NCSEA and RTI International recently released the Economic Impact Analysis of Clean Energy Development in North Carolina—2021 Update Report. RTI International conducted the report to identify associated economic impacts of clean energy development (renewable energy and energy efficiency) in North Carolina and identified that, from 2007-2020, the total economic impact from clean energy and energy efficiency project development in the state was $40.3 billion, with 17 percent of the cumulative clean energy investment over the last 14 years occurring in 2019 and 2020.

Researchers found that in 2020 alone renewable energy project development invested $1.6 billion, or 62 times the investment observed in 2007. These clean energy project investments are not relegated to only one part of the state. Rather, projects are widely distributed across North Carolina and bring economic investment to all 100 North Carolina counties. In fact, some of the most rural and economically-challenged counties in North Carolina were the ones that saw the greatest amount of clean energy investment from 2007-2020. Duplin, Robeson, Halifax, Edgecombe, Cumberland, Northampton, and Bladen counties experienced the greatest amount of investment—more than $500 million each between 2007 and 2020. Overall, there are 42 North Carolina counties with over $100 million in investment (up from the six identified in the 2015 Update of this report). View the breakdown of the major investments in renewable energy across North Carolina counties here.