New data highlights North Carolina’s clean energy gains

This morning, NCPIRG Education Fund, along with other state and national clean energy advocates, as well as Morrisville’s Mayor TJ Cawley gathered to celebrate North Carolina’s clean energy gains. Based on new findings released from Environment America’s Renewables on the Rise dashboard, North Carolina in many ways is leading the way amongst its neighbors in the south and even across the country in the transition to clean energy.

The new data highlights the growth of wind, solar, and other clean energy technologies in our state and how North Carolina continues to make strides in leading the way towards a clean energy future. Some of the highlights include: 

• North Carolina ranks 4th in the nation for overall solar power generation in 2021.
• North Carolina has seen a 56-fold increase in the amount of electricity it gets from the sun since 2012. 
• In 2021, over 12,500 electric vehicles were sold in North Carolina
• The state has also seen a 912% increase in the number of electric vehicle charging ports since 2012.

NCPIRG Education Fund Director Katie Craig said “It’s encouraging to see how far North Carolina has come in making solar energy a reality over the past decade. Thanks to those strides, North Carolinians can look forward to a cleaner, healthier future.”