Research Brief
Energy
Environment
Exploring market-based solutions to the most pressing environmental issues facing North Carolina.
Energy
Lighting the Path One Pager
Agriculture
Sowing Resilience One Pager
Energy
Why America Leaving the Paris Agreement Is No Big Deal
On the first day of his administration, Pres. Donald Trump signed an executive order immediately withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement. Media have reacted with horror and predictions…
Research Brief
Energy
Go Nuclear to Preserve Reliable Power and Keep Cost Increases Under Control
The current state law establishing the state Carbon Plan requires carbon neutrality in electricity in North Carolina by 2050. A new report from the Center for Food, Power, and Life…
Energy
More Dead Whales Off the North Carolina Coast
On December 21, the News & Observer reported that a North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear was spotted off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries…
Research Brief
Agriculture
ESG Investments: A Disaster for Agriculture
In recent years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has become a buzzword in financial and policy circles. While proponents claim that ESG frameworks promote “environmentally sustainable” practices and long-term…
Research Brief
Energy
Costly Emissions-Reduction Mandates Make Us Worse Off
In 2019, in the name of “fighting climate change,” Gov. Roy Cooper put forth his “Clean Energy Plan,” seeking to commit the state to a “70% reduction in power sector…
Research Brief
Energy
“Jaw-Dropping”: How Much Wind Capacity Is Needed for Carbon Neutrality Without Nuclear
A new report from the John Locke Foundation’s Center for Food, Power, and Life examines two pathways to achieving carbon neutrality in North Carolina’s electricity generation by 2050: either through…
Research Brief
Energy
Cooper’s Costly ZEV Vision: Big Costs for No “Climate Benefits”
On Jan. 7, 2022, Gov. Roy Cooper issued Executive Order (EO) 246 that called for, among other things, 1.25 million zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) to be registered in North Carolina and…
Research Brief
Agriculture
Without Nuclear, a Carbon-Neutral Grid Needs an Unthinkable Amount of Solar
A new report from the Center for Food, Power, and Life at the John Locke Foundation takes stock of North Carolina’s energy infrastructure and estimates how much infrastructure the state…
Energy
Lighting the Path: Meeting North Carolina’s Coming Energy Needs
North Carolina has tremendously benefited from tax reforms begun over a decade ago. Energy efficiency mandates that began in the late 2000s and continued into the early 2010s created an…
Agriculture
Hurricane Helene and Its Potential Impact on North Carolina’s Agriculture
As Hurricane Helene wreaks havoc across the southeastern United States, North Carolina’s agriculture sector once again finds itself at the mercy of nature’s most destructive forces. With torrential rain, powerful…