Clean Energy Week in North Carolina

After years of diligent, innovative, and bipartisan strides made in the clean energy field, we are inching closer to a future powered by clean energy in North Carolina. The week of September 23rd marks the start of Clean Energy Week, a week to celebrate how far we’ve come and look at the road ahead.

Clean energy investments, $31.3 billion from 2007 to 2022, have soaked into higher education, municipalities, businesses, and other industries in North Carolina. Executive Orders 80 and 218 have set ambitious clean energy goals for the state, including the production of enough offshore wind energy to power 2.3 million homes by 2040 and the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions of the power sector by 70% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 compared to levels in 2005. And, the bipartisan Energy Solutions for North Carolina law works with regulated electric utilities to reach the same greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

North Carolina is starting to see the changes. The air has been cleared of almost 50% of the soot, smoke, and other airborne pollutants that were present thirty years ago. Air that is dense with particulates and other pollutants is linked to health effects like asthma and heart conditions. The people of North Carolina, the technicians, educators, lawmakers, advocates, and more, each deserve to be celebrated for their contributions to the strides made in advancing clean energy in North Carolina.

Despite the measures made so far, there is still a long way to go. In offshore wind, large projects like sites in Kitty Hawk and Wilmington are still in the pipeline and have yet to be constructed or in operation, even with years of extensive planning already. Although North Carolina has set ambitious targets, much work is left on the road to net-zero emissions and a cleaner, greener state for us. 

To continue on this trajectory, it will take the efforts of our whole community. Individual North Carolinians can help to reach these goals with simple energy conservation strategies, listed in the Citizen’s Guide to Reducing Energy Waste, and replacing old systems in your home with cleaner technology. There are many opportunities to get federal tax credits for adding more efficient insulation on your home, getting solar panels on your roof, or buying an electric vehicle, with all the tips in this Clean Energy Home Toolkit. If you already have clean energy or clean technology throughout your home, we’d love for you to take this short survey about your clean energy home.

With Clean Energy Week coming to a close, it is important to look back at how far we’ve come and recognize how far we have to go. The clean energy movement is gaining its stride, and with the help of lawmakers, corporations, and people like you we will be able to create a cleaner future for all.