Southern Growth Policies Board presents Southern Energy: Abundant, Affordable and American – 2009 Innovator Award Winner
The winner of the 2009 Innovator Award from the Southern Growth Policies Board is "NC Woody Biomass" by North Carolina State University Extension Forestry.
Extension Forestry at North Carolina State University began focusing on encouraging the economic opportunities related to woody biomass-based alternative energy in 2004. The driving factor behind the effort was the interest in renewable energy brought about by the increase in energy costs and global climate change. To address this, Extension Forestry utilized its expertise in outreach, research, and its ability to build partnerships. These efforts resulted in the passing of a renewable energy portfolio standard, which led to the development of Extension Forestry’s research based educational initiative, NC Woody Biomass. The program’s goal is to provide education and materials that promote economic opportunities related to woody biomass-based renewable energy. The program provides resource analyses to major utilities, private industries and others, a forum on bioenergy and other forms of alternative energy for the larger community,
a web portal for information delivery (www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/biomass.html), and educational materials addressing renewable energy and woody biomass. The initiative has reached over 1,000 participants through conferences, professional trainings and educational events for landowners.
