2018 North Carolina Clean Energy Industry Census Illustrates Importance of Clean Energy for North Carolina’s Economy

RALEIGH, N.C., June 20, 2019— North Carolina’s diverse Clean Energy Industry now boasts over $14 billion in revenue, 43,238 jobs, and over 1,700 firms according to the 2018 North Carolina Clean Energy Industry Census, released today by North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). Since NCSEA pioneered the first state-based Clean Energy Industry Census in 2008, North Carolina’s Clean Energy Industry and its jobs have grown more than 550 percent and annual industry revenue has grown more than 300 percent. North Carolina’s Clean Energy Industry saw continued gains across its many sectors, with the Energy Storage, Energy Efficiency, and Solar sectors seeing the largest increases in revenue from the 2016 to 2018 edition of the Census. Click here to access the sharing suite.

“Celebrating our 10th census this year, we now know that North Carolina’s Clean Energy Industry has been a consistent and meaningful contributor to growing North Carolina’s Gross State Product and keeping electricity costs low, while bringing billions of dollars in investments to every county in our state. Earlier this year, RTI’s Economic Impact Analysis Report found North Carolina has benefited from $28.2 billion in clean energy project development, with some of our most rural and economically-challenged counties each experiencing over $600 million in investment,” commented Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director of NCSEA.

North Carolinians are benefiting from clean energy in the form of lower electric bills, healthier communities, more resilient energy supply, and additional job opportunities, but clean energy has even more to offer North Carolina and the Southeast—this is just the start.

“The 2018 Clean Energy Industry Census demonstrates the continued strength of our state’s Clean Energy Industry and the incredible transformation our state has experienced since we first measured the industry’s contribution to our economy in 2008,” said Urlaub. “A new era of deeper cost and energy savings, lower emissions, and greater economic opportunity through clean energy has begun. A 2019 study by NCSEA and Synapse Economics reveals that the least-cost energy decision for North Carolina would be to utilize twice as much clean energy as Duke Energy recently proposed. This would not only emit 40 percent less greenhouse gases, but also save Duke Energy customers more money than current utility plans. If regulation leads North Carolina to choose the least cost resources going forward, we expect continued clean energy job and revenue growth next year and beyond.”

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About North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association

North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that drives public policy and market development for clean energy. Our work enables clean energy jobs, economic opportunities, and affordable energy options for North Carolinians. Learn more about NCSEA, our mission, and vision at www.energync.org.

About the North Carolina Clean Energy Industry Census

Since 2008, NCSEA has surveyed companies, institutions, and organizations in the Clean Energy Industry to quantify their impact on the state’s economy as well as inform where policies may or may not be achieving the results policymakers and market actors envisioned. The 2018 North Carolina Clean Energy Industry Census represents the 10th edition of this survey report.