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North Carolina
Department of Administration

Michael F. Easley, Governor
Britt Cobb, Secretary
Larry E. Shirley, Director
State Energy Office

Date
April 8, 2008
Contact
Jill Warren Lucas
Release
Immediate
Phone
919-807-2496

ENERGY LEADERS HONORED BY STATE
Awards presented at fifth annual N.C. Sustainable Energy Conference

RALEIGH – North Carolina energy and environmental professionals and others who have championed energy sustainability were recognized on today at the fifth annual N.C. Sustainable Energy Conference. More than 800 representatives from state agencies, universities, business and industry, schools and nonprofits attended the conference, which continues on Thursday and is coordinated by the State Energy Office in the N.C. Department of Administration.

Larry Shirley, director of the State Energy Office, presented awards to:

Sustainable Energy Champion
The N.C. Zoo has been a leader and role model in environmental stewardship since its first conservation audit in 1989. In 2002, the N.C. Zoo became the first zoo in the United States and the first agency in North to earn the ISO 14001 certification, the highest standard of environmental planning.  The N.C. Zoo has achieved sustainable projects such as: a bio-diesel processor; a 104 KW solar site/grid; constructed wetlands; energy audits; leak repairs and an irrigation control system. With 750,000 visitors (including 110,000 students) annually, the Zoo promotes environmental stewardship and sustainability through educational graphics, class projects, teacher training, web site information, events and the media.  

Sustainable Leadership Awards
Appalachian Energy of Fletcher was founded in 2001 and produces enough renewable energy each year to power 650 homes. Annually producing more than 4 million kWh, it began selling power to Progress Energy in 2003. In 2007, Appalachian Energy became the first company in the United States to promote a proprietary solar thermal cooling technology that can offset up to 65 percent of heating and cooling demand for commercial or industrial customers. 

Michael Shore is the author of numerous articles on sustainable energy who recently made a significant mark on the sustainable energy front by forming a solar energy firm dedicated to helping businesses and institutions make the switch to renewable energy, FLS Energy in Black Mountain.  He was a driving force in the adoption of the Clean Smokestacks Act of 2002, the N.C. Global Warming Act of 2005 and the 2007 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards (REPS) legislation.   

Grady Truett is the Assistant Director of Transportation in Gaston County Schools. He has spearheaded the efforts of Gaston County Schools to power its fleet of buses with bio-diesel fuel. Truett, who began his bio-diesel campaign by making small batches of fuel from school cafeteria waste grease, now has a state-of-the-art production facility located in one of the county’s vacant bus garages. While continuing to utilize recycled local cafeteria grease as basic feedstock, he has been able to leverage the school system’s nonprofit status into obtaining even larger quantities of feedstock from corporate partner donations.

Sen. Charlie Albertson (Duplin, Lenoir, Sampson) was the primary sponsor of the energy efficiency and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) legislation, which requires electric utility providers to meet energy efficiency and renewable generation goals. 

Sen. John Snow (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Wayne, Transylvania) demonstrated strong support for alternative transportation fuels by introducing seven bills to encourage production and use of bio-diesel and ethanol.

Rep. Pricey Harrison (Guilford) has shown vigorous support for energy efficiency and renewable energy and helped move through committees several significant legislative initiatives, including the REPS bill and the Energy Conservation in State Buildings bill.  

Rep. Joe Tolson (Edgecombe, Wilson) has been a strong proponent of alternative transportation fuels, energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout his years of service in the House. His leadership and support has resulted in passage of numerous bills supporting energy issues. 

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