The EvolveEnergy Partnership 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

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.

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.

Project Activities

• 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 Economic Development Group
• Southwestern Commission (Region A)
• Land-of-Sky Regional Council of Governments (Region B)
• Isothermal Planning and Development Commission (Region C)
• High Country Council of Governments (Region D)
• Western Piedmont Council of Governments (Region E)
• Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments (Region I)

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, and Yancey.

Funding support for this project has been provided by: U.S. Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration, NC Rural Center, and the Appalachian Regional Commission.