Fueling Jobs

Hagan visits Boone; fuses energy policy with growing economy

By Scott Nicholson

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan talked about energy and jobs during a Boone visit, saying the two were intertwined.

Hagan visited the Appalachian State University campus Wednesday morning as part of her tour of shovel-ready projects in the state, promoting the benefits of the federal stimulus package adopted by Congress.

From left, U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D) tours the Appalachian State University campus with CHancellor Ken Peacock during a visit on Wednesday morning. Photo by Mark Mitchell

Hagan, who had campaigned last year on a “green platform,” received an overview of various ASU renewable-energy projects and praised the university for its initiatives.

ASU has developed a reputation for research in various energy-creation fields, and officials showed Hagan solar panels, wind turbine plans and a vehicle that measures emissions of biodiesel fuels. Jeff Ramsdell, director of the Appalachian Biofuels and Biomass Initiative, explained the vehicle to Hagan, telling how it measured both the energy production and emissions of different fuel mixtures.

Ramsdell said the vehicle helped test fuels produced through a local processing plant, with student researchers also growing sunflowers, canola and algae to serve as feed stock for creating oil for new fuels. The tests allow researchers to measure the effectiveness of various blends and strive for the highest efficiency.

Crystal Simmons, director of the Renewable Energy Institute, talked about projects funded through the initiative, such as a 4-kilowatt solar panel outside Raley Hall, which reduces ASU’s “carbon footprint” by six tons of carbon dioxide annually. A solar water system on the Plemmons Student Union saves about $10,000 a year and provides 45 percent of the hot-water needs for two restaurants and a fitness center.

Hagan said the time was right to develop renewable energy, both for reduction in emissions and for creation of new jobs, and ASU was poised to help lead the state in needed research.

“What you’re doing here at Appalachian is not only good for the university, but it’s good for North Carolina and America,” Hagan said. “There’s a lot of money in this stimulus package to help turn it around.”

She said the stimulus package had $2.5 billion earmarked for solar energy and $800 million for biomass research. She said the state had a wealth of assets, especially its students, to become prominent in the next wave of industry.

“I want to be sure when you graduate your students, they have access to capital,” she said. “With green industry jobs, there’s a huge sector of jobs in the U.S. I want to be sure North Carolina is the leader in renewable energy.”

Hagan said savings in energy would also help new businesses be successful, so renewable energy and entrepreneurship went hand in hand.

“Labor is usually the highest cost, and energy is usually the second,” she said. “If ASU can help businesses lower their energy costs, it makes everything you’re doing here (entrepreneurship) work better.”

Hagan said she wanted to be an advocate for education and that she would be active in Congress. She also said North Carolina was dependent on coal, and the pending energy bill could affect families, and she would balance the growth of green jobs with the consumer impact.

She said the whole goal of the stimulus package was putting people back to work. Hagan said renewable-energy jobs were “jobs of the future” that couldn’t be outsourced.

ASU officials also presented information on the Rural Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program, with regional unemployment rising but local businesses still being created. The university has been hosting workshops and conferences on how to thrive in the current economy, with an eight-county program in development to inspire new business owners and help communities.

Of ASU students who took entrepreneurship classes in the last 10 years, 26 percent had launched businesses that had four or more employees. Small businesses provide most jobs in the region since the decline of manufacturing.

ASU Chancellor Ken Peacock said Hagan was “unwavering in her support for education” while in the North Carolina Senate and that she is continuing the same commitment in Congress. Peacock said Hagan took a leadership role in funding ASU property acquisitions. He also presented her with an ASU banner for her office.
Peacock said ASU faculty and staff had 45 different grant proposals ready to submit for stimulus funding, with an emphasis on renewable energy and job creation.