Climate Change

Last year, the number of jobs in North Carolina’s economy grew by about 1%. But growth in clean energy employment outpaced other sectors, according to a new report.

Federal lawmakers passed new regulations requiring U.S.-sourced and -manufactured solar panels for commercial projects seeking to get tax credits, making demand for domestic panels skyrocket.

The Southern Environmental Law Center plans to bring an upcoming Duke Energy program before the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The program, called Clean Energy Impact, is supposed to allow companies and individuals to buy energy certificates to support North Carolina’s clean energy transition.

A clean energy group is claiming that a Duke Energy program would fool customers into buying clean energy credits that don’t actually generate new clean energy.

A recent Yale opinion poll showed that not only are Mecklenburg residents worried about climate change, but the majority also believe that local elected officials should do more to address global warming. But do Charlotte’s candidates believe they can make a difference when it comes to the environment and climate change?

Recent federal actions cast uncertainty over the future of North Carolina’s solar industry. But people familiar with the history of rooftop solar in the state say uncertainty is nothing new.

Clean energy tax credits have saved people money on home solar installations for more than 20 years. They’re set to expire at the end of this year, after the Trump administration canceled them. However, it might already be too late for homeowners to save on new solar.

Australia mines more lithium than any other country, but most of that lithium is refined in China. Countries such as Australia and the U.S. are looking to refine more lithium at home, and North Carolina is well-positioned to benefit.

More fossil fuels and rate hikes are on the horizon as Duke Energy prepares to meet the demand of electrification, manufacturing and data centers.

Energy experts gathered in Raleigh this week to discuss how North Carolina’s energy grid — and ratepayers’ wallets — will handle the incoming wave of new data centers.