Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco today announced appointments resulting from the consolidation of the state’s energy programs into the Commerce Department: Larry Shirley has been named to the newly created post of director for the development of the green economy, and Ward Lenz, most recently energy program director at the nonprofit Advanced Energy Corp., has succeeded Shirley as director of the State Energy Office.
“The new green-economy post is another step toward fulfilling Gov. Bev Perdue’s objective to make clean energy and green business more prominent in the future growth in North Carolina,” Crisco said. “Both Larry Shirley and Ward Lenz have extensive energy experience and expertise that will be invaluable to promoting collaboration and support to other Commerce programs, especially business recruitment and retention, workforce development and community assistance. Under the leadership of Commerce’s Assistant Secretary of Energy John Morrison, we expect them to really move the state forward in this expanding sector.”
Shirley served as director of the State Energy Office for the last nine years. Prior to that, he was the executive director of the N.C. Solar Center at N.C. State University for 13 years. He served as the assistant director of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation in Winston-Salem and founded the Nonprofit Energy Management Program for the Advanced Energy Corp.
Lenz has 15 years of experience in the energy sector. For the last eight years, he was with Advanced Energy, a Raleigh-based nonprofit that develops innovative programs and advanced research focusing on energy efficiency for commercial and industrial markets. Prior to joining Advanced Energy, Lenz was a program manager in the Iowa State Energy Office and served as coordinator of the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition.