10.22.09 - Raising NC Business Awareness about Federal Energy Bill 
If you are a North Carolina business that supports comprehensive federal energy legislation, please consider adding your name to a letter urging NC Senators and House Representatives to pass an energy bill that will create clean energy jobs, reduce foreign energy dependence and reduce the rate of climate change.  Please follow this link to read the letter and the list of other business representatives who have already signed on.

 
CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS RECEPTION 10/22 TO HELP CATALYZE NC GREEN SECTOR
 
Durham, NC, October 20, 2009 -- SJF Ventures will help bring together over 200 North Carolinian clean energy business leaders, investors, utility representatives and related service providers at an RTP Clean Economy Network (CEN), formerly REBN, event at 5:30 PM on October 22 in Durham at the West End Wine Bar.  This ongoing program brings together clean energy business professionals to stimulate green business growth, economic development and job creation in North Carolina.  Renewable energy and energy efficiency support 10,250 jobs in NC, according to a recent statewide survey conducted by the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.  Respondents to the same survey indicate that employment for their businesses grew by 6% since July 2008 and project 36% job growth over the next 12 months.  This will have a significant impact in a state that has lost more than 200,000 jobs – or roughly 5% - from July 2008 to July 2009.  Part of this is driven by findings from a recent study that showed clean-energy investments create 16.7 jobs for every $1 million in spending, while fossil fuels, by contrast, generate only 5.3 jobs per $1 million in spending.
 
At a time when the U.S. Senate is hotly debating climate and energy legislation, the October 22 reception welcomes companies that will be directly impacted by the proposed bill.  Several local companies who will be attending the CEN event on October 22 also participated earlier this month in the largest clean energy business lobby day to ever take place in Washington, D.C.  The group met with United States Senator Hagan and Burr’s offices where they pressed for a comprehensive passage of the energy and carbon bill and heard from Energy Secretary Chu and Commerce Secretary Locke on their plans to stimulate the green economy.  The RTP CEN event will be circulating an open letter (link) with signatures from over 30 North Carolina business leaders which urges US Congressional members to support climate legislation “to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.”
 
Some of the RTP CEN participants include:
 
Scott Starr, Director, Utility Solar, groSolar, Raleigh, NC (solar)
Robert Oliva, CFO, PMI Ash Technologies, Cary, NC (recycling tech)
Michael Lemanski, Managing Partner, Greenfire Development, Durham, NC (green building/ urban developer)
Maria Kingery, Co-Founder & Director of Cultural Development, Southern Energy Management, Morrisville, NC (energy efficiency, solar)
John Cambier, Partner, IDEA Fund Partners, Durham, NC (investor)
Dave Kirkpatrick, Managing Director, SJF Ventures, Durham, NC (investor)