The Advanced Vehicle Research Center garage in Raleigh is one of a handful of companies that converts the Prius or other hybrids into plug-in hybrids, doubling their gas mileage. The result: A car that breaks a once-unimaginable fuel efficiency and delivers 100 miles per gallon, on average, with some drivers reaching 150 to 200 mpg under optimal conditions. The spare battery costs less than 75 cents to charge and gives the plug-in Prius about a 35-mile range solely on electric power, making gas optional on short commutes.

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/technology/story/1213178.html

Several related stories:

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1144110.html
July 17, 2008
"CHARLOTTE - An environmental group asked a federal judge Wednesday to halt construction of a new coal-fired generator in Western North Carolina until Duke Energy proves that it is using the best technology to stop hazardous pollution."

http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/711915.html
July 14, 2008
"...Pollution drifting from its [TVA] coal-fired power plants, N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper says, makes the nation's largest public power company a public nuisance. Cooper gets his chance to prove it today in a federal court in Asheville. ...Cooper wants TVA to install pollution controls similar to those North Carolina required of Duke Energy and Progress Energy in 2002. The estimated cost to TVA: $516 million a year.  Reducing wind-blown pollutants from TVA plants in Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky would prevent 99 premature deaths, 19,000 asthma attacks and 2,300 lost school days a year in North Carolina, the state says in court filings. Each year of delay, an expert witness is expected to testify, costs the state and its residents $672 million in health costs."

http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/1144694.html
July 18, 2008
"CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Duke Energy Corp. said Thursday it will fight any attempts to stop construction of a new coal-fired power generator in western North Carolina, arguing it was issued a "legal, valid permit" by the state's Division of Air Quality.  ...Duke began construction of the $2.4 billion, 800-megawatt generator in late January, a day after the state issued its final air quality permit."

http://www.RenewableEnergyWorld.com/rea/news/story?id=53096&src=rss

 

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1139226.html

"A federal appeals court Friday upheld a challenge by North Carolina and struck down the regulatory cornerstone of the Bush administration's efforts to control air pollution.  The state was joined by Duke Power and other utilities, which charged that the Environmental Protection Agency exceeded its authority when it established the 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule."

In response to NCSEA's collaborative work to create a Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard law in North Carolina, our State's clean energy markets are now developing rapidly.  Sencera International Corporation's recent announcement to build a thin-film solar manufacturing facility in NC is just the most recent example.  Read several stories on this below:

http://www.RenewableEnergyWorld.com/rea/news/story?id=53021&src=rss
"Sencera International Corporation announced that it plans to invest US $36.8 million in a new manufacturing plant in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company said that the plan was made possible in part by a US $62,000 One North Carolina Fund grant as well as local incentives from the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County."

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2008/07/07/daily6.html
"Sencera International Corp. will invest $36.8 million to build a solar-module factory in Mecklenburg County.  The company, which develops devices that convert solar energy into electricity, expects to create 65 jobs here over the next three years.  Salaries will vary by job type, but the average annual wage will be $73,462, not including benefits. Mecklenburg County’s average annual wage is $48,724."

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/nc/story/1134074.html
"RALEIGH - A solar-panel company will create 65 jobs and invest more than $36 million in the next three years to build a factory in Mecklenburg County."

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS32590+08-Jul-2008+BW20080708
"Sencera International Corporation, a manufacturer of thin film solar (photovoltaic) modules is expanding in Charlotte. The company plans to invest $36.8 million and create 65 jobs during the next three years. It was made possible in part by a $62,000 One North Carolina Fund grant as well as local incentives from the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County."