North Carolina's Clean Energy Role
North Carolina has made great strides in providing more clean energy to businesses and consumers over the past five years, in large measure due to increased awareness of the benefits of renewables among public policymakers.
Conservatives for Clean Energy has led the way in educating conservative leaders in North Carolina about the economic benefits and political strength of North Carolina’s increasingly pro-renewables energy policies.
Whether they be conservative members of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, statewide elected officials, state legislators or even local elected officials, these elected officials are working hard to protect North Carolina’s 113,000 jobs in the renewables energy industry.
Conservative opinion leaders from all walks of life attend Conservatives for Clean Energy’s annual statewide clean energy polling luncheons and the annual Clean Energy Champions Event, and engage in public education of lawmakers in order to make a positive difference for increased innovation, competition, and economic growth in North Carolina’s energy sector.
Awareness of the benefits of renewable energy grows every day among conservatives in North Carolina. Conservatives for Clean Energy is on the front lines, educating one conservative at a time, so we can create a better energy future in North Carolina.
Leadership
Paul A. Shumaker, Jr. | Advisor
Raleigh, NC
For over four decades, Paul Shumaker has created winning strategies for political organizations and Republican candidates at every level of government, leading to a fundamental transformation of North Carolina’s political landscape. As one of the longest serving and successful political consultants in the state, his work is distinguished by its clear and honest direction, based on historical, current, and projected business and political climates.
Early in his career, Paul worked for Congressman James T. Broyhill, followed by Governor Jim Martin during his successful 1984 and 1988 gubernatorial campaigns. He served as Campaign Director for the North Carolina Republican Party in 1986, and held various positions within the Martin administration, including Deputy Secretary of the NC Department of Commerce.
His work is credited with several noteworthy “firsts” in North Carolina. In 2000, Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry was elected as the first Republican woman to statewide office, and Supreme Court Justice I. Beverly Lake became the first Republican Chief Justice in over 100 years.
Dee Stewart | Advisor
Raleigh, NC
Dee Stewart is a political strategist and public affairs consultant who has been at the center of the action for a quarter century. Stewart serves as President of The Stewart Group, Inc., and is a recognized expert in the areas of strategic consulting, political messaging, grassroots mobilization, and public relations.
Stewart has consulted on more than 200 political campaigns, with a victory rate of 78%. Along the way, he has helped elect some of the most powerful elected officials at all levels. Stewart’s clients include Congressman Patrick McHenry (Chief Deputy Whip of the U.S. House) and State Representative David Lewis (NC House Rules Committee Chairman), among many others.
Carson Butts | State Director
Raleigh, NC
Carson Butts was born and raised in North Carolina and is a life-long conservative. Carson graduated from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem with a BS in Political Science and minors in Communications and Spanish. Carson is the North Carolina Executive Director for Conservatives for Clean Energy. Carson also lobbies with The Advocacy Shop, a contract lobbying firm in Raleigh.