Boone Area Regional Chamber Co-Hosts Clean Energy Event Recognizing Sen. Deanna Ballard as “Clean Energy Champion”
If ever there was a setting for a perfect local chamber-hosted conversation about the growing economic opportunities in clean energy, this was one of them:
The setting: The Appalachian Mountain Brewery, which boasts solar panels on its roof, in Boone, North Carolina, a Blue Ridge Mountain town named for the explorer Daniel Boone.
The host: The Boone Area Regional Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.
The special guests: Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-45)—the first State Senator to receive a “Clean Energy Champions Award” from a NC local chamber of commerce—who was joined by Rep. Jason Saine (R-45), who received the first “Clean Energy Champions Award in 2017.
Here are a few highlights of their conversation:
Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-45), 2018 Clean Energy Champion. “It has been my pleasure to work with the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, Commerce and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy; and I am honored to be recognized as their Clean Energy Legislative Champion. The High Country is home to some of the nation’s most advanced and innovative energy technologies at Appalachian State University, and is home to many companies that are pioneers in corporate sustainability. I look forward to continuing to work alongside them, local businesses, and my fellow legislators in advancing clean energy jobs and investments and finding more ways to support renewable generation efforts across the state and #NC45.”
Rep.Jason Saine (R-45), 2017 Clean Energy Champion. “It is a well-known fact that the country’s leading corporations, including almost half of the Fortune 500, are trying to meet their aggressive sustainability goals by doing business in states with strong clean energy policies. Locations that want to attract economic investment from these companies are going to have to embrace these emerging industries and have policies in place that allows them to thrive.”
David Jackson, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO. “Our natural resources are the part of our tourism economy that set us apart from the rest of the state. They can also be attractive distractions to those that choose to live and work here. Often the people who are recruited to work in these environments have a passion for sustainable tech and innovation. The further connection of these opportunities will only help our region attract more high paying jobs while giving those employees and excellent setting to work and play."