Marcilynn Burke, Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Interior, will be in Raleigh next Wednesday to talk about North Carolina’s offshore wind resource.  Ms. Burke oversees the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which has jurisdiction over offshore wind leases.   The first lease blocks in federal waters off North Carolina’s coast may become available this year.

With the best offshore wind resources on the East coast, it’s no surprise that the issue is drawing attention in North Carolina.  Award winning photographer and videographer Art Howard will also sit on the forum’s panel.  Mr. Howard will be previewing video from PBS’s upcoming premiere of the final segments of Earth: The Operator’s Manual, to be aired on Earth Day, April 22.
 

Source: Bruce Henderson, Charlotte Observer

Uptown Charlotte’s first wind turbines are spinning atop Packard Place, the funky 1920s car dealership at Church and Third streets that has been renovated into a space for entrepreneurs. The two six-foot turbines don’t look like the familiar image of three-bladed windmills. They look like fans mounted on masts, vanes on either side pointing them into the wind. Like the building’s abstract paint scheme, they’re something different uptown.

A $311,000 grant from the State Energy Office helped turn the circa-1928 building into a model of energy innovation. It’s been certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, green-building program. Among its tenants are CLT Joules, an energy incubator.

The wind turbines share space on the building’s white, heat-reflecting roof with electricity-generating solar panels. Another solar array supplies hot water to bathrooms, a locker room and a restaurant downstairs.

Alganomics, LLC of Southport, a leader in culturing algae for biomass, installed in cooperation with the region’s leading solar company, Cape Fear Solar Systems, LLC, a photovoltaic solar system to offset energy used during the process of culturing algae for biofuel. With the aim to add new alternative energy sources to the renowned tubular photo bioreactor processes, a 4.8 kW solar electric system and hybrid windmills were installed at the algae culturing plant at Oak Island’s Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Implementation of this unique project was possible thanks to a 2009 NC Green Business Fund grant award. This funding source was a conversion from State of NC funds to Federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Stimulus funds for conserving energy, utilizing renewable sources and reducing the carbon footprint. “Creative applications of renewable energy will keep North Carolina in the forefront of innovation for biofuels development and environmental remediation. We are very appreciative to have the opportunity to showcase North Carolina’s vision by teaming with such NC organizations as the Biofuels Center and the Dept. of Commerce,” states Dr. Kimberly Jones, Founder and CSO of Alganomics. The solar system mainly saves energy needed for fluid circulation during the biomass creation process. The hybrid windmills, installed by R.L. Jones & Sons Construction, LLC, feed compressed air into the photobioreactors.

The offshore-wind industry has the potential to create jobs, boost the economy and become a reliable source of renewable energy, according to a study by the NC Governor’s Scientific Advisory Panel on Offshore Energy. The panel found that North Carolina has the largest offshore wind resource on the East Coast, according to a news release. “North Carolina’s extensive coastline and large offshore wind resources appear to make it a prime area for offshore wind development,” the panel says. The report, which was released Wednesday, says North Carolina should continue to promote opportunities for offshore-wind development with the appropriate statutes, rules and regulations that “foster and encourage appropriate offshore-wind development consistent with concerns for the coastal environment and communities.”

The report said the state needed to “engage with the industry to attract to North Carolina a wide range of supply-chain facilities and jobs associated with the emerging wind-energy industry.” Research and development on other forms of ocean renewable energy, such as thermal and hydrokinetic technologies is ongoing and appears promising, although these technologies are not yet ready for widespread commercial development. North Carolina is poised to be a leader in the research and development of these potential energy resources.

The first of its kind conference focusing on the Southeast as a resource for wind energy has been scheduled on March 8-9 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte. Dozens of stakeholders from across the region including, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, have organized the event to educate industry leaders and decision makers about the costs, benefits, and policy options that will drive wind energy development in our area. The Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference gives industry leaders, policy makers and developers a chance to plan the future of wind energy in the Southeast.

State and utility policy makers, county officials, and other stakeholders can now explore the best ways to improve the bottom line of consumer-owned wind turbines with a new Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool and Guidebook. To download a copy, click here.  The Guidebook is also available through the U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Water Power Program online library.
 

RALEIGH, NC — North Carolina’s leading clean energy conference is just around the corner – space is limited so attendees are encouraged to register today!  The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) will hold its annual “Making Energy Work” conference on Wednesday, November 9^th at the Raleigh Convention Center.  The conference is well-known for delivering unparalleled educational content, stimulating discussions and debates, and great networking opportunities for a wide range of attendees including the “novice” to energy industry experts to policymakers – everyone involved with our rapidly-developing clean energy economy.  For more information on the agenda and to register, please visit: http://energync.org/annualmeeting2011.

Have you ever wondered what is causing your electric bill to go up?

Many North Carolinians currently believe our State’s growing use of energy savings solutions and renewable energy are the major cause of their rising electric bills due to inaccurate media stories or other sources.  Through our research into publicly available documents at the NC Utilities Commission, NCSEA has found that since 2000, the average residential customer’s electric bill has steadily risen to pay for the rising cost of coal fuel and new coal and natural gas power plants – not new renewable energy and energy saving solutions.

Each year, NCSEA presents awards to businesses and individuals who show exemplary innovation and leadership in advancing the clean energy economy in North Carolina.  Nominations may be made online by peers, partners or the business or individual themselves.  Award winners will be announced at NCSEA's 2011 Making Energy Work conference on November 9 at the Raleigh Convention Center.  The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, September 23.

RALEIGH – In response to Gov. Bev Perdue’s veto this afternoon of Senate Bill 709, the “Energy Jobs Act,” the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) is calling on legislators to seize this opportunity to develop comprehensive energy legislation that includes a wider range of our in-state energy resources. The goal should be to retain our current clean energy jobs and create thousands of new jobs immediately while also studying potential new resources.