAL4LSwfH-PsNSJI0GAUCOHQ3OaoGHBlhBqvXINkVbMo87WZgCgl_u_D

After reading the article please consider contracting your local state representatives

NC General Assembly (House of Representatives by County)

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=House

NC General Assembly (Senate by County)

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=Senate

If we all make our voices heard, perhaps we can make a difference in our future as well as the future iof our state and our children.

Thanks for listening.

Judy Wagner

http://www.Home2Mtn.com

Ask us about the new sustainable Enertia® Home in Boone, NC…NO Fuel…NO Power…NO Problem!