Building the Clean Energy Economy

In Western North Carolina

(energy efficiency + renewable energy + alternative fuels and vehicle technologies)

The B u i l d i n g t h e Cl ea n En e r g y Ec o n o m y i n W e s t e r n N o r t h Ca r o l i n a project seeks to empower WNC’s

public and private leadership, economic development professionals, workforce development specialists, and educational
partners with data, analysis, and tools to implement and grow the clean energy sector of the green economy.

Background Project Activities

Western North Carolina’s clean energy
economy (energy efficiency + 
renewable energy +alternative fuels
and vehicle technologies) embodies
both challenge and opportunity.
Opportunities include a rapidly
growing clean energy business sector,
driven in part by federal stimulus
funds, and strong educational,
workforce development,
entrepreneurial, recruitment and
social infrastructure. Previous work
indicates that the region has a unique
opportunity to become a leader in the
Southeast and attract greater levels
of investment as a hub of clean
energy business activity. Evidence of
a strong economic cluster of clean
energy businesses is emerging in
WNC, and is the opportunity
addressed by this project.
 A survey, supply chain, gap and cluster analysis
Development of a high-level leadership group
 Regional networking through a Web 2.0 portal
 WNC clean energy branding, marketing and business
recruitment
 Local government energy literacy and planning
Project Partners
AdvantageWest
High Country Council of Governments
Isothermal Planning and Development Commission
Land-of-Sky Regional Council of Governments
Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments
Southwestern Commission
Western Piedmont Council of Governments
The project area includes 31 WNC counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland,
Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison,
McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania,
Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, & Yancey.

Challenges include the lack of the

following: a unifying vision, cohesive
leadership, coordination, a WNC clean
energy brand, and a good
understanding of the clean energy
business cluster in WNC.

For more information

Julie Lawhorn, Regional Planner
Land-of-Sky Regional Council
Asheville, NC
828-251-6622 or julie@landofsky.org
www.cleanenergywnc.org

Funding provided by:

U.S. Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration,
N.C. Rural Center, and the Appalachian Regional Commission.