Securing a cleaner energy future for North Carolina

Continuing to develop our clean energy capabilities and technologies will support North Carolina's booming economy while saving ratepayer dollars throughout the state. As we celebrate National Clean Energy Week — September 2327 — now is a good time for policymakers from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., to recommit themselves to supporting an all-of-the-above approach to energy that includes renewable and clean energy resources.

According to recent data, our state's clean energy sector — which includes renewables like wind, solar, and hydropower as well as natural gas, biomass, and advanced nuclear — supports nearly 18,000 jobs and has committed to investing over $20 billion in North Carolina communities. Increasing investments and access to these resources will help strengthen our economic future while ensuring North Carolina remains a leader in energy production.

In 2022, North Carolina ranked fourth in the nation — coming in just after California, Texas, and Florida — in terms of both solar power generation and generating capacity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It is critical that we continue to expand upon our solar power capabilities in smart, pro-growth ways that ensure we are leveraging more of this clean energy resource in a way that works for North Carolina homes, businesses, and communities.

Additionally, North Carolina is quickly emerging as a leader in emissions-free nuclear power, which provided roughly one-third of the state's net electricity generation in 2022. Already ranked among the nation's top five producers of electricity from nuclear power, North Carolina is working to grow these capabilities even further by exploring the economic and environmental benefits of small modular reactors (SMRs).

SMRs may generate less power than a traditional nuclear reactor, but they are also much more affordable to construct and can be sited in areas that may not be suitable for traditional power plants. Thanks to a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers at Purdue University are now moving ahead with critical research into SMR and advanced reactor (AR) technologies, which will hopefully enable North Carolina to continue investing in and enhancing our nuclear capabilities as part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy.

For Clean Energy Week, and all year round, North Carolinians can be assured that their leaders in the General Assembly and in Congress are working to advance commonsense policies that allow us to continue investing in and growing our clean energy capabilities, from solar power to small module reactors. Not only is clean energy helping improve our communities, it is creating jobs, spurring growth, and strengthening our entire economy. Now that's something worth investing in.

• Kyle Hall represents North Carolina's 91st House District.