A GUIDE TO THE ENERGY INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA ENERGIZED.

With at least 40,000 employees, North Carolina's energy industry generates both jobs and economics growth. As the state becomes a leader in renewable technologies such as solar power, that role is likely to increase. To keep up, community colleges and universities are partnering with companies on apprenticeship program for the next generation of workers; utilities and co-ops are upgrading the grid to accommodate smart technologies; and economic developers are pushing for a pipeline that will bring natural gas to eastern North Carolina. You'll find the details inside these pages.

A SMART ENERGY FUTURE

Microgrids and smart thermostats are among the innovations in ways power is distributed.

Lee Ragsdale is excited about the future of energy in North Carolina. As senior vice president of grid infrastructure and compliance for North Carolina's Electric Membership Cooperatives, he is looking to technology to deliver more reliable electricity to 2.5 million largely rural consumers served by the organization's 26 member co-ops.

"Technology enables us to do great things, from energy storage to electric vehicles to creating a modern electric grid," Ragsdale says. "Costs are coming down, and we are developing more and more resources."

The old grid model of days gone by is outdated, with infrastructure no longer capable of delivering energy to households, businesses and industry efficiently. Today, consumers are using energy in different ways and expect new methods to monitor how and when they use power.

Duke Energy is at work upgrading, expanding and improving the energy infrastructure, according to spokesperson Jeff Brooks.

"It's data-driven, designed to improve reliability, strengthen the grid, and give customers options and control over how they use energy," he says.

In 2017, Duke Energy launched a 10-year initiative to modernize North Carolina's electrical-grid system with a $13 billion price tag. The Power/ Forward Carolinas plan would help protect the system against storms and outages; install underground power lines; make the grid more resilient against cyberattacks and physical threats; and help expand renewable energy.

But last year, the North Carolina Utilities Commission rejected the proposal, which would have increased the basic monthly charge for residential customers by 51 % to $17.79 per month from $11.80 per month.

"We heard a variety of concerns from stakeholders," says Chris Ayers, executive director of the commission. "Concepts and pieces of the plan truly would modernize the grid, but others would not."

The commission requested a more focused plan at a lower cost to consumers. The revised plan, which is now known as the North Carolina Grid Improvement Plan, will focus on grid modernization, battery storage, customer access to data and electric-vehicle charging stations. The basic monthly charge would settle at around $14 per month.

According to its settlement with regulators, Duke's new North Carolina Grid Improvement Plan will stretch over four years and cost $2.5 billion, including $25 million on electric-vehicle charging. The new plan also commits to developing storage projects.

The plan also will increase innovation and growth in the renewable energy sector, Brooks adds.

Mark Feasel is vice president of the electric utility segment and smart grid for Schneider Electric, a worldwide energy-management company. He sees a rise in customers who want to understand their energy bills and have the...

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