Create Financing Options

Capital markets are pouring increasing amounts of money into companies and projects supporting green technologies and products, whether through angel investment and venture capital in the case of start-ups and small growing companies, or through more conventional commercial lending.   There are, however, several barriers to the research and commercialization of promising energy technologies.  These businesses are in a new field, with relatively untested technologies and business models, and often with an uncertain business and regulatory environment. 

The IEI Energy Working Groups made the following recommendations to develop innovative financing options to support North Carolina's new energy economy:

Support new initiatives: The General Assembly should consider establishing a larger public benefits fund to seed new initiatives in basic and applied research, consumer and civic education, and support for energy efficiency measures.

Mobilize the financial sector: Encourage the broad mobilization of the financial sector behind energy efficient and renewable energy initiatives (for example, green underwriting, packaging of incentives into loans, and adjusting payback formulas).

Maintain and upgrade power lines and pipelines: Provide financial support and other incentives for the maintenance of transmission lines and pipelines to support access for renewable energy and to sustain a critical infrastructure for economic development.