NC conservative: There’s a lot to celebrate but more to do on clean energy here
BY CARSON BUTTS
SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 12:10 PM
In a time of stark and often rancorous political divisions, we can all agree on the need for affordable, reliable energy. North Carolina’s advances in clean energy are helping to lead the way – but our legislature can and should do more as demand for electricity surges across our state.
Some highlights:
– With new electric-vehicle factories, expanded lithium mines, and industrial-scale battery production, North Carolina anchors the Southeast’s growing “Battery Belt.” Batteries made here can store electricity no matter where or how it’s generated, helping power companies meet peak demand efficiently. (Think of how your cell phone runs on its battery when it’s not plugged in.)
– Solar energy is harnessed on rooftops and private property across the state, aiding homeowners, employing thousands of North Carolinians, and giving struggling farmers a lifeline to support their families and keep their land. North Carolina ranks fourth among the 50 states in solar energy, producing almost 10% of our power.
– Wind energy is already generated here, with enormous potential for expansion just beyond the horizon offshore and out of sight. Visitors to conservative states in the American West discover how vital wind can be to the regional energy mix.
– Emerging advances in nuclear technology will help diversify our state’s energy production further as we retire old, dirty, coal-fired power plants.
As we celebrate National Clean Energy Week, North Carolinians can be proud that we’re a key part of the solution to America’s 21st-century energy challenges. My nonprofit organization, Conservatives for Clean Energy North Carolina, has supported this progress for a decade. Despite North Carolina’s success, we must continue our clean energy momentum for several reasons.
First and foremost, demand for electricity is soaring as power-thirsty data centers, factories, and cities expand across our state. Duke Energy says this “load growth” has accelerated far beyond what it expected just a few years ago.
This growth is good, because it means more jobs and private investment in North Carolina, which competes daily with other states for economic development. It’s an asset not just in our big cities, but also in small towns and rural parts of our state most in need of a boost. But it also means we must have a more vigorous all-of-the-above approach to energy production.
As coal plants are phased out, we need more wind power, solar energy, and battery storage now to keep North Carolina a top place to work, live, and learn. Second, the more energy we generate at home, the less we depend on hostile dictators who control oil and gas abroad, bolstering our vital national security. It’s no accident that America’s military, including its bases in North Carolina, are at the forefront of clean energy deployment. Third, the more renewable energy we produce, the more choices consumers have. Conservatives champion all three benefits: economic development, national security, and consumer choice.
In fact, across partisan and ideological lines, North Carolina’s voters strongly support broader energy choices and more renewable energy, including offshore wind. The 2024 North Carolina Energy Poll, conducted for Conservatives for Clean Energy NC and the national Clean Energy Buyers Association, found that among the state’s likely fall voters:
More than 77% want more consumer choices in energy sources. This includes 79% of Republican voters, 77% of Unaffiliated voters, and 77% of Democratic voters. More than 61% support building offshore wind turbines, up from 55% last year. Support rises to about 66% when told of the private investment wind energy would attract or that the turbines would be at least 22 miles from the shore. Overall, 74% think state law should encourage more investment in renewable energy. When North Carolina’s newly elected General Assembly reconvenes early next year, it should pursue strong bipartisan legislation to expand our state’s clean energy offerings, which are vital economically and savvy politically. That’s worth urging this week and every week.