'NC Vision 2025, Version 1.0' Coming Soon!

The world is buzzing with the promise of innovative green industries and the green energy jobs that accompany their on-going global rise.  According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance earlier this year, from 2004 to 2009 new global investment in energy efficient solutions and renewable energy increased from $46 billion to $162 billion.  Bloomberg forecasts that this investment will rise to $325 billion in year 2019, while quadrupling the number of jobs in these green energy industries.

This global opportunity is every bit as much a North Carolina economic development opportunity as it is a China, California or Virginia opportunity – but only if we choose to realize the potential of our people, industry, in-state resources and universities.

However, it is no secret that before North Carolina’s decision-makers will be willing to take the lid off of NC’s burgeoning green economy, they want answers to four fundamental questions.  Compared to how North Carolina currently generates electricity and makes efforts to reduce our need for electricity, will diversifying our statewide electricity portfolio through greater use of energy saving solutions and in-state renewable energy resources still allow:

A) Our utilities to deliver reliable electricity? 

B) Our citizens and businesses to afford electricity?

C) Improve our energy security? And if yes to all of these, then

D) Creation of more jobs in more counties than the energy path we are currently on?

Later this month, NCSEA and its authors will release the first effort in North Carolina’s modern history to tackle these fundamental questions – Vision 2025, Version 1.0.  On September 30 in Winston-Salem, attendees at NCSEA’s Making Energy Work 2010 event received a "sneak-peak" preview of Vision 2025, Version 1.0, shared some excellent ideas, and had their initial questions answered by Executive Director Ivan Urlaub.