North Carolina has attracted significant private investment in clean energy in recent years — from battery and solar manufacturing to energy‑efficiency contractor work and grid upgrades.
A new report from the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy finds the state’s clean energy job market has grown 13.8% since the pandemic. The group's executive director, Ryan Evans, said that while solar energy generation initially pushed North Carolina into the nation’s top 10 for clean energy jobs, it’s now clean‑tech manufacturing that’s keeping it there.
Ryan Evans, the group’s executive director, said the state’s ability to supply large industrial users with the electricity they need has become a major selling point.
“We’re seeing a demand for companies to say, ‘OK, who can get me the power that I need for this particular manufacturing center that we want to develop?’” Evans said.
According to the report, manufacturing is now on track to replace renewable energy generation as the state’s second‑largest clean energy employer, behind the energy‑efficiency sector.
