RALEIGH — Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein doubled down Tuesday on his support for renewable power despite the Trump administration’s withdrawal of a major offshore wind project and the state Legislature’s move to weaken its climate targets.
North Carolina has been one of the fastest growing markets for solar power in recent years, and it received 10 percent of its electricity from the technology in 2025. However, like other states, it faces a power supply crunch from the growth of AI data centers, which Duke Energy has said could add 3 gigawatts of new demand over the next decade.
“In a world demanding more power and more affordable power, developing more renewables will continue to be the fastest and cheapest way to meet the rapidly increasing electricity demands,” Stein said at the State Energy Conference of North Carolina.
The Trump administration has reined in solar and wind investments across the country, including limiting tax credits and canceling federal awards impacting the state. The Interior Department recently struck a controversial deal worth nearly $1 billion for French energy giant TotalEnergies to cancel its offshore wind lease off the coast of North Carolina.
