Renewable Energy in Rural Areas

Renewable Energy in Rural Areas

Renewable energy is increasingly championed as a new economy that brings jobs and energy security to a community while combating climate change. Anita Brown-Graham looks at how investment in a renewable economy can impact our state’s rural areas.

On February 28, 2019, we hosted a Twitter chat on Access to Healthcare in Rural Areas.

Digital Extras 1:Renewable Energy in North Carolina

ncIMPACT hosts a panel on renewable energy in North Carolina. Panelists include Katharine Kollins and Brian O’Hara. Anita Brown-Graham hosts. Generous support for this series is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union.

Digital Extras 2:Renewable Energy Impact on Rural Economies

Renewable energy facilities and sites often pump millions of dollars into a community. We look at the impact of how these renewable energy facilities are helping develop rural economies. Generous support for this series is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union. Anita Brown-Graham hosts.

Digital Extras 3:Panel on Renewable Energy Barriers

ncIMPACT hosts a panel on the barriers with renewable energy. Panelists include Katharine Kollins and Brian O’Hara. Anita Brown-Graham hosts.

Digital Extras 4:Investing in Renewable Energy

ncIMPACT interviews Donald van der Vaart on investing in renewable energy. Anita Brown-Graham hosts. Generous support for this series is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union.

Additional Resources

The twelfth episode of our new series on UNC-TV highlights how renewable energy facilities are helping to rebuild economies in rural areas of NC. See below for additional resources on this topic.

• Abrams, Amanda. “For Local-Income Residents, the Economic Benefits of Amazon’s New Wind Farm ar Up in the Air.” August 2017. “Rural America” In these times.
• Andeck, Greg. February 2015. “Duke University Documents Widespread Benefits of North Carolina’s Solar Economy.” Environmental Defense Fund.
• Ayee, Gloria, Gary Gereffi, and Marcy Lowe. September 2009. “Wind Power: Generating Electricity and Employment Chapter 11.” Duke Global Values Chains Center.
• “Barriers to renewable energy technologies.” Union of Concerned Scientists Science for a Healthy Planet and Safer World. Accessed May 2019.
• “Benefits of renewable energy use.” Union of Concerned Scientists Science for a Healthy Planet and Safer World. Accessed May 2019.
• “Bill Summaries: H763 (2015-2016).” University of North Carolina School of Government. https://lrs.sog.unc.edu/bill-summaries-lookup/H/763/2015-2016%20Session/H763.
• Boaz, David. “North Carolina’s Wind Energy Facilities Bill: The Debate Continues Over the Future of WInd-Power Generation in the North Carolina Mountains.” Accessed May 2019. http://studentorgs.law.unc.edu/documents/elp/2010/topic4boazfinal.pdf.
• Blaue, Max. December 2015. “How a North Carolina village came to believe solar farms were ‘killing the town.’” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/21/north-carolina-woodland-solar-farms.
• Bryant, Cal. August 2015. “Sun powered agriculture.” Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.com https://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2015/08/02/sun-powered-agriculture/.
• Carrington, Don. January 2017. “General Assembly leaders want Amazon Wind Farm shut down.” Carolina Journals. https://www.carolinajournal.com/news-article/general-assembly-leaders-want-amazon-wind-farm-shut-down/.
• Clendaniel, Morgan. November 2014. “Mapping the History of Renewable Energy in America.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/1679005/mapping-the-history-of-renewable-energy-in-america.
• December 2017. “NC Chambers say wind, solar energy are critical to rural regions.” Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.  http://www.chambersforinnovation.com/cias/2017/12/14/nc-chambers-say-wind-solar-energy-are-critical-to-rural-region.
• Ducker, Richard, Adam Lovelady, and David Owens. October 2013. “2013 North Carolina Legislation Related to Planning and Development Regulation” University of North Carolina School of Government. https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/www.sog.unc.edu/files/doc_warehouse/plan03-13.pdf.
• Duke Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness. February 2015. “The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina.” https://gvcc.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/02152015Duke_CGGC_NCSolarEnergyReport.pdf.
• February 2017. “Renewable Energy Tax Credit (Personal).” DSIRE NC Clean Energy Technology Center. http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/541.
• HCPRess.com. January 2017. “Watauga Commissioners Adopt 100% Clean Energy & green Jobs Resolution in Historic Vote.” https://www.hcpress.com/front-page/watauga-commissioners-adopt-100-clean-energy-green-jobs-resolution-historic-vote.html.
• “House Bill Session Law 2013-51.” Accessed May 2019. https://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2013/Bills/House/PDF/H484v9.pdf.
• “House Bill 763.” Accessed May 2019.  https://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2015/Bills/House/PDF/H763v4.pdf.
• July 2106. “O2 EMC.” Accessed May 2019. https://youtu.be/azL2hVnxn0I.
• Kollins, Katherine. February 2019.  “Amazon facility shows wind’s benefit to economy.” DailyAdvance.com. http://www.dailyadvance.com/Other-Views/2019/02/20/Amazon-facility-shows-wind-can-drive.html#.XG15Qv3REqU.twitter.
• King, James, Lisa Schiavinato, and Ethan Case. May 2016. “Wind Energy Permitting in North Carolina and Six Other States: A Comparative Analysis.” The Department of Energy/Sandia Scaled Windfarm Technology. https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/ncseagrant_docs/products/2010s/NC_Wind_Analysis_Final.pdf.
• Murawski, John. May 2016. “NC bill takes aim at wind pwoer and solar energy.” The Charlotte Observer. ”https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article78472572.html.
• Murawski, John. July 2017. “Two proposed windfarms threatening to pull out of NC if moratorium becomes law.” The News and Observer.  https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article159811154.html.
• Lovelady, Adam. 2014. “Planning and Zoning for Solar in North Carolina.” University of North Carolina School of Government.  https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/www.sog.unc.edu/files/full_text_books/pandzsolar2014.pdf.
• “Linking renewable energy to rural Development.” Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Accessed May 2019. https://www.oecd.org/regional/regional-policy/Renewable-rural-energy-summary.pdf.
• Morris, David. February 2018. “Renewable Energy surves to 18% of U.S. Power Mix.” Fortune.com. http://fortune.com/2018/02/18/renewable-energy-us-power-mix/.
• Murawski, John. July 2015. “Power produced by Amazon wind farm won’t stay in North Carolina.” The News Observer.  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/07/15/power-produced-by-amazon-wind-farm-wont-stay-in-north-carolina/.
• O2EMC. “Education.” Accessed May 2019. http://www.o2emc.com/education.
• O2EMC. “Gates Solar.” Accessed May 2019. http://www.o2emc.com/gates-solar.
• O2EMC. “Sustainability.” Accessed May 2019. http://www.o2emc.com/sustainability
• Ousts, Elizabeth. August 2018. “In North Carolina, renewable energy losing its edge as a political wedge.” https://energynews.us/2018/08/01/southeast/in-north-carolina-renewable-energy-losing-its-edge-as-a-political-wedge/.
• Ouzts, Elizabeth. “How a rural corner of North Carolina could dominate the region’s wind market.” The Energy News Network.  https://energynews.us/2016/10/03/southeast/how-a-rural-corner-of-north-carolina-could-corner-the-regions-wind-market/
• “RE: Northeastern NC Chambers Encourage Support for Policies that Advance NC’s Clean Energy Economy.” Accessed May 2019. https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/449/File/letteronrenewable.pdf.
• “Senate Bill 843.” Senate Bill 843.
• “Senate Bill DRS35342-MQfa-88 (02/03).” Accessed May 2019. https://webservices.ncleg.net/ViewBillDocument/2015/7213/0/DRS35342-MQfa-88.
• September 2013. “2013 Session Laws Enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly.” University of North Carolina School of Government.  https://lrs.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/supp_content/2013_Session_Laws_v2.pdf.
• Sun Raised Farms. 2017. “Sun Raised Farms is a Ground Maintenance Company who use sheep to graze the grounds on a solar farms.” Accessed May 2019. https://www.sunraisedfarms.com/home.
• The Pew Charitable Trust. October 2014. “Clean Economy Rising Solar Shines in North Carolina.” http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/Assets/2014/10/Clean-Energy-North-Carolina-policy-brief-for-WEB.pdf.
• Think NC First. “An unlikely industry is turing rural North Carolina around.” Accessed May 2019. https://www.thinkncfirst.org/research/an-unlikely-industry-is-turning-rural-north-carolina-around.
• University of North Carolina School of Government. “Solar Powers Economic Development in NC.” Accessed May 2019. https://ced.sog.unc.edu/solar-powers-economic-development-in-nc/.
• Way, Dan. December 2017. “N.C. governments seek to go 100 percent renewable; is it realistic?”  Carolina Journal. https://www.carolinajournal.com/news-article/n-c-governments-seek-to-go-100-percent-renewable-is-it-realistic/
• WAVY TV 10. January 2017. “Lawmakers: North Carolina wind farm poses security threat.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=DXPM3ySGgKc.
• “Zoning Ordinance of the County of Pasquotank, North Carolina.” Accessed May 2019. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b0584b6aa49a1a281fb3205/t/5ba10da34fa51aaabc9b272f/1537281444657/ORIGINAL+Zoning+Ordinance.pdf.