Gov. Bev Perdue today signed House Bill 1481 to strengthen state energy policy leadership and announced 14 Green Business Fund grants, significant steps forward in her JobsNOW Green Economy Plan.
The actions are part of a three-pronged strategy to make North Carolina a leader in green economy jobs by strengthening state leadership in energy policy, making smart investments to create jobs and foster innovation, and providing green-collar workforce training.
“Strong leadership and smart investments are essential to laying a foundation for North Carolina to create green jobs, support green innovation and promote a sustainable future for our state’s economy and environment,” Gov. Perdue said. “Turning green into gold is a central part of my JobsNOW initiative and of my vision to grow North Carolina’s long-term economy.”
Strong Leadership:
As part of the governor’s plan to strengthen and focus leadership in state energy policymaking, HB 1481:
• moves the State Energy Office from the Department of Administration to the Department of Commerce, more closely linking the office’s activities with economic development,
• transfers the Residential Energy Conservation Assistance Program from the Department of Health and Human Services to the relocated State Energy Office,
• strengthens the effectiveness of the Energy Policy Council by improving representation from environmental groups, alternative energy producers and energy services specialists. The council will be refocused on creating green jobs and protecting the environment.
Gov. Perdue is appointing Tim Toben chairman of the Energy Policy Council.
Toben serves on the N.C. Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change and is chairman of the Board of Visitors at the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment. He also is a principal in green energy and green building ventures in North Carolina, and he and his wife Megan own and manage an educational farm in Orange County that operates on a hybrid solar and wind renewable energy system.
Green Business Fund Investments:
Gov. Perdue announced 14 awardees from across the state, who will receive up to $99,000 each from the N.C. Green Business Fund to support green innovation, job creation and economic development.
This is the second annual round of grants from the fund, which helps small businesses, nonprofits and other agencies develop and commercialize environmentally friendly and energy-related products and services. See the attachment for a list of grantees.
As lieutenant governor, Perdue proposed the legislation creating the Green Business Fund, which the General Assembly approved in 2007. The funding available each year so far has been $1 million.
Additionally, as part of the governor’s plan, the recently passed state budget includes $5 million in federal recovery money for the Green Business Fund.
Other elements of the governor’s JobsNOW Green Economy Plan include:
• Jump-starting North Carolina’s green economy using more than $265 million in federal recovery funds for renewable energy, energy efficiency and weatherization. Those funds include seed money for innovative green energy projects through a new Energy Revolving Loan Fund, in addition to the expanded Green Business Fund.
• Investing in green-collar job training and education in North Carolina’s community colleges and universities, including $7 million in federal recovery funds for green workforce development.