RALEIGH - A Nobel Peace Prize winner, the leader of one of North Carolina’s most dynamic energy product innovators, the sustainability chief of one of the nation’s top craft brewers and the Electric Vehicle Manager with Nissan LEAF in Tennessee, will highlight presentations at the N.C. Dept. of Commerce Energy Office’s 10th annual Sustainable Energy Conference in Raleigh April 15-17.

“The state’s clean energy sector has been identified as one of the top national growth trends, vaulting North Carolina into a top-tier state for clean energy jobs and lifting the entire Southeast with it, said N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker. “Energy activity and issues will continue to dominate the state’s economic development landscape and will be front-and-center at our annual Sustainable Energy Conference.”

In addition to the conference’s traditional agenda, a bonus Smart Grid Forum, highlighting growth and developments in the state’s substantial Smart Grid sector of the energy economy, has been added to the conference lineup with a keynote from Eric Lightner, director of the federal Smart Grid Taskforce.

All conference sessions will take place at N.C. State University’s McKimmon Center, at the corner of Western Blvd. and Gorman St. in Raleigh. The full agenda for the conference is available online at: http://www.sustainable-energy-conference.org/agenda.html

Keynote speakers include:

• Marilyn Brown, a professor of energy policy in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, will deliver the opening keynote at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16.  Brown is a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The prize was awarded jointly to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

• James Ellis, electric vehicle manager for Nissan North America.  Ellis manages projects that promote the acceptance of electric vehicles, and he helps develop strategies for charging infrastructure development. Before his career at Nissan, Ellis was senior manager for transportation and infrastructure for the Tennessee Valley Authority.  He will speak at noon on Tuesday, April 16.

• Ty Mitchell, Executive Vice President for Cree Inc.; Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, mercury-free LED lighting.  Mitchell oversees the rapidly growing business focusing on commercial and residential LED lighting.  He will speak at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17.

• Cheri Chastain has, for more than six years, been sustainability coordinator for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the Chico, Calif.-based craft beer brewer that is expanding with a major east-coast presence in Asheville.  She is responsible for maintaining current policies and projects, and working on new project development along with monitoring energy use, conservation, and generation; managing waste avoidance, recycling, and composting efforts as well as researching and implementing alternative fuel options and works toward water conservation and reuse.  She will speak at noon on Wednesday, April 17.

• Eric Lightner, director of the Federal Smart Grid Task Force, has worked as a manager for advanced technology in the U.S. Department of Energy for the last 18 years.  As head of the Smart Grid Taskforce, it is his mission to ensure awareness, coordination and integration of smart grid-related activities throughout the federal government.  He will open the Smart Grid Forum at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 15.  The forum will also include specially-focused panels and sessions.

As elected officials debate potential development for fossil fuels, Environment Entrepreneurs, a national organization of energy innovators, recognizes North Carolina’s clean energy sector as one of the top growing in the nation.  The growth in deployment of solar energy has been one of the state’s economic development bright spots during the depths of the great recession.  Solar Energy sector jobs in North Carolina added 21,160 jobs while the general economy shed more than 100,000.

Panel discussions will feature several topics including: wind and solar power; onshore and offshore fossil fuel exploration, sustainable agriculture; renewable energy project finance and others.  In addition, there will be a special exhibit of alternative and plug-in electronic vehicles.

The N.C. Solar Center is proud to be a sponsor of the conference.  Click here to register and see the conference agenda.

N.C. Solar Center presenters include:

Lyra Rakusin – Session R, NC Renewable Energy Supply Chain & Workforce Training – 4/17, 10:30am – Noon

Jen Banks – Session W, NC Wind Market Update – 4/17, 1:30pm -2:45pm

The North Carolina Energy Office’s Ninth Annual Sustainable Energy Conference is just around the corner (April 19 & 20 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh) and you don’t want to miss it.  Keynote speakers this year include: John Hanger the former head of the Pennsylvania Department of Environment; Nick Hamon, head of sustainability for Bayer CropScience; Rob Gramlick, head of public policy for the American Wind Energy Association and Dan Peaco of LaCapra Associates, who will give an update on where our state stands in meeting its renewable energy portfolio standard and what steps can be taken to do more.

Panel sessions will provide insights on financing renewable and sustainable energy enterprises; the achievements of energy-related federal Recovery Act programs in the state and the effective implementation of alternative and renewable energy resources and projects.  If you’ve been procrastinating about signing up, no problem.  If you sign up online, – http://www.sustainable-energy-conference.org/earlyreg_form.html – you can still qualify for the special low rate for government and non-profit groups.  Registration includes full access all sessions and exhibits for the two-day conference and continental breakfast and full lunch both days.  There will also be a special exhibit of electric vehicles and a bonus session on Thursday evening hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurial Development.

Don’t delay, this offer will expire at the close of business on Tuesday April 10.  Registration online at:

http://www.sustainable-energy-conference.org/earlyreg_form.html

Drivers can fill up with E85 at $2.85/gallon

WHO:       Danny “Chocolate” Myers, legendary NASCAR gasman, and Curator, Richard Childress Racing Museum;  Chris Bender, Director, Government and Public Affairs, Novozymes;  Marcy Bauer, Engineering Extension Specialist, North Carolina Solar Center;  Kokila Amin, Owner, KarGO Express Mart

WHAT:   Legendary NASCAR gasman and host of Tradin’ Paint, popular racing show on Sirius-XM NASCAR 90 “Chocolate” Myers will pump patrons’ E85 ( 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) fuel, sign autographs and help raise awareness about flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) and renewable fuels for E(arth)-85 Day.  The station will offer E85 at $2.85/gallon and have several new FFVs on display including the public unveiling of the new Novozymes ‘Zymobile’ – a colorfully-wrapped Dodge Charger promoting advanced biofuels made using the Franklinton, North Carolina company’s enzyme technology. FFVs are capable of operating on E85, gasoline or any blend in between.

The first two patrons to fill up after 11:00 a.m. will be awarded a pair of tickets to the NASCAR Charlotte race over Memorial Day Weekend, courtesy of Novozymes.

WHEN:     Friday, April 20, 2012;   11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

WHERE:  KarGO Express Mart, 1210 New Bern Ave, Raleigh

WHY:       April 16-22 is Earth Week, with April 22 celebrated as Earth Day.  As gas prices continue to climb higher into the peak driving season, consumers need to know they have a choice today at the pump.  American-made biofuels have between 60-90% less CO2 emissions than gasoline, generally help reduce the price of a gallon of gasoline, and flex-fuel vehicles are available today at no extra cost to take advantage of using this fuel.

Auto manufacturers are offering over 60 FFVs makes and models in 2012 and have pledged to increase production annually.  According to RL Polk in 2011 there were over 236,000 FFVs in North Carolina. There are only 18 service stations in the state that offer the high blend of renewable fuel. The KarGO Express Mart is the only E85 station in Raleigh.

NASCAR has been using E15 (a blend of 15% ethanol and gasoline) in their racing series since 2011.  Drivers and team management alike have found the fuel to be an overall benefit to their cars’ performance.

On April 2, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the first applications from gas stations for registration of fuel made with a blend of 15-percent ethanol, or E15.  To enable widespread adoption of E15, the Obama administration has set a goal to help fueling station owners install 10,000 blender pumps over the next five years.

Learn more!

Ethanol Overview

E85 Flex Fuel Vehicle List

Retail locations for ethanol

Charlotte Convention Center

The 2012 Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference is a first-of-its-kind event that highlights Southeastern assets for wind energy deployment within the region. The conference is a collaborative effort involving more than 40 regional stakeholders from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Topics will include the region’s supply chain, resource, and market strengths to educate decision makers about costs, benefits, and policy options for wind energy. Offshore and coastal onshore wind energy will be discussed at this conference with a concentration on offshore wind energy.

The agenda features a slate of renowed speakers including Keith Crisco, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Commerce; Eric Lantz, Energy Analyst, National Renewable Energy Labs; and Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. 

Keynote speaker:  Ned Farquhar, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior

REGISTER NOW!

SUSTAINABILITY: Optional no longer

9th Annual Sustainable Energy Conference
April 19-20, 2012
McKimmon Center in Raleigh, NC

Highlights of the 9th Annual Sustainable Energy Conference

• individual registration fees still at 2008 levels
• PDH continuing education hours
• over 60 commercial and agency exhibits
• lively reception and breakout sessions
• great speakers and panelists on topics such as:

Finance & Jobs
Popular Consumer Demand
Smart Infrastructure
Agency Driven Economic Development
Statistical review of impact
Smart Grid
Incentives for Job Creation and Finance
Energy Internships and Fellowships
Residential & Commercial Building Codes
K-12 Public Schools
Performance Contracting
NC Home-Grown Energy from Solar,
Natural Gas, Wind, and Bioenergy
Deferred Maintenance

Corporate Culture of Sustainability
Weatherization, Residential & Multi-Family
Clean Power Efficiency
USI Cutting Edge Technologies
Business to Business Financing
Sustainable Agriculture
2011 Appliance Rebate Program
Energy Storage
Utility Savings Initiative Case Studies
Education and Training Programs
Electric vehicles
Lessons Learned from Hurricane Irene
Energy Star-Homes
Recovery Act/Lessons Learned

To learn more and register, visit:  http://www.sustainable-energy-conference.org

Rusty Haynes, Policy Project Manager at the NC Solar Center, will discuss the nuances of state solar policies and markets at PV America 2011, which will be held in Philadelphia, PA, from 4/3/2011 – 4/5/2011. He will also moderate his session, titled “Next Generation PV Policy: What Does the Future Hold and Where are the Opportunities?”

Haynes ia a project manager for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), the
nation’s most comprehensive source of information on financial incentives and policies that promote renewables and energy efficiency. DSIRE provides information on federal, state, local, and utility incentives and policies. This public resource contains information on over 2,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency programs and is used by more than 200,000 different people per month. The DSIRE tool is part of the energy incentives and policy program at the N.C. Solar Center.

PV America is presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), whose combined efforts have created a world-class, regionally focused and vertically integrated event that engages a wide spectrum of industry professionals. PV America 2011 will host nearly 3,000 buyers, technology experts and industry leaders.

Learn more about the conference.