State Energy Office to manage large amounts of stimulus funding

Several of our Cool Cities are receiving direct funding from the US Department of Energy, including Asheville who received $804 Thousand, Chapel Hill who received $1.6 Million, Greensboro who received $2.5 Million, Rocky Mount who received $572 Thousand, Greenville who received $777 Thousand, and Wilmington who received $1 Million.

Energy Efficiency funding opportunities are arriving in North Caroline in two ways: direct block grants to towns with a population over 35,000 and smaller funding processes through the State Energy Office to towns with a population under 35,000.

Please encourage your small town managers and staff, in both rural and suburbia NC, to attend the upcoming State Energy Office conference, April 14-15th (more information below). There they will learn about acquiring these energy efficiency monies.

The State Energy Office’s upcoming conference is a great way for both large and small towns to learn where funding will be available and how to use it. They have extended early registration through this Friday, April 3rd which provides public employees a 2-day pass for $59.

THE SIXTH ANNUAL NORTH CAROLINA SUSTAINABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE

The New Reality: A Time to Act

April 14-15, 2009

Hear the latest on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Keynote speakers will include:

• Jim Rogers, Duke Energy CEO


• Representative Joe Hackney, Speaker of the NC House of Representatives

McKimmon Conference & Training Center, NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Click here to register or for more information or call the Office of Professional Development at 919.515.2261

Only the roads were foggy

Not the minds of our fantastic volunteers! My trip to Morganton and Asheville was a success!

The South Mountains Group folks who met with me in Morganton were so organized and so nice that all I can say is WOW! This Group has come together to create a Cool Cities sub-committee, has recruited 3 Cool Cities, and is now working with the Cool City Morganton to complete a greenhouse gas inventory and to create a citizens environmental advisory group.

Asheville is as you know, very progressive, and I’m glad to report that they still have things up their sleeves. Councilwoman Robin Cape led a very interesting discussion regarding current actions the town is taking to go greener. In fact, Councilman Brownie Newman and she are working with state legislatures to pass permission to cities to create a voluntary tax that will enable property owners to install solar power and to employ other energy efficiency actions on their home at a lower cost. Read more here.

Off to Asheville and Morganton!

Thursday and Friday I will not be out of the office since I have the wonderful opportunity to meet with members from our WENOCA Group and our South Mountains Group.

You too can participate in the WENOCA Group meeting at 236 Charlotte Street in Asheville, NC. The meeting starts at 7:00. I will discuss various actions a Cool City can take, and then Councilwoman Robin Cape will discuss whether these actions could fit the town and other possibilities for Asheville. Afterwards, the Group will determine which actions they could promote and possibly assist.

Exxon Valdez: 20 years on

Tuesday, March 24 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the worst environmental disasters in history, the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Two decades later, oil spills are still a regular occurrence. Earlier this month, a tanker crashed off the coast of Australia, pouring 52,000 gallons of oil into the ocean and shutting down local fisheries.

Legislative leaders here in NC should be commended for taking a hard look at the pros and cons of offshore drilling, which undoubtedly would have an effect on the economically important fisheries off our coast.

When it comes to our state, it's crucial to remember that it's not just tanker accidents that pour oil into our oceans.

Offshore drilling platforms are particularly vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes; the Coast Guard estimates that during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, roughly 9 million gallons of oil were spilled (that's on par with the Exxon Valdez). And, according to data from the Minerals Management Service, U.S. offshore drilling has sent an average of 47,800 barrels of oil a year into the oceans since 1993.

Why else is drilling off our coast not such a good idea?

• On the Outer Continental Shelf, North Carolina's coast sustains the largest deep sea reef in the world, estimated to be the size of South Carolina.


• North Carolina is the sixth-most tourism dependent state in the country; some coastal counties are almost entirely tourism-dependent.


• The Gulf Stream current off the North Carolina coast is among the most economically important marine resources of the entire Southeast. Known for its biodiversity, the Gulf Stream is a prime fishing area renowned for its marlin, mahi mahi, grouper, rockfish, snapper and other fish that frequent the warm waters.

Earth Hour

Turn out. Take action. Be part of this historic event.

March 28, 2009, 8:30 pm local time

The World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

So far, 850 cities in the US have signed up to participate but as of today, only the cities of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Carrboro, Dillsboro and Lincolnton from North Carolina are registered participants.

We need other NC organizations to step up! It's easy and all you have to do is go to http://www.blogger.com/www.earthhourus.org and register.

Let's fill up that map on the Earth Hour website!

Charlotte Clean and Green

Charlotte Clean and Green

April 17–18, 2009

Thanks to the power of 100 volunteers, last year's first Charlotte Clean and Green was a great success, attracting nearly 3,000 attendees from across the Charlotte area. Consider becoming a part of making a difference in this growing region by taking steps to actively protect our environment right here in our community! Volunteer for Charlotte Clean and Green: An Earth Day Celebration!

This year's green educational festival takes place April 17–18, 2009 on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College, located in the heart of Charlotte! Volunteers are needed for festival set-up in a 3 hour shift on Friday afternoon and a 3 hour shift on Saturday morning. During the event on Saturday, we will have two 4 1/2 hour shifts for volunteers. Volunteer duties vary and include traffic/parking directors, exhibit helpers, welcome table hosts, assistance in the kids' area, food tent, entertainment, classes, clean-up and load-out.

Our volunteer needs may change during the event and we appreciate your flexibility! To volunteer, send an email to Vanessa Gorr at charlottecleanandgreen@gmail.com. Include your preferred time slots and consider volunteering for more than one shift! In your e-mail, please indicate if there are any special circumstances we should consider. You will be contacted by the volunteer coordinator with further details about volunteering.

There will be Volunteer Training Meetings (participate via phone or in person) to familiarize you with the event and volunteer requirements. Dates for that will be determined closer to the event. Learn more here: http://www.charlottecleanandgreen.com/too!

Charlotte to Host Climate Conversation

Charlotte Cool Cities Campaign to host
National Conversation on Climate Action Event
April 18, 2009

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America’s homeowners pay the price for energy inefficient homes, particularly with today’s rising cost of energy. For homeowners, energy efficiency always pays – in times of boom or bust.

The second leading cause of foreclosures for low income homeowners is unanticipated utility bills (as reported by Global Green). Low-income homebuyers can not only stabilize, but greatly reduce utility bills by investing in energy efficiency improvements.

Hear about the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities Campaign efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Share ideas about actions for the future and learn how to get involved!

To register or find an event in your area go to http://www.climateconversation.org/

Cliffside not the right step

I'll post the article in its entirety below, but here's the link to a Charlotte Observer Op-Ed by Glen Hooks, regional director (Eastern U.S.) of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.

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The landmark Clean Smokestacks Act, which required utilities to better protect citizens from the hazardous pollutants of dirty coal plants, remains one of North Carolina's proudest environmental accomplishments.

And North Carolina continues to inspire today, with the aggressive leadership of Attorney General Roy Cooper, who forced TVA and other out-of-state polluters to clean up their coal-produced pollution drifting into North Carolina.

So it is disappointing to see North Carolina lose the high ground on the very issue for which it distinguished itself nationally.

Last week's decision by the Perdue administration's Division of Air Quality to grant Duke Energy's request to reclassify the massive Cliffside Unit 6 as a “minor source” of toxic air emissions will result in our citizens having less protection from harmful emissions than the citizens in neighboring states, such as Virginia. There, regulators required emissions controls for toxic mercury pollution more than 20 times stronger than would be the case for Cliffside, under the revised permit.

Duke Energy promotes the new coal boiler at Cliffside as a state-of-the-art facility that will replace more polluting and antiquated units on the plant's site. But under the Clean Smokestacks Act, Duke is already mandated to achieve pollution reductions from its existing coal fleet. In promoting how much cleaner Cliffside Unit 6 will be than what came before, Duke Energy is simply taking credit twice for the same cleanup.

The days of conventional coal plants such as Cliffside's new coal boiler are rapidly drawing to a close. National trends are running so heavily against coal that over the past two years, 95 out of a proposed 150 new plants have been dropped or postponed indefinitely due to escalating costs, regulatory uncertainty and concerns over greenhouse gas emissions.

Much of this has to do with the escalating costs of coal, which are rising sharply and expected to increase further over time. But what cannot be ignored is the increasing viability of alternative energy sources. Last year more wind power came on line in the United States than power generated from new coal plants.

Once the Obama EPA begins to regulate CO2 emissions – expected as soon as April – it is unlikely that there will be new applications for conventional coal-fired power plants like Cliffside that can't capture or store carbon. The shortsightedness of Cliffside's design and its failure to be truly state-of-the-art makes Unit 6 obsolete – and assures that it will be costly for ratepayers – before it's built.

Nationwide, governors of both major parties have led the trend away from coal in many states. Gov. Katherine Sebelius of Kansas has steadfastly refused to permit new coal in her state despite repeated efforts by the state legislature to force her hand. Michigan's Gov. Jennifer Granholm recently issued a virtual moratorium on proposed new coal plants in her state. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford recently came out in opposition to a proposed plant in that state. And Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle directed the conversion of a public coal-fired generator to natural gas, citing the need to move away from coal.

North Carolina seems to be heading in a different direction. In granting Duke Energy's request to be treated as a “minor” source of toxic air emissions, Gov. Perdue, who ran on a clean energy platform, said it was her administration's job to keep “hazardous emissions to an absolute minimum.”

But instead, Duke Energy will now be allowed to emit far higher amounts of more than 50 toxic pollutants – including mercury, arsenic and dioxins – than allowed under the Clean Air Act.

Sadly, while Duke may reap the profits of this short-sighted decision, the health and welfare of North Carolinians will suffer for decades to come.

$208 Million in Weatherization and Energy Efficiency Funding for NC

And the recovery funding starts trickling into North Carolina. Read this Press Release from the US Department of Energy and find more information on our own recovery website.

70 New Reasons to Live Green

Glamour gathered 70 female eco-achievers, including our very own Cammy Watkins, to promote and honor Mother Earth. She's in the middle pane, second from the left on the front row.

Check it out!!

45. Cammy Watkins is a coordinator for the Sierra Club's Cool Cities Program, which pushes cities and city dwellers to adopt energy-saving solutions. The Sierra Club is the oldest environmental organization in the United States, founded in 1892.

Controversial Permit goes to Cliffside

FYI - the below is a press release we issued today. I took what I thought was blog appropriate, but you can read the full thing here.

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Today, the Perdue administration agreed to declare the massive 800-megawatt Cliffside Coal Boiler Unit 6 a “minor” source of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants. The decision helps Duke Energy avoid stringent federal controls on toxic air emissions for the facility, which is under construction 55 miles west of Charlotte.

In contrast to today’s decision, on February 3, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm put a virtual moratorium on new coal plants in her state through an executive order. Granholm also pledged to reduce Michigan’s reliance of fossil fuels for generating electricity by 45% by 2020. Governor Jim Doyle on February 6 announced that a power plant operated by the University of Wisconsin would begin burning biomass instead of coal. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford on February 11 announced his opposition to a coal plant planned for the Pee Dee River area in Florence County.

Utilities themselves are increasingly abandoning plans for new coal, citing regulatory and economic uncertainties. Since the US Dept of Energy’s 2007 projections of 150 new coal plants in 2007, plans for 95 have been dropped or put on hold, according to the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.

The pace with which plans for coal-plants are being put on hold has accelerated in light of recent court actions and anticipated action by the Obama EPA. In February, the US Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the Bush era mercury rule. The Obama administration has indicated that it may seek new, stricter limits on mercury from coal plants. And, published reports have indicated that the Obama administration will announce by April 16 that it will begin the process to regulate carbon dioxide, making it further unlikely that there will be new applications for conventional coal plants, which are not designed to capture or control carbon.

The Coolest Services for NC Government

Cool Cities has been asked to speak at the State Energy Office upcoming energy conference!! I will share with citizens across the state the benefits of being a Cool City and also share with them a couple success stories from you.

Also, during this panel discussion you will hear a presentation from Rachel Eckert with NC Project Green, Kathy Boyer with Triangle Coalition of Clean Cities, and Anne Galamb with the NC Divison of Air Quality. These programs are excellent resources for local government and their representatives are always willing to help.



The New Reality: A Time to Act
The Sixth Annual North Carolina sustainable Energy Conference
April 14-15, 2009
at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center, NC State University, Raleigh NC

Topics include--
Energy efficiency—Residential, Commercial, Industrial
Economic Development and the Green Economy
Utility Savings Initiative in Public Buildings
Renewable Technologies
Alternative Fuels and TransportationConsumer Issues New this year
Linking Investors to New Projects New this year

Citizens making plans to go even greener

It’s been a busy week, and I’m proud to report that our Groups are doing a lot of Cool Cities work.

On Monday I traveled to Greensboro to meet their Community Sustainability Council—started by our very own Joel Landau. The CSC just created several sub-committees, including one focused on green jobs and another one focused on energy. Keep posted to see what exciting actions they take in the next few months!

On Tuesday I ventured over to the Royal Bean Coffee House to discuss Wake County Cool County progress and also to discuss Earth Day happenings. We decided to start meeting with all the County Commissioners to discuss making sustainability a priority. If you want to get involved in these meetings, just email Marvin Woll. The Capitol Group is great and you can meet them during the upcoming Earth Day Events—April 18 downtown Raleigh and April 22 on NC campus.

The Good Transportation State

Picture this: a seamless, modern, and efficient transit system linking highways, public transportation, freight, passenger rail, and coastal ports. That’s the vision of legislation introduced this session of the North Carolina General Assembly. Legislation in both the House and Senate starts with local funding options for transit and has attracted broad support from business, economic development, and environmental interest groups.

In North Carolina, transportation-related global warming emissions are the second largest source of emissions behind electricity generation. Passage of "Congestion Relief/Intermodal Transport Fund" (HB 148 and SB 151) has a reasonable shot at success this session, primarily because, as opposed to prior legislation, these bills have a more statewide outlook.

There are a lot of regional considerations, especially here in Raleigh, where project stakeholders continuously debate whether opening up the "Wye" to "light" rail (the kind of train that grabs power from an overhead line) is the right way to go, especially if further plans to connect Charlotte and Raleigh via high-speed trains are to move forward (high-speed trains need long, straight tracks to slow down, and probably wouldn't mesh easily with light-rail trains).

Despite such considerations, there is a growing consensus in the capitol that construction of more efficient public transit systems - like the LYNX in Charlotte - will a) move people more efficiently in one of the fastest growing states in the country, and b) create all kinds of jobs.

What's the hang up? Some groups are balking at what exactly "local funding options" means. In most cases, the phrase means a .5 cent increase in sales tax. In light of the huge economic downturn and state budget issues, state legislators on both sides of the aisle and city and county officials are wary to raise the sales tax for transit options that might appear years down the line. But funding options other than the sales tax hike probably wouldn't generate enough revenue.

Since the 1920’s, North Carolina has been known as the “Good Roads State.” It can and should become the “Good Transportation State” by increasing mobility, decreasing congestion and offering a robust transportation network to commuters.

Eno River

Capping Carbon - Duke Energy's Way

As Congress begins work on climate change legislation, the most likely mechanism for tackling global warming is a “cap and trade” system that would limit and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. Both presidential candidates campaigned on the idea last fall.

But depending on how it is designed, such a system can be heavily tilted toward the public interest or, as some would prefer, the interests of polluters. That debate is just beginning.

Jim Rogers, the high-profile CEO of Duke Energy is on record supporting cap and trade legislation — but on Duke’s terms.

Last week, Rogers blasted President Obama’s plan to charge polluters who emit greenhouse gases and invest the proceeds from the sale of carbon permits into speeding up the transition to clean energy. Rogers called Obama’s plan a tax that would hurt consumers.

Duke Energy has a different plan: for Congress to give valuable carbon permits free of charge to polluters, who can then sell them for profit. The stakes are enormous for Duke Energy, which is the third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide among U.S. utilities.

Cleaning up our coal burning plants will be costly. It is likely those increased costs will be passed on to ratepayers regardless of the outcome of this debate.

The details won’t always be easy to follow, but a few principles should be clear. Permits to emit carbon should be used for public benefit, not private windfall. And free allocations, if any, should be limited in size and restricted to a short transition period.

Cool Resources

The Cool City Resources page has many helpful links! Whether you want your town to become a Cool Community or whether you want to find funding for your town. Check it out.

I will keep it updated as more information about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is made public. Right now, you might find these links of interest:

Federal Agency Recovery Websites:
US EPA http://www.epa.gov/recovery/
DOE http://www.energy.gov/recovery/
US HUD http://www.hud.gov/recovery/
Education http://www.ed.gov/recovery/
Labor http://www.dol.gov/recovery/
DOT http://www.dot.gov/recovery/

Carolina Blue Skies, Still Blue

In a decision late yesterday on a challenge brought by the Southern Environmental Law Center, its clients [including the Sierra Club] and the state under the Clean Air Act, a federal appeals court rejected the basis for the Environmental Protection Agency’s denial of relief to North Carolina from upwind sources of pollution that significantly contribute to the state’s air quality problems.

The federal agency must now act quickly to require reductions in fine particle and ozone pollution from the offending upwind sources. More than 1,000 people in North Carolina die each year due to exposure to power plant pollution-- the ninth highest rate in the country. Hundreds of thousands more suffer related asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, including about 170,000 children.

This is another important benchmark in North Carolina’s campaign to force coal-fired power plants in other states to clean up pollution that harms the health of our citizens. You can read the SELC press release here.

How many blown up mountains will it take?

As if our state needed more reasons to shift away from coal, North Carolina is the second largest consumer in the US, after Georgia, of coal acquired by mountain-top removal. A bill recently introduced at the General Assembly by State Representative Pricey Harrison (co-sponsored by 27 other state representatives across the political spectrum) aims to phase out mountaintop removal as an energy source for our state. From the linked Facing South article:

"This is a horrific and destructive practice," Harrison said at a press conference held [Feb 26] at the N.C. legislature. "We want to remind North Carolina citizens that when they turn on that light switch, they're blowing up mountains."

Back in February, a panel of federal judges ruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a controversial mountaintop removal mining case. The ruling would permit mining companies to conduct devastating mountaintop removal coal mining operations without acting to minimize stream destruction or conducting adequate environmental reviews.

As a result, Appalachia could be facing as many as 150 new mountaintop removal coal mining operations, 90 in West Virginia alone, which would destroy huge swaths of the Appalachian Mountains. It's time for EPA to take charge and end the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining.

Take Action!