North Carolina's electric cooperatives are prepared to respond quickly to power outages that occur as a result of Hurricane Earl, which is forecasted to brush North Carolina's barrier islands late Thursday night or early Friday morning. Six of North Carolina's electric cooperatives serve coastal counties, providing electricity to a total of approximately 554,000 households in that area.

Electric cooperatives are located in the communities they serve, and crews prepare for storms of this magnitude by testing equipment and checking supplies locally to ensure power restoration can begin immediately.  At the Tarheel Electric Membership Association (TEMA) in Raleigh, a purchasing and supply co-op owned by the state's 26 electric cooperatives, employees are lining up additional crews from Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and the western part of North Carolina and taking the necessary steps to coordinate restoration efforts.

The state's cooperatives are committed to providing safe and reliable power, but outages caused by high winds and flooding are unpredictable.  The cooperatives encourage the public to remember the following:

• It is important to prepare an emergency kit that includes a flashlight, extra batteries, non-perishable food, a radio, blankets and bottled water in case of power outages.
• Customers may experience flickering lights as wind speeds increase with the arrival of the storm.  Sustained outages may follow.  Cooperative line crews will begin restoration efforts as soon as it is safe.
• STAY AWAY from downed or sparking power lines and report any that you may see to your local electric cooperative IMMEDIATELY. Contact information for each of the state's electric cooperatives can be found at www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/storm.

North Carolina's electric cooperatives serve 2.5 million people in 93 of the state's 100 counties, primarily in rural parts of the state.

SOURCE North Carolina's electric cooperatives

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Ballast Nedam Infra now has level 5 certification on ProRail's CO2 performance ladder. ProRail uses the performance ladder to reward contractors who combat climate change. The better their CO2 performance, the higher their position on the ladder. Having reached the highest level, Ballast Nedam will receive a 10% tendering advantage on submissions to ProRail.

Ballast Nedam reached this highest level by developing a system that enables its main suppliers to calculate their energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and energy costs. This A-category consists of almost 300 suppliers, who together account for at least 80% of Ballast Nedam's purchase turnover.

This certification means that Ballast Nedam has achieved its sustainability objective for 2010, in terms of ProRail's CO2 performance ladder. It also means that the company is well prepared for the increasing use of comparable performance ladders by governmental and semi-governmental bodies.

SOURCE Ballast Nedam NV

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the winning proposals for the 2010 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). "Among the 61 projects selected, six of them will directly benefit Pennsylvanians," announced Noel Soto, CIG program Coordinator for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

CIG invests in innovative, on-the-ground conservation technologies and approaches, with the goal of wide-scale adoption to address water quality and quantity, air quality, energy conservation, and environmental markets, among other natural resource issues.

"Creative solutions that help producers conserve natural resources and reduce costs are an important  part of our efforts to improve the quality of our air, water, and soil," Vilsack said. "The Conservation Innovation Grants will produce far-reaching results on a wide range of issues, including conservation management and bio-energy production, by facilitating the development and adoption of new approaches and technologies."

NRCS administers CIG as part of the Agency's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Grants are awarded to state and local governments, as well as non-governmental organizations and individuals.

Nationally, NRCS received 230 full proposals and awarded nearly $18 million in Conservation Innovation Grants. Grant recipients provide matching funds to CIG bringing the total value of the approved projects to more than $35 million.

A summary of all selected proposals awarded this year is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov.

Pennsylvania's six selected proposals include:

• $503,000 to the National Center for Appropriate Technology for integrating sustainable and organic agriculture into NRCS programs.
• $225,000 to the Dairy Research Institute to implement a farm energy audit data collector training program.
• $147,000 to the Forest Guild to promote the adoption of innovative conservation practices for sustainable forest biomass harvesting
• $600,000 to the World Resource Institute to build an online multistate water quality trading platform and carbon estimating tool for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
• $284,000 to Cornell University for the adaptation of near-real-time high resolution climate data to provide field-specific in-season Nitrogen fertilizer recommendations.
• $256,960 to the Pennsylvania State University to promote the adaptation of conservation practices on small dairy farms without the need of government regulatory measures or subsidies.

2010 represents the 75th year of NRCS "helping people help the land." Since its inception in 1935, the NRCS conservation delivery system has advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and private landowners, delivering conservation based on specific, local conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests. For more information about NRCS conservation programs online, visit: http://www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov, or visit the nearest USDA Service Center in your area.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202-720-6382 (TDD).

SOURCE USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

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Today, Nissan North America and the state of Hawaii announced a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of electric vehicles, and an electric-vehicle charging network, throughout the state. The partnership, which was announced at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo in Honolulu, marks Nissan's first definitive agreement in the United States and will help to foster the adoption of electric-vehicle technology. The Nissan LEAF, the world's first affordable, zero-emission, all-electric vehicle for the mass market, will be available in Hawaii beginning in January 2011.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080506/NISSANWORDMARKLOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080506/NISSANWORDMARKLOGO)

"Nissan is a global leader in electric vehicles, and the state of Hawaii has shown similar leadership through its progressive policies and focus on clean energy," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. "Hawaii's drivers share that commitment, as demonstrated by their strong interest in the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, zero-emission vehicle, which arrives in Hawaii in January."

Hawaii has demonstrated policy leadership through the creation of a $4,500 state tax credit towards the purchase of an electric vehicle and a $500 state tax credit towards the purchase and installation of a home charging station. The state tax credit, paired with an available $7,500 federal tax credit, could bring the price of a Nissan LEAF, which carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $32,780, to as low as $20,780 for Hawaii consumers.

As part of the agreement, Nissan and the State of Hawaii will develop plans to promote a charging infrastructure for EVs, as well as the deployment, operation and maintenance of a charging network. The partners also will work to coordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an EV infrastructure. Nissan is committing to bringing a supply of Nissan LEAF electric vehicles to Hawaii and readying the dealer body to sell and lease them to consumers.

"I appreciate Nissan's confidence in Hawaii and recognition of our commitment to pursuing a clean energy future," said Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle.  "By bringing the Nissan LEAF to Hawaii and working collaboratively with the State and our partners toward the electrification of transportation, Nissan is playing an important role in helping us achieve the goal of reducing our dependence on imported oil."

"This partnership personifies Hawaii's commitment to a future powered by clean, sustainable sources of energy. In order to change the energy consumption patterns of our population, we have to offer drivers alternatives to vehicles that rely on imported fossil fuels," said Senator Daniel K. Inouye. "More than 90 percent of the fuel and energy we consume in Hawaii is the product of imported oil. Given our unique access to clean, renewable, energy sources, Hawaii should serve as a model of what is possible when government and business collaborate to plan a path forward into an energy efficient future."

The Nissan LEAF is a five-passenger compact electric car that uses no gas, creates no emissions and has no tailpipe. It has a top speed of 90 mph and is powered by advanced lithium-ion batteries, which provide the car with a range of 100 miles on a single charge as tested on the LA4 test cycle, enough to satisfy the daily driving needs of more than 90 percent of Americans and to circle Oahu.  

Nationwide, more than 18,600 consumers have reserved a Nissan LEAF. Nissan is continuing to take reservations through its website, www.nissanusa.com. Interested consumers are encouraged to place a reservation, which entails a $99 fully refundable fee to secure a spot on the list to place an order. Consumers who already have reserved the Nissan LEAF online will be invited to place orders through their dealer for the vehicle in advance of market roll-out timing, allowing time for consumers to select a dealer and assess home charging needs.  

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010 and has been recognized as a 2010 ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America, the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

SOURCE Nissan North America

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Being green doesn't have to mean you have to spend a lot of green.  According to the Car Care Council, by properly maintaining your vehicle's fuel system, you will not only improve the performance of your vehicle, but lower its emissions and save money at the pump, too.

"A well-maintained fuel system is essential for good gas mileage," said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.  "By simply replacing your car's fuel filter every two years or 24,000 miles and having your fuel injectors flushed our every 30,000 miles, you will not only have a cleaner, 'greener' car, but you will also spend less 'green' at the pump."

In addition to routine maintenance, your fuel system should be checked immediately if you smell gas, or suddenly have poor fuel economy, because there might be leak in the fuel system. If the "Check Engine" light is illuminated, it may mean a problem with the fuel injectors or oxygen sensors. While oxygen sensors are part of the emission system, they have a large impact on your vehicle's fuel economy.

The fuel system in your car includes a pressure regulator, fuel injectors, lines/hoses, fuel filter, fuel tank and one or more fuel pumps. These components work together to supply fuel to the vehicle as needed. The fuel system transfers fuel from the fuel tank, passing it through a fuel filter for cleaning before it arrives at the injectors. A pressure regulator controls fuel pressure to ensure good engine performance under a variety of speed and load conditions. Fuel injectors, when activated, spray a metered amount of fuel into the engine. Some vehicles use a return line system to return unused fuel back to the tank.

"While the fuel system may seem complex, preventative maintenance will keep it running at peak performance and keep you in the 'green,'" said White.

About the Car Care Council:

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council's Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.

SOURCE Car Care Council

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