David Boraks

Here's an innovation for device-carrying people on a college campus: a solar-and-battery-powered picnic shelter that provides both shade and power. The idea has been around for at least a decade, but as solar technology improves and prices fall, it's becoming more than just a novelty. And now it's part of the campus sustainability plan at Catawba College in Salisbury — and more are on the way.

For nearly a century, the Ela Dam in the North Carolina mountains has provided electricity but also altered wildlife habitats and disconnected the community. Land conservation and environmental groups have joined the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in an ambitious plan to remove the aging dam. But that hinges on getting millions of dollars in federal funding.

Three years ago, Duke Energy opened its newest natural gas-fired power plant in Asheville, on the site of an old coal-fired plant. Duke wants to build more gas plants around North Carolina as part of its plan to reduce the heat-trapping pollution that comes from electricity generation. But the idea has plenty of critics.

Duke Energy officials told state regulators Tuesday that their computer models underestimated power demand by 6% to 10% during frigid weather on Christmas Eve. That and a shortage of electricity from power plants, contributed to the need for rolling blackouts across North Carolina at a time when temperatures dipped into the single digits.

Public meetings are planned around the state in the coming weeks to help state environmental officials draft rules to promote a shift to electric trucks.

California utility regulators last week adopted new rules sought by utility companies that reduce what rooftop solar owners get paid for electricity they send back to the grid. Will North Carolina be next?

Ten days after two electrical substations in central North Carolina were knocked out by gunfire, there are still more questions than answers about the incident. The outage left about 45,000 customers without power, some for as long as five days

The U.S. wants to mine more domestic lithium for electric vehicle batteries. It would require demolishing houses, digging up farms and disrupting streams. Some residents worry about the impact.

Duke Energy on Wednesday finished repairing and testing two electrical substations in Moore County that were damaged by gunfire Saturday. The attacks cut power to about 45,000 customers initially.

The United Nations climate summit in Egypt closed last weekend with an agreement to create a fund for developing nations dealing with the effects of climate change caused mainly by carbon emissions in rich nations. But there was no movement on efforts to cut heat-trapping pollution that causes global warming — and North Carolina climate experts said this week there's lots more to be done.