2022 North Carolina Economic Factbook
We are happy to present the 2022 edition of the North Carolina Economic Performance Factbook (NCEPF). Much has happened since we published our last edition two years ago. North Carolina…
Research
Energy
Analysis of Duke Energy’s Carolinas Carbon Plan and a Least Cost Decarbonization Alternative
Each of the four alternate portfolios in the Duke plan would greatly increase the cost of electricity in North Carolina, greatly increase the average monthly bills of North Carolina households,…
Environment
Big Blow: Offshore Wind Power’s Devastating Costs and Impacts on North Carolina
One of President Joe Biden’s day-one executive orders sought to double offshore wind by 2030, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order for developing 2.8 gigawatts (GW)…
North Carolina Budget and Tax Policy Highlights
The purpose of the North Carolina Budget & Tax Highlights is to equip the legislator, as well as the layman, with updated data to better understand state fiscal policy issues and trends…
Regulation
Pro-Worker, Pro-Growth
Author: F. Vincent Vernuccio In 2022, North Carolina celebrates the 75th anniversary of its right-to-work law. A majority of states (27) currently protect worker freedom, with nine of those states…
Education
Critical Race Theory Primer
Critical race theory is a movement that demands its adherents transform supposedly racist institutions, structures, and ideals through hardline activism. It argues that the United States was built on a…
Agriculture
Freedom To Farm
In this paper we examine the structure and differences in seven southern states and the federal regulations that govern farms with dairy and cattle herds. We also describe and assess…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Proposed Offshore Wind Farm Project Risks Serious Ecological, Environmental, and Economic Harms
On August 27, 2021, Jon Sanders submitted public comments to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding the BOEM's Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)…
A Culture of Personalized Learning
In 2017, North Carolina lawmakers made their state the sixth to enact education savings accounts since 2011, following the design pioneered in Arizona. With an account, the state deposits a…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Keeping the Peace Through Intensive Community Policing
As crime soars and the breakdown of public order takes its toll on our country, analysis from the John Locke Foundation signals it’s time to adopt a different approach to…
Energy
Energy Crossroads
North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan, a proposal put together by the Department of Environmental Quality at the behest of Governor Roy Cooper, calls for a 70-percent reduction of greenhouse gas…
Transportation
Towards Safe, Cost-Effective, and Equitable Transportation
In January 2021, a state commission recommended that the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) budget be increased by a behemoth 40%. The recommendation generates critical questions that must be…