North Carolina State Profile
Last Updated: 9/15/26 — Updated Monthly
STATE OF PLAY
As of July 2026, North Carolina ranked 10th in the nation for clean energy deployment, with over 15 GW of operating clean energy capacity. The clean energy industry employs over 113,000 workers in the state, an increase of over 13% since 2020. North Carolina is also home to 120 planned or operating data centers, and the state’s utilities have projected that data centers could account for nearly 5% of total energy demand by 2030. Despite North Carolina’s strong clean energy economy, Trump and Republicans have threatened nearly 10,000 clean energy jobs, threatened the loss of 26 GW of new energy generation needed to meet rising demand, and led to energy costs increasing by nearly 18%.
| Key 2026 Races | ||
| NC-SEN | NC-03 | NC-11 |
ENERGY BREAKDOWN
- 15% of North Carolina’s total energy generation came from clean energy in 2025, with solar power generation accounting for 10%.
- As of July 2026, North Carolina was home to 15.6 GW of operating clean energy capacity, ranking 10th in the country.
- As of July 2026, a further 2.1 GW of clean energy capacity was planned in the state, enough clean energy to power more than 360,000 homes.
- As of June 2026, North Carolina’s average residential electricity rate was 14.74 cents/kWh, up 10% from the year prior.
- Average household electricity costs in North Carolina are up 17.8% since Trump took office.
- The OBBBA was projected to increase household energy costs in North Carolina by $220 by 2030 and $490 by 2035.
- Since 2025, at least 13 utilities enacted or proposed rate hikes totaling more than $3.6 billion, affecting more than 4.5 million electricity customers and 660,000 gas customers.
- From August 2025 to August 2026, average utility bills in North Carolina were up 7.8%.
- As of August 2026, North Carolina was home to 120 planned or operating data centers, ranking 15th in the U.S. Duke Energy expected 45% of its future demand from large customers to be from data centers, and demand from data centers in the state could grow to 4.6% of total electricity demand by 2030.
- The OBBBA was projected to reduce energy generation capacity in North Carolina by 26 GW, including 10 GW of wind and 12 GW of solar, threatening grid reliability and higher costs as energy demand rises.
CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS & JOBS
- 31 new clean energy projects have been announced since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, and private companies have announced plans to create 10,464 new clean energy jobs and invest over $13.7 billion in the state.
- In 2024, North Carolina’s clean energy industry employed 113,052 workers, a 13.8% increase from 2020.
- Since Trump took office, 12 clean energy projects have been put on the chopping block in North Carolina, jeopardizing over $2.3 billion in clean energy investments and 9,935 jobs.
| Clean Energy Projects Announced Since IRA Passage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | Summary | Projected Jobs | Investment | Project Status |
| MetOx International Superconductor Manufacturing Facility | In October 2024, MetOx announced it had been selected to receive $80 million in funding from the DOE to establish a manufacturing facility in the Southeastern U.S. MetOx’s Project Arch would be the first HTS wire production facility in the U.S., which will help integrate clean energy into the electric grid. The facility will create over 230 high-tech jobs in a coal community. In December 2024, MetOx announced the facility would be located in Chatham County. | 333 | – | Announced |
| Boviet Solar Manufacturing Facility | In April 2024, Boviet Solar announced it would invest $294 million to establish its first North American production facility in Greenville. The project includes refitting an existing facility for solar module manufacturing, as well as the construction of a new factory on adjacent land for PV cell manufacturing. The project is expected to add $2.9 billion to the state’s economy over the next 12 years. Boviet officials repeatedly cited a desire to bring “Made in America” products to market when announcing the facility, and Manufacturing Dive noted the investment bolstered North Carolina’s reputation as a solar hub. | 908 | $294 million | Announced |
| Forge Battery Battery Manufacturing Plant | In November 2023, Forge Nano Inc. announced it would invest $165 million to build a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Morrisville. In September 2024, Forge Nano was selected for award negotiations for up to $100 million in grant funding from the DOE. The grant was funded by the BIL. Thanks to the grant funding, Forge Battery planned to expand production capacity at the factory to 3 GW. | 830 | $65 million | Announced |
| Siemens Electrification and Automation Headquarters Expansion | In September 2024, Siemens announced a $36 million investment to expand its Wendell Electrification and Automation U.S. headquarters. The expansion added a customer experience center, workforce training classrooms, and manufacturing capacity for medium- and low-voltage power distribution and switchgear technologies. Siemens credited the decision to expand transmission infrastructure manufacturing at the facility to government funding opportunities. | 200 | $36 million | Announced |
| Siemens Energy Wake County Expansion | Siemens Energy announced it would add 84 jobs at its Raleigh facility as part of the company’s larger investment in electrical grid engineering in the state. A spokesperson for Siemens said the IRA “influenced the decision” to expand transformer manufacturing by creating a market where “expansion was possible.” | 84 | – | Announced |
| Sunlight Batteries USA North Carolina Manufacturing Plant | In September 2022, Sunlight Batteries announced a $40 million investment to open a battery manufacturing plant in Mebane. | 133 | $40 million | Under Construction |
| Ionna EV Charger Manufacturing Facility | In June 2024, Ionna announced that it had selected Durham County as its headquarters. Ionna is an EV charging joint venture that was founded by the BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. The company will invest $10 million to establish the headquarters, which will develop the hardware and software to run an EV charging network with over 30,000 charge points. | 203 | $10 million | Announced |
| Kempower EV Charging Manufacturing Plant | In February 2023, Kempower announced a $41 million investment in a new EV charging station factory in Durham. | 300 | $41 million | Operational |
| Toyota Tsusho Winston-Salem | In October 2024, Toyota Tsusho purchased a warehouse in Winston-Salem that would be used to support Toyota’s battery park in Liberty. Toyota Tsusho was expected to manufacture recycling and waste-handling solutions for Toyota’s battery plant at the facility. | 39 | $13.77 million | Announced |
| John Deere Battery and Charger Manufacturing Facility | In August 2023, Deere & Company announced a $69 million investment to build a battery and charger manufacturing facility in Kernersville. The facility will produce battery packs and chargers for off-highway equipment. | 50 | $69 million | Announced |
| Autel Energy EV Chargers Manufacturing Plant | In March 2023, Autel announced it would open an EV charger manufacturing plant in Greensboro. The facility will produce up to 5,000 EV chargers per year. | 400 | $40 million | Operational |
| Dai Nippon Printing Co. Lithium-Ion Battery Pouch Manufacturing Facility | In November 2023, Dai Nippon Printing Co. announced it would invest $233 million to build a lithium-ion battery pouch manufacturing facility in Linwood. | 352 | $233 million | Announced |
| Pennsylvania Transformer Technology Raeford Manufacturing Facility | In February 2025, Pennsylvania Transformer Technology announced plans to expand its Raeford operations. Pennsylvania Transformer manufactured power and distribution transformers for renewable energy, electric utility, municipal power, and industrial markets. | 217 | $102 million | Announced |
| Fujihatsu & Toyotsu Battery Components EV Battery Manufacturing Facility | In February 2024, Fujihatsu Tech America, Inc., and Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. announced a $60 million investment to open an EV battery case manufacturing facility in Liberty. | 133 | $60 million | Announced |
| Green Metal EV Battery Recycling Facility | In June 2024, Green Metals Incorporated (GMI) announced that it would open an EV battery recycling facility in Liberty to support the nearby Toyota Battery Manufacturing facility. | 47 | $19.8 million | Announced |
| Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina August 2022 Expansion | In December 2021, Toyota first announced it selected North Carolina for its new EV battery plant. In August 2022, after the passage of the IRA, Toyota announced it would increase its investment by $2.5 billion, creating an additional 350 jobs on top of the initially announced 1,750 jobs. | 350 | $3.8 billion | Under construction |
| Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina October 2023 Expansion | In October 2023, Toyota announced an $8 billion expansion of its North Carolina Battery Plant, which is currently under construction, which will support a further 3,000 jobs. The expansion brings the total investment to $13.9 billion and new jobs to more than 5,000 while supporting Toyota’s vehicle electrification goals. | 3,000 | $8 billion | Under Construction |
| Toyota Tsusho Battery Warehouse | In December 2023, Toyota Tsusho announced it would invest $7 million to open an offsite warehouse in Liberty to support the nearby Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina production site. | 41 | $7 million | Announced |
| Kings Mountain Lithium Materials Plant | In October 2022, Albermarle received a $150 million grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for its Kings Mountain Lithium Materials Processing Plant. Albermarle’s cost share for the project is $225 million, and the project is expected to create over 200 full time, highly skilled jobs. Albermarle said the Kings Mountain project would also help meet the Inflation Reduction Act’s goals for creating a domestic EV supply chain by providing U.S. based commercial scale lithium. Albemarle unveiled the site plan for the Kings Mountain mine in June 2024 and submitted applications for state and federal permits in September 2024. | 200 | $124.01 million | Announced |
| Lawndale Recycling | In December 2023, Quantum Power announced it would invest $19 million to open a facility for its Lawndale Recycling division in Lawndale. Quantum Power converts industrial byproducts into renewable energy. Quantum Power’s President highlighted that the company was revitalizing a shuttered textile operation and bringing the space “back to life.” | 100 | $19 million | Announced |
| Livent Lithium Hydroxide Facility | In November 2022, Livent announced plans to expand its Bessemer City Plant and increase lithium hydroxide production. The expansion planned to take advantage of incentives for domestic lithium production in the IRA. In November 2023, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited the plant and highlighted the importance of the IRA for its capacity expansion. | 30 | – | Operational |
| DEHN U.S. Headquarters | In January 2024, DEHN, an electrical engineering and manufacturing company focused on e-mobility and renewable energy, announced it would invest $38.6 million to open its new U.S. headquarters in Mooresville. | 195 | $38.6 million | Operational |
| Cummins-Meritor EV Components Manufacturing Expansion | In September 2022, Cummins-Meritor announced a $17 million investment to expand its Fletcher facility for electric vehicle axle production. | 40 | $17 million | Announced |
| Paradigm Energy and Storage Headquarters | In February 2025, Paradigm Energy and Storage announced it would establish its headquarters in Burnsville. Paradigm Energy and Storage provides solar energy production, battery storage, and renewable energy transit solutions. The company planned to invest $175 million in the new facility, which was expected to bring 150 jobs to the region, which was hard hit by Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024. | 150 | $175 million | Announced |
| Green New Energy Materials Battery Separator Manufacturing Facility | In May 2024, Green New Energy Materials, Inc., announced plans to invest $140 million in a new lithium-ion battery separator manufacturing facility in Denver, its first in the U.S. The facility, which received a grant from the state, is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $1.15 billion, returning $2.05 in state revenue for every public dollar spent. Green New Energy Materials develops and manufactures battery components used in EVs and energy storage, and counts LG and Samsung as partners | 545 | $140 million | Announced |
| Atom Power May 2023 Expansion | In May 2023, Atom Power announced a $4.2 million investment to expand its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Huntersville. Atom Power manufactures advanced EV charging solutions. The expansion was projected to grow North Carolina’s economy by over $800 million. | 205 | $4.2 million | Announced |
| Atom Power Expansion | In August 2022, Atom Power received a $100 million investment from SK Energy to expand its EV charging workforce. | 170 | $100 million | Announced |
| Alpitronic Headquarters | In May 2023. Alpitronic, a leading EV charger manufacturer, announced it selected Charlotte as its North American headquarters. | 300 | $9.3 million | Operational |
| Celgard Battery Separator Manufacturing Facility Expansion | In October 2023, Celgard announced an expansion of its Charlotte manufacturing site. The expansion was expected to create 100 new jobs manufacturing lithium-ion battery separators used for vehicle electrification. | 100 | – | Announced |
| Siemens Energy Mecklenburg County Expansion | In February 2024, Siemens Energy announced plans to invest $149.8 million to build large power transformers in Mecklenburg County. Siemens said the IRA “influenced the decision” to expand transformer manufacturing by creating a market where “expansion was possible.” | 475 | $149.8 million | Announced |
| ABB Voltage Grid Components Expansion | In September 2025, ABB announced plans to expand its Pinetops, North Carolina, manufacturing facility. The $35 million investment would expand voltage grid component manufacturing at the facility. The expansion was expected to support 49 new jobs once opened in 2026. | 49 | $35 million | Announced |
Additional projects threatened or canceled in the state due to threats to clean energy:
| Additional Threatened Or Canceled Clean Energy Projects | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | Summary | Projected Job Loss | Projected Investment Loss | Project Status |
| Piedmont Lithium Sold Land Where It Planned To Build A Lithium Processing Facility | In July 2025, Piedmont Lithium was looking to sell land in Kings Mountain that was intended to house a lithium processing facility for its planned Carolina Lithium mining project in Gaston County. Piedmont Lithium said shifts in the lithium market caused the company to drop the site from its long-term planning. | – | – | Canceled |
| Atom Power Laid Off Staff Following Funding Loss | In May 2025, Atom Power shared that its staff headcount was down nearly 70 staff from 2024. Atom Power, an EV charging equipment company, lost over $100 million in funding. The company’s co-CEO, Denis Kouroussis, said that it is trying to “keep the lights on,” and said that its previous goal of adding 205 jobs in 2026 was “a little bit aggressive” as the company was shifting to financial discipline. Kouroussis attributed the financial changes to a slowdown in the EV market. | 70 | $100 million | Layoffs |
| Natron Energy Canceled Planned Battery Manufacturing Facility | In September 2025, Natron Energy announced it was shutting down. The company would no longer open or operate its planned battery manufacturing facility in Edgecombe County which it froze in July 2025. The facility was delayed because Natron needed more clarity about how it would finance the facility, and the company’s investors had halted payments. Natron faced troubles due to tariff headwinds and expanded “foreign entity of concern” restrictions in the OBBBA. | 1,062 | $1.4 billion | Canceled |
| Solar Company Blue Ridge Power Laid Off 517 Workers And Planned To End Its Business | In September 2025, Blue Ridge Power, a solar engineering and procurement company, announced it would lay off 517 workers in Asheville and Fayetteville as it closes its business. The company is a unit of Pine Gate Renewables and serves as Pine Gate’s engineering, procurement, and construction company. The company attributed the closure to “market headwinds similar to those impacting the entire renewable energy industry,” including the repeal of clean energy tax incentives and anti-clean energy federal regulations. Earlier in September 2025, Pine Gate Renewables was consulting its advisers regarding its liquidity challenges caused by the Trump administration’s anti-clean energy policies. | 517 | – | Layoffs |
| Thermochem Recovery International Grant For Biorefinery Improvements Canceled | In October 2025, Thermochem Recovery International’s grant to support improved feeding and residual solids recovery for integrated biorefineries was canceled. The $1.7 million grant was expected to support data analysis, computer modeling, laboratory research and development, and a pilot-scale demonstration of the company’s biofuel production system. The project activities were expected to occur in Durham. | – | $1.7 million | Grant Cancellation |
| Saueressig North America’s Grant For Flexible Graphite Canceled | In October 2025, Saueressig North America’s federal grant for flexible graphite production was canceled by the Trump administration. The company had been awarded $9.4 million from the DOE and was expected to receive an additional $4.4 million in non-federal funding. | – | $13.8 million | Grant Cancellation |
| Pine Gate Renewables Filed For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy | In November 2025, Pine Gate Renewables announced it had initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The Asheville-based renewable energy company planned to sell its assets and operations, including over 30 gigawatts of solar power that the company is currently developing. Pine Gate Renewables laid off 223 employees in Asheville, North Carolina, as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy filing was linked to the OBBBA’s repeal of clean energy tax credits and the Trump administration’s opposition to the clean energy industry. | 223 | – | Layoffs |
| Epsilon Advanced Materials Delayed Its North Carolina Battery Materials Manufacturing Facility Because Of The OBBBA | In January 2026, Epsilon Advanced Materials announced a further delay of its planned North Carolina battery materials facility. The company had planned to break ground on the facility in 2024 when it first announced plans to open the factory in 2023, but has since delayed groundbreaking until the second half of 2026. | 500 | $650 million | Delayed |
| Boyd Corporation Closed Its Monroe Plant | In February 2026, Boyd Corporation closed its Monroe plant. As a result, all 63 employees will be laid off in April 2026. Boyd manufactured nameplates and warning labels at the facility, which were used in the company’s next-generation EV battery technologies. | 63 | – | Layoffs |
| VinFast Cut Expected Employment At Its North Carolina EV Factory | In March 2026, VinFast announced that its planned EV manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina, would only create 1,400 jobs. When first announced, the factory was expected to support 7,500 jobs, a cut of 6,100 jobs from the planned total. Press linked the smaller footprint of the facility to falling demand for EVs in the U.S. following the repeal of EV tax credits. VinFast plans to resume construction of the factory next month and start production in 2028. | 6,100 | – | Canceled |
| TotalEnergies Canceled Carolina Long Bay Wind | In March 2026, TotalEnergies accepted a $1 billion buyout from the Trump administration to cancel development of the Carolina Long Bay wind project, which was located off the coast of Bald Head Island, North Carolina. TotalEnergies pledged to invest in natural gas in Texas as part of the agreement. Carolina Long Bay was expected to generate over 1 gigawatt of electricity, enough to power 300,000 homes. | – | – | Canceled |
| Duke Energy Canceled Its Carolina Long Bay Offshore Wind Lease | In June 2026, Duke Energy agreed to terminate its offshore wind lease in the Carolina Long Bay area, located roughly 22 miles off the coast of Bald Head Island in Brunswick County, in exchange for a $129 million reimbursement from the Trump administration. Duke paid $155 million for the lease in 2022. The project was expected to generate up to 1.6 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power nearly 375,000 homes. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed the lease posed a “national security concern,” part of the Trump administration’s push to end offshore wind development. Southeastern Wind Coalition President Katharine Kollins called the cancellation a missed opportunity, saying, “We are disappointed to see another offshore wind farm opportunity taken off the table for North Carolina. At a time when electricity demand is surging and grid reliability is under increasing strain, we need to add energy options, not remove them.” | – | $155 million | Canceled |
Other projects in the state, started before the Inflation Reduction Act:
| Project or Company Name | Project Details | Project Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hubbell – Rocky Mount | Hubbell’s Rocky Mount, North Carolina, facility employs 100 people and specializes in HPED injection molding and LDPE rotational molding. Hubbell’s products are used for power generation, distribution, and transmission. | Operating |
| Hubbell – Goldsboro | Hubbell’s Goldsboro, North Carolina, facility employs 40 people and manufactures apparatus bushings, insulators, and specialty epoxy-molded products. Hubbell’s products are used for power generation, distribution, and transmission. | Operating |
| GAF | GAF’s Burgaw, North Carolina, facility has been operating since 1994 and employs around 250 people. The plant manufactures power vents and rooftop accessories. | Operating |
| Chemours | Chemour’s Fayetteville Works facility supports over 550 jobs and manufactures materials used for advanced electronics and clean energy. | Operating |
| Siemens | Siemens’ Wendell, North Carolina, facility has been operating since the early 1980s and is the US headquarters for Siemens Electrification and Automation. The facility produces medium-voltage switchgear and circuit breakers, low-voltage motor control centers and switchboards, and replacement circuit breakers for switchgear modernization. | Operating |
| Imerys Performance Minerals | Imerys has a manufacturing plant in Youngsville, North Carolina. Imerys manufactures materials used for batteries and fuel cells. | Operating |
| Eaton | Eaton’s Raleigh, North Carolina, facility manufactures power distribution units, software, and connectivity solutions used for electric vehicles and EV charging, energy storage systems, and other power systems. | Operating |
| VinFast | In March 2022, VinFast announced it would establish a manufacturing facility in Chatham County’s Triangle Innovation Point. The facility planned to manufacture electric vehicles and was expected to create 7,500 jobs. | Announced |
| Phase Change Energy Solutions | Phase Change Energy Solutions’ Asheboro, North Carolina, facility manufactures thermal products used in green building designs. | Operating |
| The Timken Company | Timken’s Randleman, North Carolina, facility manufactures products used in wind turbines. | Operating |
| Thomas Built | Thomas Built was founded in 1916 in High Point, North Carolina, and began manufacturing all-electric school buses in 2017. | Operating |
| Soelect, Inc. | Soelect was founded in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2018 and manufactures battery products. | Operating |
| TE Connectivity | TE Connectivity operates a manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company manufactures products used for batteries and energy storage. | Operating |
| Carolina Perlite Company, Inc. | Carolina Perlite Company is based in Gold Hill, North Carolina, and produces perlite aggregates for horticulture, construction, and industry. | Operating |
| Henkel US Operations Corporation – Salisbury | Henkel’s Salisbury, North Carolina, manufacturing facility employs around 225 people and produces adhesive products used in the electronics industry. | Operating |
| Celgard | Celgard’s manufacturing facility in Concord, North Carolina, manufactures products used for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. | Operating |
| Southwire | Southwire has a manufacturing plant in Huntersville, North Carolina. The company manufactures wires and cables used in solar and wind power, battery energy storage systems, and electric vehicles. | Operating |
| Aderis Energy | Aderis Energy’s Cornelius, North Carolina, facility manufactures clean energy monitoring systems for commercial and utility-scale generation sites for solar, wind, EV charging, energy storage, and more. | Operating |
| DCE Solar | DCE Solar is based in Cornelius, North Carolina, and manufactures solar racking solutions for commercial and utility-scale projects. | Operating |
| Hays Fluid Controls | Hays is headquartered in Dallas, North Carolina, and manufactures flow controls and hydronic balancing solutions. | Operating |
| Piedmont Lithium Limited | In 2017, WCP Resources Limited announced it planned to begin drilling for lithium at a property in Bessemer City, North Carolina, for use in the electric vehicle and battery storage markets. | Announced |
| Henkel US Operations Corporation – Lincolnton | Henkel operates a manufacturing facility in Lincolnton, North Carolina. The company manufactures materials used in the solar industry. | Operating |
| Carolina Nonwovens | Carolina Nonwoven’s Maiden, North Carolina, facility manufactures insulation products. | Operating |
| Carpenter | Carpenter’s Conover, North Carolina, facility manufactures Expanded Polystyrene Systems used for energy-efficient buildings. | Operating |
| American Roller Bearing Company – Morganton | American Roller Bearing Company’s Morganton, North Carolina, facility manufactures bearings used in wind turbines and hydroelectric dams. | Operating |
| Carolina Precision Fibers | Carolina Precision Fibers is based in Ronda, North Carolina, and manufactures insulation, hydromulch, and industrial asphalt fiber products. | Operating |
| NCFI Polyurethanes | NCFI’s headquarters are in Mount Airy, North Carolina. The company manufactures technical spray foams and had 60 employees as of 2024. | Operating |
| Quanex | Quanex has a manufacturing facility in Granite Falls, North Carolina. The company manufactures solar panel sealants. | Operating |
| Saft America, Inc. | Saft America’s Valdese, North Carolina, facility manufactures batteries. | Operating |
| SGL Carbon | SGL Carbon’s Morganton, North Carolina, facility manufactures graphite materials used for energy storage systems. | Operating |
| Polypore | Polypore’s headquarters are based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company manufactures microporous membrane products used for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. | Operating |
| Weil-McLain | Weil-McLain has a manufacturing facility in Eden, North Carolina. The company manufactures boilers. | Operating |
| Atom Power | Atom Power, founded in 2014, manufactures EV charging stations. The company’s headquarters is in Huntersville, North Carolina. | Operating |
| Livent Lithium | Livent Lithium’s facility in Bessemer City, North Carolina, manufactures materials used in the electric vehicle industry. | Operating |
| Greenheck Fan Corporation | Greenheck Fan Corporation’s manufacturing plant in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, manufactures commercial kitchen hoods and tempered air products, including make-up air units and energy recovery ventilators. | Operating |
RELEVANT STATE NEWS
- NC Attorney General asks state to make data centers pay fair share on power bills [WECT, 9/14/26]
- Duke Energy deals double whammy to its poorest North Carolina customers [Canary Media, 8/20/26]
- The race to power AI could reshape North Carolina’s grid — and its communities [NC Health News, 8/18/26]
- Climate change, cyber threats are reshaping how NC utilities protect drinking water [WRAL, 8/7/26]
- Inside the secretive deal for a $10 billion data center in rural North Carolina [NC Newsline, 8/6/26]
- One man halted Duke Energy’s solar energy procurement. Clean energy groups say this action was unlawful [WFAE, 8/5/26]
- Duke Energy proposes special rules for data centers in North Carolina [Canary Media, 7/6/26]
- Duke Energy drops N.C. offshore wind lease in $129M settlement [WECT, 6/30/26]
- North Carolina advances far-reaching data center bill [Politico, 6/3/26]
- NC regulators are choosing to not set numeric limits on chemical pollution in waterways. Why? [WUNC, 5/14/26]
- North Carolina regulators confront drought as communities battle over who gets water [WRAL, 5/14/26]
- Clean energy groups challenge NC Utilities Commission chair’s order to pause solar projects [NC Newsline, 5/12/26]
- Rural North Carolina fights back against PFAS contamination [Grist, 5/6/26]
- North Carolina’s pause on solar spurred by climate rollback [Politico, 4/28/26]
- ‘Running out of corners to cut’: NC families struggle as temps and utility bills soar [WRAL, 4/16/26]
- Opposition to data centers is ‘catching a fire’ across North Carolina, spurring political challenges [WUNC, 4/10/26]
- North Carolina’s clean energy jobs continue to increase steadily, led by manufacturing growth [WUNC News, 3/6/26]
- Power-hungry data centers are coming to NC. Who should foot the bill? [Star News Online, 2/24/26]
- Duke Energy reports nearly $5B net income as customers face higher bills, pending rate increases [WRAL News, 2/11/26]
- North Carolina may use batteries to give new life to old solar farms [Canary Media, 1/27/26]
- Iced-over North Carolina faces grid preparedness questions after other states enact stricter laws [WRAL, 1/26/26]
- WNC schools help state save millions through energy efficiency [828 News Now, 11/16/25]
- Small-scale power grids were a ‘lifeline’ in WNC after Helene. They may become permanent [Citizen Times, 10/10/25]
- As data centers go up, North Carolina weighs how to handle energy demand [Canary Media, 9/16/25]
STATE CLIMATE DISASTERS
- Between 2010 and 2024, North Carolina saw 73 billion-dollar extreme weather disasters. Since 2017, North Carolina has received $6,044,184,337 in FEMA funding for disaster assistance.
- Hurricane Helene was the deadliest storm on record in the state of North Carolina, with 103 deaths in the state attributed to the storm, and caused at least $53 billion in damage. Helene also caused devastating river flooding, with parts of the state seeing over 30 inches of rainfall.
- 2024 was North Carolina’s second-warmest year on record, with all 12 months warmer than the historical average statewide. The state has seen five of its six warmest years since 2016.
- The April 2025 Sam Davis Road Fire caused $400,000 in damage.
- As of April 2026, North Carolina was experiencing its driest year on record, with extreme drought conditions covering as much as 17% of the state.
- A study found that climate change had lengthened North Carolina’s allergy season by as much as 41 days in certain regions.