Governor Josh Stein said via a video message today that North Carolina’s energy demands are rapidly rising and its power generation and grid must be prepared for the growth it is experiencing.

The governor made his video message for the Center for Energy Education’s EnergyFEST, which was played before North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson gave his keynote address.

“That means rebuilding critical infrastructure in western North Carolina and adapting to a change in climate so that North Carolina remains resilient into the future,” the governor said.

The need for these improvements has been made clear “in the wake of action by the federal government and by our own General Assembly that threatens to stifle the clean energy economy and raise our utility bills.”

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In August, Stein launched the Energy Policy Taskforce in an effort to lower energy bills for North Carolina families and promote renewable energy. “When we have lower emissions and improve energy efficiency, everyone benefits.”

Stein said earlier this year the state launched the Energy Saver NC rebate program, which rewards households for installing energy-efficient appliances, improving home insulation, and upgrading electrical systems.

Meeting North Carolina’’s energy needs, he said, “Also means welcoming companies with net-zero emission targets and creating more opportunities to grow our already strong clean energy economy.”

There are nearly 110,000 clean energy jobs in the state. “We need to work together and continue our support for investments in that economy so that we can push that number higher.”

Stein said North Carolina is and will continue to be a leader in the clean energy economy “because it’s an investment in our people and our future.”

Wilson

Wilson, who has been on the job for nine months, said, “From day one there was one thing that was crystal clear, and that is that our department makes peoples’ lives healthier and better every single day in all 100 counties. Every day we are working to safeguard our air quality, water quality, and making sure our lands are healthy.”

The secretary said Stein is committed to expanding the state’s economy and creating good-paying jobs, especially in clean energy, and to reducing greenhouse gases and other air, water, and chemical pollution.

To accomplish these tasks, Wilson said, “We must ramp up our clean energy projects, modernize our electrical grid, and continue innovating in energy efficiency and energy conservation. We need sufficient electricity to support economic growth, new industries, and a rapidly growing population — all the while keeping prices affordable in their homes.”

Wilson said it makes sense for the state to invest in clean energy. “We keep seeing increasingly devastating storms.”

Some of the biggest hurricanes in the state — Matthew, Florence, and Helene — were considered 1,000-year storms but all occurred within eight years. “The vast majority of the world’s climate experts agree that the cause of these more intense storms is in fact greenhouse gas emissions, so we really do need to keep investing in clean energy and driving down those emissions if we want to avoid the kinds of disasters we’ve seen in recent years.”

He said the state has received more than 5,400 applications for the Energy Saver NC program. “By investing in home energy efficiency and conservation, we are investing in people.”

The Weatherization Assistance Program helps 1,100 households per year become more energy-efficient. The state Energy Office is investing $20 million in seven projects to update infrastructure around the state.

The state has $5 million invested through regional partners in western North Carolina for microgrids.

In the last few years the state has seen more than $24 billion in clean energy investment, Wilson said, adding that over 15 years the state has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by around 50 percent.

The state is now at a point where renewable energy produces about 15 percent of the electricity generated.

Headwinds

There are headwinds, however. “The United States Department of Energy recently canceled our $156 million Solar for All program. We are contesting that with the EPA.”

The administration in Washington has canceled offshore wind projects and earlier this week announced a plan to increase coal as an energy source across the country. “Popular clean energy tax credits will expire in three months,” he said. “Duke Energy yesterday submitted their latest carbon plan to the Utilities Commission, and it extends the life of coal plants. It relies more on gas and puts off renewable investments for some time.”

And on the state level, Wilson said lawmakers passed a bill which removes the interim 70 percent reduction goal in carbon. “It does keep the zero carbon (target) by 2050 but it removes the interim goal, which we think would be important to keep having the foot on the gas to get it there in time by 2050.”

He said despite the obstacles, “We have to continue to prioritize energy efficiency, resilience, and clean energy deployment. We have to keep investing in the people of North Carolina, building opportunity in every county through clean energy. I think we all recognize the path to prosperity runs directly through a clean energy economy.”