North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are starting new projects everyday to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Builders of Hope, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that rebuilds homes to energy-efficient LEED certification, will pilot a program in Atlanta that could turn 500 foreclosed homes into affordable housing.

GEOTHERMAL
The American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro has gained national recognition for its geothermal energy system.

SOLAR
A high school freshman won first place in the 2012 North Carolina Science Festival for his invention of a Solar Composter — a solar panel heating system optimizes the composting process so that it can be used year round, while preventing weeds and parasites.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are starting new projects everyday to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.

SOLAR
SunEnergy1 is helping North Carolina become a leader in the U.S. solar industry.

WIND
A third large wind farm project is in the pipeline for North Carolina.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy Star's appliance rebate program closed Monday.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are starting new projects everyday to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.

WIND
Dominion Power, whose service territory extends into North Carolina, is positioning itself to control how and when wind energy is developed off the Virginia coast, and a fair number of environmentalists, local officials and would-be competitors are nervous about that.

SOLAR
Progress Energy customers saved an average of $235 a year by switching to solar thermal water heater, representing an average annual savings of 63 percent on the water heater portion of their power bill.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are starting new projects everyday to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
EcoRooms Initiative combines energy consciousness and business

SMART GRID
Is the Research Triangle the "Silicon Valley" of smart grid technology?

CLEAN ENERGY
While visiting the key battleground state of North Carolina this month, President Obama urged Americans to embrace alternative energy sources and lessen their dependence on oil, calling it a “fuel of the past.”

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy. Below is a sampling of what's happening across our state. Click here to learn more about these and many other recent innovations, announcements and advancements:

SOLAR
Nash County officials say a new solar farm will create jobs and possibly encourage other companies to locate clean energy industries here.

The Laurinburg City Council unanimously approved conditional use permits for two tracts of land that would allow either to be used for what is expected to be the largest solar power plant in North Carolina. The proposed solar farm – a 2.3 megawatt solar photovoltaic array – would be the largest in the state, according to energy officials.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Duke Energy Carolinas has proposed additional services in its Save-A-Watt energy-efficiency initiative that include more efficiency programs for low-income customers, an appliance recycling incentive and expanded insulation and energy-efficiency incentives for homeowners.
 

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging new energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions and others are ready and eager to start new projects to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. (Click on each link to read more about each project.)

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are ready and eager to start new projects to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state.

Tucked in the depths of Duke Energy's latest North Carolina rate request is a money-saving deal - a 20 percent discount on electricity - that few customers know about and fewer take. It's also a vision of the future.

Natural gas prices have been in a freefall as electricity prices are pushing upward, prompting some residents to make retrofits so they can switch to natural gas to heat their homes this winter.

Duke Energy agreed in a legal settlement to retire more than 1,600 megawatts of old coal-fired power plants, making enforceable the shutdown plans Duke had previously revealed.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy. Below is a sampling of what's happening in NC.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is getting a 500 KW solar project. Eagle Electron Power Partners filed a notice with the NC Utilities Commission for a $2.9 million project that is expected to be operational in August.

Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development is accepting applications from Western North Carolina farmers who are interested in generating renewable energy on their farms.

PowerSecure International Inc., a developer of energy and smart grid solutions, landed a $20 million contract to provided services to an undisclosed utility.

• Swedish retailer IKEA will install a solar panel array on the roof of its Charlotte store by next summer, The Charlotte Observer reported. The plan is part of IKEA's program to add solar panels to nine stores and one distribution center in the southern U.S. The Charlotte store, which opened in 2009, will support 4,214 solar panels that will generate an estimated 1,330,000 kilowatt hours a year, or the energy required to power about 114 average homes.
• Progress Energy and Duke Energy say a Chevy Volt or home charger were not to blame for an Iredell County house fire. Garland Cloer, Iredell County's chief deputy fire marshal, said it appears the fire did not start in the electric car. He wouldn't say more about the fire's origin, because investigators for several agencies and manufacturers are still examining the debris.
• Wilmington was one of two cities to receive the Susan M. Burgess Sustainability Award by the N.C. League of Municipalities. The city was recognized for numerous sustainability initiatives including fuel efficiency and energy efficiency projects.