Looking forward to 2017

The 2016 election season has finally come to a close, and many are wondering what’s next for clean energy. NCSEA’s answer? To borrow from sports terminology, North Carolina still controls its own destiny.

You see, North Carolina’s $7 billion clean energy economy is resilient, thanks to years of conditioning through adversity. The gray area is not a new place for us. In today’s uncertain times, where questions linger at the state and federal levels, one thing is certain: NCSEA’s work, in collaboration with our valued members and partners across the state, matters more than ever.

We’re used to operating – and thriving – in the trenches, where leadership, fair rules and market signals can change in an instant. So as we take time to consider what happens next, in many ways NCSEA is already “there” – convening stakeholders, influencing policy, advancing an increasingly diverse and accessible marketplace. The existing suite of common-sense clean energy policies and our diverse, robust clean energy business presence throughout the state must continue working together as our bedrock.

Despite policy setbacks and market barriers over the years, our diverse clean energy business community doesn’t just find ways to survive; we do our homework, take the blows as they come, and bounce back to advance together. Today and tomorrow, regardless of who is in power at different levels, we take comfort in knowing that North Carolina clean energy has already saved NC consumers over $162 million, proven ourselves viable and competitive, and most importantly, promises so much more for our future. We also know there is far more to be optimistic about than leery of.

Put simply: The benefits of clean energy to our state’s workers, consumers, manufacturers and investors are ours to lose. NCSEA intends to work as we always have to protect and proliferate those benefits on behalf of every consumer in every corner of the state. We look forward to working in 2017 to continue leading the way, serving as a model to other states as we fervently pursue an increasingly clean, reliable and affordable energy future.

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