NC Chambers and Legislators Celebrate at the 5th Annual Clean Energy Champions Awards
NC Chambers Honored as Clean Energy Champions
Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Karen Brown, (left) and Past Chair of the Board, Pat Broom,
Having designated clean energy as a top priority goal and clearly valuing the economic development opportunities clean energy brings to eastern North Carolina, the Outer Banks and Edenton-Chowan Chambers of Commerce were honored for their active support of clean energy in the communities they serve and at the North Carolina General Assembly this session.
“The Chamber appreciates this important recognition. We believe that the support of clean energy development is critical for Outer Banks business community and its economic prosperity,” stated Karen Brown, president and CEO of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.
Specific highlights of Edenton-Chowan Chamber accomplishments include guiding its community to understand and embrace the positive economic impacts of renewable energy development. In addition to educating the communities they serve, the chamber also demonstrated its support at the state level, specifically urging the General Assembly to support wind energy development.
Amy Braswell, Executive Vice President of the Ahoskie Chamber of Commerce & Scott Summey, Policy Advisor with Fifth Third Bank, recipient of a corporate Clean Energy Champion Award
Joe Bost, VP of State & Regional Policy with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance; Bryan Fox, VP of Public Policy with the Durham Chamber of Commerce and Mike Finely, Field Representative with U.S. Senator Richard Burr's office
“We appreciate this recognition. We continue to support clean energy development as an important opportunity for economic development in our community and state,” shared Win Dale, Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce executive director. We’ve seen the new tax revenues in other counties and its impact on school funding, the new jobs and the critical new income for farmers in the North Carolina Amazon Wind project area. We look forward to same opportunity here.”
Carolinas Energy Market Legislative Panel
Another highlight of the event was a legislative panel discussion on customer choice and market competition in North Carolina and the Southeast.
The panel featured three Republican state lawmakers: North Carolina State Representative John Szoka, North Carolina State Representative Larry Strickland and South Carolina State Senator Tom Davis.
The legislators discussed the need for more innovation, more competition and more energy choices to shake up the current monopoly utility structure in both states in order to be more consumer centric.
(From left) S.C. State Senator. Tom Davis; N.C. State Representative. John Szoka; N.C. State Representative Larry Strickland; Conservatives for Clean Energy Director, Mark Fleming
2019 Clean Energy Champions
At the award ceremony, in addition to the Outer Banks and Edenton-Chowan Chambers of Commerce, the following organizations also were presented with Clean Energy Champion Awards:
State Senator Rick Horner (NC Senate District 11)
State Representative Larry Strickland (NC House District 28)
Read more about this year’s event:
Outer Banks Chamber Receives Clean Energy Champion Award
Outer Banks Chamber Receives Clean Energy Award
We're nearing a tipping point for renewable energy, legislators say
Why NC’s big solar law may need a reboot
If you would like more information about North Carolina Chambers of Commerce and the economic benefits of renewable energy, please contact susan@chambersforinnovation.com.