The Green Jobs Award was bestowed to a North Carolina solar company that nearly tripled in size in one year, according to a press release.

The business develop manager of the Greenville office of Southern Energy Management told the Journal Watchdog that the growth was due to incentives in North Carolina, which are far better than those offered in South Carolina. David Odell told the publication that the differential for alternative energy in North Carolina is roughly 0.20 cents per kilowatt hour while South Carolina's is 0.09 or 0.10 cents.

"In South Carolina last year we did about 300,000 watts in business. North Carolina generates something like 20 times the amount of business for us that South Carolina does," Odell told the publication.

The Green Jobs Award was presented by the SJF Institute and Green For All. Southern Energy Management expanded from employing 30 workers to almost 90 workers, and the company would like to continue growth and expansion. The company views enormous potential in South Carolina, which it is targeting.

"I'd tell anyone who is thinking about getting into the green energy business to push South Carolina's lawmakers to get with the program," he told the publication.