North Carolina

Geothermal

Tiny North Carolina town takes a big step toward geothermal energy

Seed funding will help the rural town of Enfield in its quest to heat and cool homes without fossil fuels while drastically lowering residents’ energy costs.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 20 April 2026
Utilities

What if Duke Energy shared the burden of fuel costs with its customers?

If the utility had to pay a fraction of rising fuel prices, it might rethink its gas buildout and save North Carolinians tens of millions of dollars, a study finds.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 1 April 2026
Offshore wind

Trump’s $1B offshore wind payout to TotalEnergies sparks legal concerns

Offshore wind and legal experts question whether Interior has the authority to reimburse the oil giant for canceled leases, especially if it taps taxpayer dollars.

By Maria Gallucci . 26 March 2026
Data centers

Duke Energy agrees to explore a cleaner way to power data centers

A settlement deal would commit the North Carolina utility to working with Google on a scheme that lets data centers pay to secure 24/7 clean energy.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 19 March 2026
Solar

A food bank cut costs with solar. A local Goodwill noticed.

After a North Carolina nonprofit put up rooftop solar, a nearby Goodwill headquarters did too, a move that will save energy and boost a job training program.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 10 March 2026
Electrification

North Carolinians band together to help their neighbors electrify

Inspired by initiatives that bulk-buy rooftop solar for homes, a new project will help residents navigate home electrification and connect with trusted contractors.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 6 March 2026
Utilities

I let Duke Energy control my thermostat. I don’t regret it.

Throughout this freezing-cold winter, customers like me pitched in to save North Carolina’s grid, and we made a little money doing it.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 19 February 2026
Climatetech finance

Heron Power raises $140M to modernize electrical transformers

Transformers are an old technology that’s in short supply. Tesla alum Drew Baglino thinks his startup can help meet rising demand with new solid-state hardware.

By Jeff St. John . 18 February 2026
Solar

Is solar really overrunning farmland? Data in North Carolina says no.

Arrays occupy a “minuscule” share of farmland even though the state is a solar leader, a new study finds — belying claims from the Trump admin and others.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 29 January 2026
Solar

North Carolina may use batteries to give new life to old solar farms

A Duke Energy proposal backed by clean energy groups would let older solar farms renew their expiring contracts on favorable terms — if they build storage.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 27 January 2026