N.C. Co-ops Nominated for Cleantech Innovation Awards

Four of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have been nominated for the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster’s 2020 Cleantech Innovation Awards recognizing and honoring individuals driving cleantech innovation and deployment.

Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) and Wake Electric are both nominees for the Cleantech Community Award, which recognizes innovative projects incorporating clean technology to create positive impacts for the environment, economy and residents. Wake Electric has also been named one of two finalists vying for the honor.

CCEC was nominated for its customer owned generation program that provides reserve power generation that can be called on to avoid grid interruptions and blackouts. The program was utilized by participating co-ops during the 2018 polar vortex. Wake Electric was nominated for its work on Eagle Chase, a new residential microgrid in Youngsville that provides added power resiliency and reliability and can power the neighborhood for up to 36 hours during outages.

Brunswick Electric (BEMC) and Roanoke Electric Cooperative (REC) have both been nominated for the Grid Innovation Award, which recognizes an electric utility or grid project that uses innovative cleantech solutions to create positive impacts for the environment, economy and residents. REC has also been announced as one of two finalists for this award.

BEMC was nominated for Heron’s Nest, a residential microgrid it has developed in Shallotte, NC that supports sustainability, resiliency and reliability for the neighborhood’s 30-plus homes. REC received its nomination for its Upgrade to $ave and community solar programs, both of which support low-income members and help them benefit from energy efficiency and sustainability efforts.

The other finalist for the Grid Innovation Award is the Power Resource Group’s Carolina Poultry Power Project in Farmville, which is served by Pitt & Greene EMC. In addition, the facility provides power and Renewable Energy Certificates to North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC), the power supplier for most of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives.

The award winners will be announced virtually on Wednesday, Dec. 9. This is the second year the Cleantech Innovation Awards have been presented by the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, an industry-funded, industry-led initiative of business, government, academic and nonprofit leaders focused on accelerating cleantech innovation and our cleantech economy. Last year, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ innovative “Powering the Future” partnership with Athens Drive Magnet High School’s STEM Academy was nominated for the inaugural Cleantech Talent Initiative Award.

Learn more about RTCC and the Cleantech Innovation Awards at researchtrianglecleantech.org.