Meeting on jobs and energy next week in Staunton

Chris Graham

WHAT: “Beyond Pain at the Pump: What is Peak Oil and What Does It Mean to You?” a community conversation on jobs, energy and our local economy. WHEN: Tuesday, September 13, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. WHERE: Staunton Public Library, 1 Churchville Ave. WHO: Speakers will include Jeff Sties, sustainable architect and owner of Sunbiosis PC…

Investors support solar power in their community through first-ever ‘solar CDs’

AFP

Secure Futures LLC, developer of the 104 kW solar energy system at Eastern Mennonite University, today announced that it has closed a $110,000 loan backed entirely by the nation’s first ever “Solar Certificate of Deposit.” Sold through Park View Federal Credit Union, based in Harrisonburg, funds collected by the Solar CDs will secure a $110,000…

New voluntary Solar Resource Development Fund to help finance solar installations

AFP

Online donations to the Voluntary Solar Resource Development Fund created by the 2011 Virginia General Assembly are now being accepted, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) announced today. The Fund is intended to provide capital for a revolving loan program to be created and administered by DMME for the purpose of financing…

McDonnell signs clean-energy legislation

AFP

Gov. Bob McDonnell signed eight pieces of new legislation today at a ceremony at the VCU School of Business to promote the clean and renewable energy industry in Virginia and to spur development of new pilot projects and technologies that will promote reliable and affordable energy for Virginia’s families, businesses and industry. The legislation will…

Earth Talk: Can Japan do without nuclear energy?

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: Were Japan to close all its nuclear plants following the recent damage and radiation leaks from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, what could its energy mix look like? Would it be able to provide all of its power in other ways? – Richard Miller, New York Most experts agree that Japan would…

Harrisonburg passes tax exemption as incentive for solar power

AFP

Harrisonburg City Council Tuesday night passed an ordinance offering a 100 percent exemption from local taxes for solar power installations, helping the city to join 13 other localities in Virginia that offer a 100 percent exemption for developers and homeowners to install solar power in their communities. The ordinance, passed by a 4-1 vote, exempts…

EMU dedicates new solar facility

Jim Bishop

Eastern Mennonite University dedicated and celebrated the largest solar photovoltaic project built so far in the state of Virginia in a public ceremony held Monday afternoonon EMU’s campus. During the celebration in EMU’s Campus Center, about 150 members of the campus community, public officials and local neighbors saw the university’s president Loren Swartzendruber unveil the…

Energy-efficiency improvements focus at Harrisonburg center

AFP

The Washington, D.C.,-based Linc Services LLC is working with Harrisonburg to complete energy-efficient improvements to the Cecil F. Gilkerson Community Activities Center. The building renovations, which began in early September and are scheduled for completion by mid-October, are projected to save the city more than $150,000 over the course of 15 years. “We’ve had a…

EMU: Going solar

AFP

The largest deployment of solar power to date in Virginia is being brought to reality on the roof of the Sadie Hartzler Library at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg. The project will begin producing electricity for use at EMU by mid-November, said Tony Smith, the CEO of the Staunton-based Secure Futures LLC and the co-chair…

White House News: President speaks on clean energy manufacturing

Chris Graham

Remarks from President Barack Obama at Menomonee Falls, Wisc., on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010:   Thank you very much. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you very much. It is wonderful to be at ZBB Energy. And thanks for your hospitality, and thanks for helping to build a future. I’ve got a couple of…