The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) reports that North Carolina's installed solar capacity now exceeds 1 GW.
The state, whose solar industry accounts for more than $1.6 billion in revenue, follows California, Arizona and New Jersey as the fourth in the nation to reach the threshold, and is number one in the Southeast.
The NCSEA credits strong energy policies, including the state's renewable energy and energy efficiency portfolio standard, as well as the renewable energy investment tax credit (REITC) for the rapid expansion of North Carolina's solar market in the past decade.
The gigawatt milestone comes after the North Carolina General Assembly recently determined to include a sunset of the REITC provision in next year's budget.
‘This policy shift is not the first time our clean energy economy has faced challenges,’ says Allison Eckley, NCSEA's communications manager. ‘However, we know this is a resilient industry. North Carolina clean energy firms have overcome multiple policy threats in an uncertain business climate to achieve tremendous growth in jobs and revenues since 2008.’
