According to a new report from the American Clean Power Association (ACP), North Carolina is making significant strides in the clean energy sector, with wind and solar providing nearly 10% of the state’s electricity. The state’s clean energy capacity, currently at 6,433 MW, is set to grow significantly by 2030 and is powered in part by over 15 billion dollars in investments. And the sector – which currently employs nearly 10,000 North Carolinians – is poised for further expansion.

The ACP says that the demand for the clean energy generated at these sites is strong, with corporations including Meta and Google making procurement agreements for North Carolinian clean power totaling over 1,600 MW. By 2030, North Carolina can anticipate an additional 14 billion dollars of capital investment being made into the utility-scale clean power sector. 

"Clean power projects throughout North Carolina are contributing beyond the expansion of energy capacity at both the state and local levels. North Carolina’s 27 operating clean energy manufacturing facilities have created jobs across the state, helping push the number of North Carolinians working in the utility-scale sector to nearly 10,000. Additionally, clean power projects have generated revenue for both local communities and the state overall", the ACP says.

More than 30 million dollars is collected annually from these projects in state and local taxes, and another 42 million dollars in annual revenue is made by landowners leasing their property to clean power projects. This totals 72 million dollars in annual contributions flowing into North Carolina’s economy, the report adds.

North Carolina’s clean energy capacity is expected to double by the end of the decade, according to the ACP report. ACP estimates additions to the state’s energy grid of around 8,000 MW of solar, 1,400 MW of land-based wind power, and 2,500 MW of battery storage capacity by 2030. Increased investment in clean energy is expected to increase annual tax revenues from these projects to 83 million dollars, and push revenue for landowners to over 110 million dollars in land lease payments.