Many of the textile mills that once sparked economic life in Alamance County now sit empty and inactive. Few big industries are providing steady sources of employment, so many are looking to the future. And “green” is on the horizon.
In November 2009, the North Carolina Employment Security Commission’s Labor Market Information division received slightly more than $1 million in grants to analyze the potential for green jobs across North Carolina.
“As we gather information, we hope to eventually attract green job employers to places all over the state,” says Larry Parker, public information officer at the Labor Market Information division.
“North Carolina is still finding its definition of green jobs,” says Parker. It will be similar to California’s definition, which is:
- Generating renewable energy
- Recycling existing materials
- Energy efficient product manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance
- Education, compliance and awareness
- Natural and sustainable product manufacturing
“Going green” has become more than a political saying—it has several economic implications.
“Technology, politics, and market acceptability are going to be influential in making North Carolina’s ‘green economy’,” Mac Williams says, president of Alamance County Chamber of Commerce.
Tom Tiemann, economics professor at Elon University, considers green jobs vital for the advancement of Alamance County.
“If we get too far behind,” he says, “we’re going to lose a big chance for economic development.”
Already, there are green job initiatives in Alamance County.
Honey Electric Solar, Inc. specializes in residential sales and instillations of solar-electric, solar water heating, and solar swimming pool heating. In 1997, the Liberty-based company became the first electrical contractor in the state to be a solar-selling. Demand has continually increased over time.
“It’s enough to keep up,” says President Tom Honey, “but we’re always looking to expand.”
Technicians, he says, are the most vital component to increasing green jobs in Alamance County.
“You need to have skills in this industry,” Honey says. “Or it won’t grow.”
Cherry Lane Farms, in Haw River, is looking at how to blend the alternative energy segment with local farming. The 200-acre farm features a 20-foot-tall wind turbine.
“Running a farm takes a huge amount of energy,” says owner Robert Phipps, “The turbine powers the water pump, vegetable stand, and deer fence.”
He believes green energy holds promise for Alamance County, but it will take a large number of skilled technicians to make this a possibility.
“I’m very much in favor of what Alamance Community College has done to start training people,” Phipps says. “I’ve offered my farm to them as a sort of laboratory.”
As part of the Industrial Technology curriculum, Alamance Community College started the Green Technology Program in fall 2009. Students choose any four classes out of the 11 offered.
“Our goal is to train technicians,” says Barry Weinberg, executive vice president. “Especially for the instillation and repair of green technologies.”
Nearly all aspects of home and business construction, he says, can be “green,” so the entire country can thrive with green technologies.
“We had two students who already had to drop out,” Weinberg says. “They got jobs.”
As efficiency standards have increased, so has demand. This may give Alamance County a slight edge for the future.
“We have a lot of mills that are dormant,” Weinberg says. “These are perfect places to manufacture parts for wind turbines and solar arrays.”
It great to see our society understand the meaning of going green!