Two renewable energy community input meetings will be held next Monday (February 24) in Perquimans County, and Tuesday (February 25) in Chowan County. These will be focused on hearing area residents' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of wind energy in Northeastern North Carolina. This five county area is considered the only feasible land-based "wind-shed" for such electricity generation. Please RSVP for one or both of the meetings at this link.

Perquimans County Meeting

2/24/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:15 pmAlbemarle Commission building512 South Church Street Hertford, NC 27944

Chowan County, NC Community Meeting

2/25/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:15 pmCollege of the Albemarle (Culinary Arts building)118 Blades St, Edenton, NC 27932

This community input series is part of a comprehensive project funded by the US Department of Energy on assisting communities with proper siting of utility-scale solar facilities. As part of that effort, NCCETC launched the Carolinas Development Assistance and Siting Hub (C-DASH), which will host a growing list of resources to aid local communities.

Regarding the Granville Co and other meetings, please note: these community input meetings are not tied to specific solar or wind project proposals, and are not advocacy in favor of the use of surface land for renewable energy development. Rather, this is a neutral public input gathering effort by North Carolina State University to develop resources that ensure that communities are informed with research-backed information on the benefits and impacts of utility-scale solar development. This type of development is an investment-backed agreement between site developer and landowner which requires a zoning permit. As North Carolina county elected-officials continue to address such requests for siting permits, the impact of citizen input - via their statutorily-mandated role in such public discussions - legally depends on the quality of such input. North Carolina law - supported by court opinions on past permit approval cases - informs us that counties must rely on cogent evidence either in favor or opposition to project approvals.