Cooper Touts Clean Energy Economy in State of the State Address

Governor Roy Cooper touted the jobs and economic impact of building a clean energy economy in North Carolina, early and at length in his annual “State of the State” address to a joint session of the NC General Assembly last week.

After his introductory opening remarks, Cooper turned immediately to the positive developments in clean energy. 

“North Carolina is cementing its place as a leader in the global clean energy economy — no longer the industry of the future, but the flourishing business of today. North Carolina is a clean energy destination, bringing good manufacturing jobs to parts of our state that years ago knew more factory closures than ribbon cuttings,” said Cooper. 

“Consider electric vehicles, now projected to grow into a four hundred billion dollar global market in just five years. And it’s cranking up right here. From the battery manufacturing in Randolph County to the semiconductor production and the electric vehicle manufacturing in Chatham County, to the charging station production in Durham County. North Carolina has a claim to every link and every job in this fast-growing, lucrative supply chain.

“The private sector electric vehicle market is about to take the world by storm and North Carolina is riding the first wave. And that means more money in the pockets of North Carolinians even as we do our part to fight climate change.”

Cooper concluded, “Through bipartisan cooperation here in the General Assembly, we became just the second state in the southeast to put carbon reduction requirements into law. And through my executive orders, we’ve brought people together to plot our course to a lower cost, net-zero carbon future, to cleaner transportation, and toward more renewable energy like wind and solar power. With challenges like jobs and climate change, you can only make progress when you set ambitious goals. And we’re taking action to reach those goals, because progress is never passive.”