Report Shows Huge Clean Energy Investment in NC
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Author
Andrew Blok
Electrification and Solar Writer and Editor
Clean energy is adding more than affordable energy to the North Carolina grid. It’s adding billions of dollars in economic development to Palmetto's home state.
That’s according to a newly updated report by RTI International prepared for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. It showed that between 2007 and 2024, clean energy investment drove billions of dollars of direct spending in the state, hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in individual counties, and hundreds of thousands of jobs across the state.
The economic impact of clean energy in NC
In 2007, North Carolina established the first version of its renewable portfolio standard, kicking off nearly two decades of investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Over the years:
- Clean energy investment drove an economic impact of $57.8 billion in the state
- Clean energy investment grew from $25.7 million in 2007 to $748.5 million in 2024 (29 times more)
- Investments supported 256,159 jobs
- Seven counties received more than $700 million in investment
Counties across the state received major investment
The ten counties that received the most investment over that period were spread across the state.
| County | Total investment |
|---|---|
| Wake | $1.27 billion |
| Nash | $986.8 million |
| Bladen | $984.2 million |
| Northampton | $969.2 million |
| Cumberland | $888.5 million |
| Currituck | $757.9 million |
| Mecklenburg | $736.2 million |
| Duplin | $691.4 million |
| Edgecombe | $616 million |
| Robeson | $608.5 million |
Clean energy investment isn’t just a big deal in North Carolina. The US Energy Information Administration recently reported that new electricity generation planned for the US grid in 2026 would be the most ever. Leading the way are clean energy technologies like solar (51% of planned additions), battery storage (28%), and wind (14%).
