NC Celebrates Clean Energy Progress Thanks to Governor Cooper’s Leadership
In a visit to a North Carolina-based manufacturer of electric vehicle charging stations, Governor Roy Cooper reported the progress on clean energy during his two terms as governor.
Cooper and his Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders reported that during his eight years in the governor’s office North Carolina has added more than 20,000 new clean energy jobs and over $24 billion in clean energy industry investment.
Leaders Celebrate Progress
During his remarks, Cooper said that North Carolina has become the “epicenter of the clean energy economy” and in the process worked to address climate change while also delivering major economic benefits to our state. Dr. Scott Ralls, Wake Technical Community College president, added, “Behind that are community colleges who are preparing students to take on these clean energy opportunities with workforce training.”
The event was held at charging station manufacturer Kempower’s Durham facility, its new North American headquarters, where the company has pledged to create 300 jobs and invest $41 million as part of the state’s clean energy sector.
Clean Energy Jobs
North Carolina currently ranks ninth in the nation for clean energy employment, with nearly 110,000 workers. North Carolina also ranks first in the nation for rural clean energy jobs.
Workforce development has also been a key focus, with more than 22,500 students receiving grants for training programs in advanced manufacturing, IT and clean energy technologies. Solar capacity in the state has nearly tripled since 2017, rising from 2,631 megawatts to more than 7,450 megawatts.
More details are included in the Governor’s office news release.
Progress
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