Southern Energy and Environment Expo Set for End of August

If you're interested in cleaner air, greener houses, or hybrid cars, you won't want to miss this year's Southern Energy and Environment Expo and Clean Air Car Fair beginning on August 24 at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, North Carolina. The fair is the seventh annual one in the area and is set to run for three days. It's not just a local gathering anymore either. Ned Ryan Doyle, the coordinator of the event, says it is the largest of its kind in the South. Every year the attendance has increased by more than a thousand visitors, with last year's event topping 8000 people.

Whether it's the rising cost of gas for your car, or the spike in utility bills, issues that were once seen as geared towards an "alternative" population are now becoming more mainstream. Everyone seems to be affected and everyone is looking for some sort of cost-cutting measure. Organizers don't care what drives people to the fair as long as they come. Some visitors are motivated by a desire to save the environment while others may be more concerned about saving their dollars. The end result is the same. They leave with a great deal more information than they arrived with. Learning about alternative lifestyles can only be a good thing for the individual as well as the larger community.

As of last week there were more than 150 exhibitors signed up with more expected to before the expo begins. They represent companies that manufacture solar panels and sun tunnels, conservation-based hot water heaters, clean cars, radiant heating systems, and much more.

The Clean Air Car Fair, which runs alongside the Energy Expo is sponsored by the Environmental and Conservation Organization of Hendersonville. That part of the fair promises to be especially interesting with its array of alternative fuel cars. They include those running on ethanol and biodiesel, as well as natural gas, propane and electric-run cars. Many people in this area are still examining these hybrid vehicles, unsure of how they run and whether they can perform as well as the cars and trucks they are used to; the expo gives the consumer and the dealer an opportunity to shed more light on the subject and raise people's awareness about the benefits in terms of maintenance and gas savings.

More information is available by calling 828/692-0385 or visiting www.SEEExpo.com. Hours for the fair are August 24, noon-6 pm; August 25, 10am-7pm; August 26, 10am-5pm. The WNC Agricultural Center is located on Highway 280 opposite the Asheville Regional Airport.