Clean Energy Plan Development Process

Vision

Executive Order No. 80 acknowledges North Carolina’s leadership in technology innovation, research and development, and skilled workforce to promote clean energy technology solutions. It calls for market innovations that drive economic expansion and job creation to produce a smart, resilient, and a modern electric grid while balancing reliability, cost, economic growth, equity, and environmental and public health impacts.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is charged with collaborating with businesses, industries, power providers, technology developers, North Carolina residents, local governments and other interested stakeholders to increase the utilization of clean energy technologies, energy efficiency measures, and clean transportation solutions. DEQ is tasked to deliver the Clean Energy Plan to the Governor by October 1, 2019.

In preparing this plan, DEQ has created an open and inclusive process that seeks stakeholder input and develops a series of policy, regulatory, administrative, and program recommendations that achieve the intended vision. The following explains the overall strategy. It is our intent that this plan will be a “living” document that provides a roadmap for pursuing our collective vision. It can be revisited periodically as advancements in technology occur, implementation costs are reduced, and policies and regulatory actions are taking effect.

Topics to Be Explored:

In developing the Clean Energy Plan, DEQ will investigate and seek feedback on a range of topics, including, but not limited to:

Ways to ensure all North Carolinians, including underserved communities, have access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
The role of emerging technologies such as distributed energy resources (e.g. solar, storage, energy efficiency, demand management, microgrids, electric vehicles, wind), decreasing costs of those technologies, consumer preferences, and new energy service providers.
The role of existing and new resources in transitioning NC into a clean energy economy.
The role of power sector transformation occurring in policy, regulatory, and utility business model across the country.
Creating a more reliable and resilient power grid in the face of increasingly severe weather events.
The ways in which clean energy can spur economic expansion and economic development, including innovation, workforce development and educational opportunities.
The opportunities for reducing environmental and public health impacts, including opportunities for reducing carbon emissions in the power sector and the economy as a whole.

Approach:

Engage with stakeholders to understand their vision for NC’s clean energy future.
Identify stakeholder needs, issues, barriers, solutions, unrealized opportunities, equity concerns, and required actions.
Analyze future energy demand, generation and supply strategies, national trends in power grid modernization/transformation, and explore options for NC.
Assess economic opportunity, rate impacts, environmental benefits, health impacts, and jobs outlook associated with North Carolina’s transition to clean energy.
Recommend policy, regulatory, administrative, local government, public, and business community actions for achieving North Carolina’s clean energy future.

Stakeholder Process

Tab/Accordion Items

Share Your Thoughts

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and input during the Clean Energy Plan Development process.

The Clean Energy Plan draft was released for public comment on August 16.

Structured engagement events will be organized to obtain feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders on key questions. (see attached process table).
Technical support will be provided by the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), and facilitation support will be provided by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).
Interested individuals must submit a request to participate form. Participants will be selected to ensure diverse representation. We encourage organizations to nominate individuals with sufficient understanding of the electric power sector to represent their constituents. Confirmation emails will be sent out before each scheduled workshop.
Video of expert presentations and questions posed during the workshops will be made available online. Other public engagement opportunities will be made available across the state over the next several months (see below).

Workshop 1: February 25, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Agenda, Presentation Materials and Video of Speaker Sessions

Workshop 2: April 1, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Agenda, Presentation Materials and Video of Stakeholder Presentations

Workshop 3: April 22, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Agenda, Presentation Materials and Video of Speaker Sessions

Workshop 4: May 22, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Agenda, Presentation Materials and Video of Speakers

Workshop 5: June 26, time 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Agenda, Presentation Materials and Video of Speakers

Workshop 6: July 24, 9:00 am -3:45 pm
Agenda, Presentation Materials and Video of Speakers

Location: William Ross Conference Room
Nature Research Center
121 West Jones Street | Raleigh, NC 27601

Statewide outreach events will be organized in metropolitan and rural areas to increase access to the workshop process.
Attendees will be shown pre-recorded segments of facilitated workshops and asked specific questions to obtain feedback.
Listening sessions are open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend.

Dates and Locations:

March 8, 2 – 4:30 pm Agenda
Charlotte
UNC Charlotte, EPIC Auditorium
Directions

March 14, 1-3:30 pm Agenda
Asheville
The Collider

March 19, 2-4:30 pm Agenda
Rocky Mount
The Rocky Mount Event Center

March 25, 1-3:30 pm
Fayetteville
Fayetteville State University, Shaw Auditorium

March 27, 1-3:30 pm
Wilmington
Cape Fear Community College, Union Station Building
502 N Front St.
Wilmington

March 29, 1-3:30 pm
Hickory
Western Piedmont Council of Governments
1880 Second Ave NW
Hickory

April 11, 1-3:30 pm
Elizabeth City
Museum of the Albemarle

May 17, 1-3:30 Agenda
Greensboro
NC A&T State University, Academic Classroom Bldg Auditorium
Parking info

Short presentations or organized events will be held at other planned conferences, events or meetings.
Audience feedback will be obtained.

March 5 & 19: 2019 Air Quality Compliance and Permitting Workshops
North Carolina Manufacturer's Association (NCMA) and NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ)
Hickory (3/5) and Raleigh (3/19)

April 30: 2019 State Energy Conference
North Carolina State University, Raleigh

May 15: 2019 Environmental Stewardship Initiative
Raleigh