Expanding alternative energy in North Carolina: A tool for educating the public

Abstract

Interest in improving energy efficiency and expanding renewable energy are gaining momentum around the country and North Carolina is no exception. The state legislature is currently considering several bills to encourage development of these alternatives to traditional coal and nuclear power plants and the North Carolina Utilities Commission has hosted several public hearings on the topic during the past year. Additionally, more than a dozen environmental, health and religious organizations have joined together to champion clean electricity in North Carolina. During a recent meeting of this coalition the value of increasing public awareness of this issue was discussed, though no concrete arrangement were made to move forward on this idea in a large part because of concerns over insufficient resources. In an effort to assist this coalition the following report includes an outline and all relevant material for a public workshop about electricity generation and distribution in North Carolina, the advantages of renewable energy and energy efficiency, barriers to their implementation in North Carolina and alternatives to the current rate structure which could help overcome these barriers. In addition to the workshop materials the report begins by addressing these topics in greater detail.