Strong position: North Carolina's desirable business climate will help its economy navigate uncertainty sparked largely by the recent elections.

• Position: ECONOMIC FORECAST ROUND TABLE

THIS YEAR IS BEGINNING IN UNKNOWN TERRITORY. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is flirting with 20,000, the Trump administration is setting up shop on Pennsylvania Avenue, and Raleigh is home to a Democratic governor and Republican House and Senate. Business North Carolina magazine and Campbell University's Lundy-Fetterman School of Business assembled a panel of experts, representing some of the state's most important sectors, to share their takes on how these and other issues will shape the economy in the months ahead.

The discussion was moderated by Ben Kinney, Business North Carolina publisher, and hosted by Campbell University's Lundy-Fetterman School of Business at the university's law school in Raleigh. Additional support was provided by North Carolina Association of Realtors and Northwestern Mutual. The transcript was edited for brevity and clarity.

KENDAL BOWMAN vice president of regulatory affairs and policy, Charlotte-based Duke Energy Corp.

CHRISTOPHER CHUNG president and CEO, Cary-based Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Inc.

KIM DAWSON immediate past president, Greensboro-based North Carolina Association of Realtors

RICHARD REICH assistant commissioner of agricultural services, Raleigh-based N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

DAVE SIMPSON president and CEO, Charlotte-based construction trade association Carolinas AGC Inc.

MARK STECKBECK associate professor of economics, Buies Creek-based Campbell University

JASON YUHASE associate wealth management adviser, Durham office of Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC

WHAT WILL NORTH CAROLINA'S ECONOMY LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR?

STECKBECK North Carolina raked in 2016 awards. Site Selection magazine ranked it the most competitive state, and Forbes said it's the No. 2 state for business. Real GDP was up to 3.1% in 2015, and it looks to be up 2% to 2.1% in 2016, which is about the national average. Median household income is less than the national average. It went down in 2013 and up in 2014 and 2015. Once the final numbers are in, it should be up in 2016. Housing starts were up 31% in 2016. Two years ago, I said I was cautiously optimistic. I would say I'm optimistically cautious today.

YUHASE Trends are positive, especially in the Triangle and Charlotte. North Carolina is home to 12 Fortune 500 companies and two of the most influential financial institutions on the planet, [Charlotte-based] Bank of America Corp. and [Winston-Salem-based] BB&T Corp. The population is expected to continue growing--11% between 2010 and 2020--particularly in the Triangle and Charlotte. North Carolina is a national leader in research and science, technology, engineering and math. That attracts top-quality people. It doesn't take a genius to recognize the amazing things happening at Research Triangle Park and American Underground, an entrepreneurial hub in Durham.

BOWMAN People continue to move to North Carolina, where Duke connected more than 125,000 customers last year. Electricity sales are growing. While smaller and more efficient houses use less energy, there are more electronic devices. My kids have smart phones and tablets. I plug in devices at home every night. The energy sector will continue to modernize the electrical grid and add infrastructure. Duke completed its...