What's the alternative?

• Position: Energy

North Carolina has become an important player in renewable energy, with solar and wind farms and other projects attracting $6.3 billion from 2007-15. The investment reflects state law requiring utilities to lessen their reliance on coal, natural gas and nuclear sources.

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POWER OF poop

Duke Energy plans to use methane from pig and poultry waste to generate electricity at four North Carolina plants.

The country's largest electric utility agreed to buy methane from a biogas facility that Carbon Cycle Energy LLC plans to build in eastern N.C. (The state ranks second in U.S. pork production.) The deal will help Duke meet a state requirement that utilities get 12.5% of their power from renewables and energy-efficient practices by 2021. The eastern part of the state has become a hub for renewable energy. From 2007-15, seven of eight N.C. counties receiving $150 million or more in renewable-energy investments were in the east, according to an RTI International study.

$4 BILLION

AMOUNT DUKE HAS SPENT ON RENEWABLES SINCE 2007

3 BILLION

AMOUNT DUKE PLANS TO SPEND OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

WIND

HOT AIR

The future of the $400 million Amazon Wind Farm being built in northeastern North Carolina--the first commercial-scale project of its kind in the Southeast--was examined in a state court last month. The project has been under construction for nine months, but neighbors are suing, hoping to force more environmental study. 104 wind turbines will rise in Perquimans and Pasquotank counties.

At 492 feet each, the towers are taller than Raleigh's landmark BB&T building.

BATTERIES

THE TOWN THAT TURNED DOWN FOSSIL FUELS

Georgetown, Texas, a suburb of Austin, will soon get 100% of the electricity provided to its 50,000 residents solely from renewable sources. A North Carolina battery manufacturer, Alevo, is helping make it possible.

Georgetown's city-owned utility buys its electricity from wind- and solar-power companies EDF and SunEdison. Swiss-owned Alevo is providing Georgetown's Rabbit Hill substation with three GridBanks, each about the size of a shipping container, to store the energy. I he...