GoGreenTriad.com - The Triad's resource for eco-friendly living

RALEIGH — Nicole Corbett has seen the announcements and news reports on $132 million in federal tax money flowing to North Carolina to help low-income families like hers cool and heat their homes.

So why, asked the Climax resident and single mother of two, was she being told by a local nonprofit that there was no money to help her beat the summer heat and that officials in Raleigh were to blame?

As it turns out, Corbett is experiencing the business end of two problems, both related to the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

GREENSBORO — Greensboro is seeking public input about making the city more "green."

The Community Sustainability Council is hosting two public meetings to get residents' feedback on what priorities and strategies should be included in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy report. That report will serve as the city's energy plan.

GREENSBORO — RF Micro Devices will use much of the same technology it has now as it starts working to help produce a new generation of cells that convert sunlight into power, company officials said Wednesday. 

“As big as the cell phone industry is today, it absolutely pales in comparison to the potential for renewable energy,” said Robert Bruggeworth, president and chief executive officer of the company. 

EDEN — On the outskirts of town, stretched along the Dan River, sit two of the most potentially hazardous ponds in the country.

They store coal ash from Duke Energy’s Dan River power plant, and this week they made the Environmental Protection Agency list of 44 “high hazard potential” ash sites across the country.

The release of the list comes after a massive spill in December at an ash pond in the mountains of Tennessee sent a wave of sludge across nearby properties, including 40 houses.

 GREENSBORO — It’s going to cost more to ride a Greensboro bus starting Wednesday.

One-way fares on Greensboro Transit Authority buses for adults will increase from $1.20 to $1.30. The student and senior rates will increase 5 cents to 85 and 65 cents, respectively. The rate for disabled residents and Medicaid and Medicare recipients will also increase 5 cents to 65 cents.