News Releases

News Release | Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center

New Report Highlights Clouds in Solar Growth for North Carolina

Raleigh, NC – Over the last few years North Carolina has emerged as a national leader in solar power. But according to a new report by Environment North Carolina Research & Policy Center titled “Lighting The Way,” the story might not be as bright as often told. While North Carolina ranks fourth for solar installation in terms of overall capacity, the state ranks tenth per capita, behind cloudier states like New Jersey and Massachusetts. The report emphasizes that it is not availability of sunlight that makes states solar leaders, but the degree to which state and local governments have created effective public policy to help capture the virtually unlimited and pollution-free energy from the sun.

News Release | Environment North Carolina

Offshore Wind Energy Within Reach for North Carolina

Wilmington, NC – North Carolina could reap tremendous environmental and economic benefits from offshore wind, according to a new report from Environment North Carolina and the National Wildlife Federation. Catching the Wind: State Actions Needed to Seize the Golden Opportunity of Atlantic Offshore Wind Power. The report analyzes and compares the actions by Atlantic Coast states toward progress on offshore wind.  

Despite having more offshore wind potential than any Atlantic state, North Carolina ranks in the bottom tier on its commitment to making offshore wind a reality, not only behind national leaders like Rhode Island and Massachusetts, but also behind neighboring states Virginia and South Carolina.  

News Release | Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center

Electric Cars Are Putting the Brakes on Pollution

Raleigh—More than 1,600 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are on North Carolina’s roads today, and more than 190,000 across the United States, delivering real benefits for our health and our environment, according to a new report released today by the Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center. In just the last two years, annual sales of electric vehicles have increased by 500 percent.

Now, with strong implementation of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and the development of more renewable energy, electric vehicles are set to deliver even greater benefits for the environment.

News Release | Environment North Carolina Research & Policy Center

8.8 million pounds of toxic chemicals dumped into N.C. rivers

Raleigh, NC—Chemical manufacturers, meat-processing plants, coal plants and other industrial facilities dumped more than 8.8 million pounds of toxic chemicals into North Carolina’s rivers and streams in 2012, the ninth most in the country, according to a new report by Environment North Carolina Research & Policy Center.

News Release | Environment North Carolina

North Carolina Leaders Come Together to Praise New Carbon Pollution Standards that Will Protect Public Health, Address Climate Change

Raleigh, NC – Today, a broad cross section of community and elected leaders joined Environment North Carolina to praise the newly announced federal carbon pollution limits for power plants, the leading cause of climate change. Members from the medical, faith, and business communities all the lauded public health and other benefits the new rule will have for North Carolinians.

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