Aug. 8--CHAPEL HILL -- A Chapel Hill developer involved in renewable energy systems has been named chairman of the state's newly reshaped Energy Policy Council and will be expected to spearhead the creation of green jobs for North Carolina.

Gov. Beverly Perdue announced the appointment of Tim Toben to the post during a bill-signing ceremony at the Innova Tech research and development laboratory in Morrisville on Friday morning. Innova Tech was one of 14 green grant recipients announced by Perdue. It got $53,317 to research converting algae into biofuel. Semprius of Durham received a $99,486 grant for a project to concentrate solar energy through a lens that would allow for solar cells to be made smaller and less expensive.

"It's going to be fun. I'm really looking forward to it," Toben said of his new position. He is the managing partner of Greenbridge Developments, the Chapel Hill-based firm building the mixed-use high-rise towers on Rosemary Street that have drawn national attention as an environmentally friendly project.

He expects to spend about half of his work week devoted to Greenbridge duties and the other half to the Energy Policy Council.

Perdue signed House Bill 1481, which, it is hoped, will guide North Carolina into becoming a leader in green economy jobs.

"Strong leadership and smart investments are essential to laying a foundation for North Carolina to create green jobs, support green innovation and promote a sustainable future for our state's economy and environment," Perdue said in a written statement. "Turning green into gold is a central part of my JobsNOW initiative and of my vision to grow North Carolina's long-term economy."

The legislation has a three-pronged approach, starting with moving the State Energy Office from the Department of Administration to the Department of Commerce. That will more closely align the Energy Office's activities with economic development.

The Residential Energy Conservation Assistance Program will be shifted from the Department of Health and Human Services to the relocated State Energy Office.

And the Energy Policy Council is expected to become more effective by improving representation from environmental groups, alternative energy producers and energy services specialists. The council will be refocused on creating green jobs and protecting the environment.

Although Toben serves on the N.C. Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change and is chairman of the Board of Visitors at the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment, he acknowledges that assuming leadership of a statewide agency of this scope will be a challenging, if eagerly welcomed, chapter in his life.

Perdue's gubernatorial appointment is the fulfillment of a years-long journey by Toben to help steer the state towards green-collar industry.

"I went to see her when she was lieutenant governor about five years ago" to discuss green energy ideas and distributive energy proposals, Toben said. At the time, he was involved with a wind farm on the east coast and wanted to explore the possibility of getting electricity produced from such small generators onto the state power grid.

Toben is still involved in wind power. He and his wife Megan own and manage an educational farm in western Orange County that operates on a hybrid solar and wind renewable energy system. They grow organic vegetables and make biodiesel from waste vegetable grease.

He said he kept in contact with Perdue over the years, and, as she raised environmental issues during her run for governor last year, he helped to rally support for her from the state's green energy leaders.

An Alabama-born graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and onetime marathon runner, Toben was founder and CEO of KnowledgeBase Marketing, Inc., a North Carolina-based information technology company with 350 employees that he successfully sold in 1999.

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