{"id":9436,"date":"2015-02-19T10:22:31","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T16:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=9436"},"modified":"2015-02-24T10:54:26","modified_gmt":"2015-02-24T16:54:26","slug":"duke-university-documents-widespread-benefits-of-north-carolinas-solar-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2015\/02\/19\/duke-university-documents-widespread-benefits-of-north-carolinas-solar-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Duke University Documents Widespread Benefits of North Carolina\u2019s Solar Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"solar-621744_640\"<\/a>North Carolina\u2019s number-one ranking in the Southeast for solar energy investment confirms the state is a national leader in attracting clean energy companies and creating jobs. But a top ranking does not fully reflect the broad range of benefits North Carolina\u2019s large-scale solar industry is delivering to the state’s manufacturing sectors and rural communities.<\/p>\n

Now a report<\/a> from Duke University documents how the state\u2019s solar industry is boosting the bottom line of companies and communities across North Carolina.<\/p>\n

The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina<\/em> credits state policies such as the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit with stimulating economic development.<\/p>\n

It highlights a recent economic impact assessment<\/a> by RTI International showing that for every dollar of Investment Tax Credit redeemed by businesses, $1.93 has been returned to state and local governments. That\u2019s a great deal for North Carolina.<\/p>\n

The report spotlights three key findings:<\/p>\n

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  1. Business friendly policies are spurring solar growth.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    North Carolina has about the same amount of sunshine as South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida \u2013 but it’s outshining its neighbors in solar investment. The reason is simple: business-friendly state policies passed by lawmakers have encouraged economic development and job growth.<\/p>\n

    As a result, the state’s solar industry and its suppliers now employ 4,300 workers at 450 companies \u2013 representing over $2 billion of direct investment in the state.\u00a0[Tweet “Report from Duke Uni shows how NC’s solar industry is boosting the bottom line of companies and communities http:\/\/ow.ly\/JAGsf “]<\/p>\n

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    1. Rural areas are harvesting benefits.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      North Carolina has 100 counties and over half are already receiving economic benefits from the solar industry. Duke University\u2019s report underscores the importance of the industry to the state’s rural areas, whether high in the mountains, in the rolling piedmont hills, or the flat coastal plain.<\/p>\n

      Many of the state’s rural counties are economically challenged, with little job growth in decades. Catawba, Robeson, and Wayne Counties, for example, are rural communities highlighted in the report whose residents and tax base increasingly benefit from solar installations.<\/p>\n

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      1. The solar industry is helping drive job growth in manufacturing and construction.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        North Carolina\u2019s solar economy includes more than just traditional solar companies. A long list of businesses and individuals participate in the lifecycle of a solar project and prosper as the industry expands, including:<\/p>\n