Abstract:
Since the 1970s, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have been engaged in promoting renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass. Consumers in the state currently benefit from over two percent of their power from hydro resources, as well as small self-contained solar and wind projects. Challenges to renewable energy include transmission, intermittency and the need for advancements in storage technology, as well as high construction costs and delays.