BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Héctor Ceballos-Lascuráin is to be awarded the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards (IRHA) Lifetime Achievement award. Previously winner of Planeta’s Colibri Ecotourism Lifetime Achievement Award, Hector Ceballos-Lascurain is a Mexican architect, environmentalist and international ecotourism consultant. He is Director General of the Program of International Consultancy on Ecotourism (PICE), based in Mexico City, and also a Special Advisor on Ecotourism to IUCN (The World Conservation Union), The International Ecotourism Society and the World Tourism Organization. The award is to be presented by Mark DeCarlo from Taste of America on the Travel Channel USA at the gala ceremony...

INDIANAPOLIS—The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis, a hotel owned and operated by Rosemont, Ill.-based First Hospitality Group, Inc., has requested a grant from the Indiana Department of Energy and Defense to install solar panels on the roof of the hotel. Taking the next step in environmentally-friendly business practices, the initiative would make way for alternative energy use at the property. The proposed 4,050 kW solar array will be deployed on the top of the 16-story hotel building, making it one of the largest arrays in Indianapolis. The solar panels will also offer guests the opportunity to see first-hand a real-time...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—According to the latest “Monthly Electricity Review” issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (October 3, 2008), net U.S. generation of electricity from renewable energy sources surged by 32 percent in June 2008 compared to June 2007. Renewable energy (biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) totaled 41,160,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) in June 2008, up from 31,242,000 MWh in June 2007. Renewables accounted for 11 percent of net U.S. electricity generation in June 2008 compared to 8.6 percent in June 2007. Compared to June 2007, wind power grew by 81.6 percent in June 2008 while solar and conventional hydropower experienced increases...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—First Affirmative Financial Network and the Social Investment Forum, hosts of the 19th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference, have designed their 2008 event to be a green meeting. This year’s conference is expected to draw a record 700 sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) industry practitioners and professionals to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, October 26 to 28, 2008. According to the Convention Industry Council’s definition, a green meeting is “a meeting or event that incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment.” George Gay, CEO of First Affirmative, is planning for the 2008 SRI in...

ATLANTA—CQ Construction and CQ Capital Partners, both parts of the Clarkston, Ga.-based Charania Group of Companies (CGC), are completing construction of a new Cambria Suites property that is located less than one-half mile from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 143-room hotel, which includes a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and meeting space, is well on its way to earning a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. According to Rahim Charania, president of CGC, the Choice Hotels International franchised property will open in the first quarter of 2009 and is expected to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 1424 and extended the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The tax deduction is not a tax credit (an amount directly subtracted from the tax owed), but a deduction—an amount subtracted from gross taxable income. Tax deductions result in benefits to the taxpayer; thus this newly created program can be used as an incentive to assist in choosing energy efficient building systems. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included a new tax incentive to improve the energy efficiency of...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is now accepting nominations for its first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards, the winners of which will be honored in March 2009. NBTA’s CSR committee established the annual awards to recognize a company for its innovative and significant initiatives to take greater social and environmental responsibility while minimizing the global impact of their business travel programs. “NBTA’s CSR Committee has been a leader in providing resources to help organizations develop, measure and improve travel-related corporate social responsibility efforts,” said NBTA president and CEO Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP. “We want to recognize those...

NEW YORK—Thanks to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), hotels throughout the state of New York can receive low cost building energy audits, and incentives on kitchen equipment ranging from reach-in solid door refrigerators to insulated holding cabinets. Incentives run as high as $500 for freezers and ice makers and as low as $30 for pre-rinse spray valves. The services are paid through the System Benefits Charge that many owners and operators in the hospitality industry cover through their electric utility bills. According to Ed Smyth, manager of the Troy, N.Y. office of RLW Analytics,...

BROOKFIELD, WISC.—The 2008 Wisconsin Lodging Conference & Trade Show will be held October 27 to 28 at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace. This annual conference is the largest gathering of Wisconsin lodging owners and operators in the state. The Wisconsin Innkeepers Assn., the state’s only association representing the entire lodging industry and one of the largest state lodging associations in the country, is the host for this marquee event. The conference will feature a special panel presentation titled, “Exploring Niche Tourism Markets: Green Tourists, Geocaching & Culinary Tourism,” which will help property owners and operators attract travelers who are conscious...

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels announced that The Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro have been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. Opened in late 2007, the Proximity is the first hotel and Print Works is the first restaurant to obtain the USGBC’s top level of certification. “When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 41 percent less energy and 33 percent less water without...