Dan Crawford: North Carolina needs bold leadership for the environment
N.C. Gov.-elect Josh Stein has shown leadership on environmental issues. He should continue.
By Dan Crawford
N.C. League of Conservation Voters
Working together, states and the federal government have been able to achieve significant climate progress over the last four years.
At the federal level, landmark legislation is boosting the clean energy industry, funding home weatherization, and reducing pollution.
In North Carolina, transitioning to clean energy and growing electric vehicle manufacturing have already created significant job growth and economic benefits. During eight years with Gov. Roy Cooper in office North Carolina has added more than 20,000 new clean energy jobs and over $24 billion in clean energy industry investment. Solar capacity in the state has nearly tripled since 2017, rising from 2,631 megawatts to more than 7,450 megawatts. Governor Cooper has not only led the creation of our clean energy economy, but under his leadership, we’ve become the leading state in the country for rural clean energy jobs.
But over the next four years, states will increasingly have to lead the way to ensure U.S. climate action continues, and that the progress we’ve made to build a clean energy economy doesn’t stall. It will be up to us – and Governor-elect Josh Stein – to keep ambition high and build on his own record and a strong environmental legacy left behind by Gov. Roy Cooper.
As attorney general, Stein has already shown how that can be done – including by holding corporations accountable for dumping toxic chemicals in our waterways. Following a massive coal ash spill in the Dan River, Attorney General Stein stood up against Duke Energy in court and saved energy customers over 1.1 billion dollars. Again and again, he has forced corporate polluters – such as Duke Energy, Chemours, and DuPont – to clean up their mess and pay the bill for their pollution instead of passing on the costs to everyday North Carolinians.
Additionally, the most recent climate crisis, Hurricane Helene, is shaping the future of our state and has shifted the way we view the impact of weather, especially in Western North Carolina. Gov. Cooper has worked tirelessly with FEMA to ensure an urgent and comprehensive response, while calling on the legislature to do more. And AG Stein took on those who attempted to price gouge families trying to dig out from the storm.
On the campaign trail and since his election, Governor-elect Stein promised to take action to make sure North Carolina is better prepared for future storms by improving infrastructure and building more resilient housing. This is more important than ever, as climate change drives more extreme weather.
Climate action can grow new industries in our state and reduce reliance on expensive fossil fuels while protecting the natural beauty we cherish – from the mountains to our coastlines. But we can’t count on the federal government to get the job done. We’re relying on home-grown climate leadership to keep our drinking water clean and our air healthy to breathe.
To keep North Carolina’s progress going – and to meet national climate action goals – we are excited to have a leader like Governor-elect Stein, who will set an example for what state climate action looks like during a Trump administration. Fortunately, he has already committed to reduce carbon emissions while creating good-paying jobs in every corner of the state.
We can’t afford to slow down our progress toward a clean energy economy with good-paying jobs for North Carolinians or allow runaway climate change to impact the natural beauty of our state. Regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C., North Carolina is counting on bold environmental leadership in Raleigh now more than ever.
Dan Crawford is the director of governmental relations at the N.C. League of Conservation Voters. A native North Carolinian from Asheville, Dan emphasizes that he is an environmentalist by birth, but with two little girls at home, he is committed to holding our legislators accountable for protecting our environment. Contact info@beaconmedianc.org with comments or questions. This column is syndicated by Beacon Media and can be republished anywhere for free under Beacon Media’s guidelines.