Green Energy Programs of Appalachian Schools Highlighted in New ARC Report March 2011

BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, March 17, 2011—The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has announced the release of a new report, Green Schools and Sustainability in Appalachia: Case Studies in Rural Practice (PDF: 2 MB), that illustrates how six Appalachian schools are providing critical leadership and training for the emerging green energy industry and helping communities develop markets for green products and services.

The six schools include:

• Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina;
• Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee;
• Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio;
• Lanier Technical College in Oakwood, Georgia;
• Alfred State College in Alfred, New York; and
• Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland.

ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl said that the report was "part of ARC's ongoing energy initiative started in 2006 with publication of the Commission's energy plan for the Appalachian Region, Energizing Appalachia: A Regional Blueprint for Economic and Energy Development (PDF: 650 KB). Each of the schools cited in the report, he added, are "providing a great education for their students, who will be prepared to help their communities make transitions to greener economies."

Appalachian State University was chosen as the venue for the public announcement of the report's release as it has been at the forefront of the green revolution started more than 30 years ago.

Locally produced clean energy and energy-efficiency measures have great potential to create and retain jobs in the Appalachian Region.

According to the report, research indicates that energy-efficiency investments could create 77,000 new jobs in Appalachia by 2030 while cutting projected energy use by 24 percent. This would result in energy savings of more than $21 billion in the Region. In addition, a projected 70,000 renewable-energy jobs could be created in Appalachia as a result of the production of 74 GW of renewable energy nationally.

The full report (PDF: 2 MB) is available on the ARC Web site.