North Carolina is one of the greenest states in the country, according to the latest Site Selection Sustainability Rankings.
In a list of the top 10 states for sustainability, North Carolina landed at No. 4 behind Colorado, California. Texas took the No. 1 spot.
The rankings highlight the most fertile environments for sustainability-oriented economies. Site Selection magazine incorporates such factors as green building square footage per capita, happiness, federal Energy Star certifications, manufacturing of renewable energy products, the degree of corporate social responsibility among area employers, and the number of sustainability-oriented incentives and policies in place.
“The findings come against a backdrop that shows, despite high interest rates and geopolitical volatility, the transition to clean energy continues,” the announcement reads. “Based on a survey of 1,400 senior energy transition investors across 36 countries and 11 industries, a KPMG report released in June reveals that investment in clean energy assets rose from $1.2 trillion in 2020 to over $2 trillion in 2024.”
According to Site Selection’s data, employment from existing and planned clean energy facilities by 2030 is projected to be highest in the western U.S. (173,000+ jobs), followed closely by the South (172,000+) and the Mid-Atlantic (86,000+).
In a comparison of U.S. metros, the Charlotte metro landed in the top 10 once again, rounding out No. 9 on the list.
