Duke University is out with a new study, The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina, that illustrates what our neighbor to the south has been accomplishing with “solar-friendly policies,” while Virginia languishes due to fossil-fuel-driven, backward-looking obstacles to clean energy development. Among the benefits to North Carolina (but not to Virginia) cited by the Duke report include: “North Carolina is home to over 450 companies involved in the solar industry, and they support approximately 4,307 jobs and represent at least $2 billion of direct investment in the state;” “providing jobs and economic development opportunities to all parts of the state, including rural areas that have struggled historically to create jobs and businesses;” “tax revenue that goes to local counties in very rural, poor parts of the state.” Keep in mind that North Carolina’s climate and sunshine are not much different than Virginia’s, so there’s absolutely no good reason that Virginia can’t be reaping these benefits as well.
