North Carolina Energy Profile
	QUICK FACTS North Carolina is one of the top nuclear power producers in the United States. The Dixie Pipeline, a major supplier of propane to the Southeast, terminates in Apex, North Carolina, where a terminal and above-ground storage tanks are located. North Carolina’s electricity consumption is among the highest in the nation. North Carolina ranks among the top 10 states in wind power capacity and several rivers in western and central North Carolina provide hydroelectric power.
Resources and Consumption North Carolina energy resources include several rivers in western and central North Carolina that provide substantial hydropower, and high wind power potential off the state’s Atlantic Coast. North Carolina’s transportation sector leads state energy consumption by a small margin, followed closely by the residential, industrial, and commercial sectors. North Carolina is a leader in the energy-intensive chemical manufacturing industry. Petroleum North Carolina acquires all of its petroleum products from other states and from abroad. The Colonial and Plantation pipelines from the Gulf Coast supply the state with petroleum products. The Dixie Pipeline, a major supplier of propane to the Southeast, terminates in Apex, North Carolina, where a terminal and above-ground storage tanks are located. Tankers from other states and other countries deliver petroleum products to the ports of Wilmington and Morehead City. Natural Gas The majority of North Carolina’s natural gas is supplied by the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co. as the pipeline traverses the state en route from the Gulf Coast to major population centers in the Northeast. The industrial sector is the leading natural gas-consuming sector, although consumption by residential and commercial users is also substantial. Approximately one-fourth of North Carolina households use natural gas as their main source of energy for home heating. Coal, Electricity, and Renewables North Carolina’s electricity production is high. Coal-fired power plants typically account for about three-fifths of the state’s electricity generation, and nuclear power typically accounts for about one-third. Hydroelectric and natural gas-fired power plants produce most of the remainder. North Carolina’s coal-fired power plants burn coal shipped primarily by rail from West Virginia and Kentucky. With three nuclear power plants, North Carolina is a major nuclear power producer. Hydroelectric power plants located along several rivers in central and western North Carolina produce substantial amounts of electricity. North Carolina’s electricity consumption is among the highest in the nation. As is typical in the South, more than one-half of North Carolina households use electricity as their main energy source for home heating. North Carolina possesses about 5 percent of the nation’s net summer capacity for wood energy production and ranks among the top 10 states with the highest net summer capacity for wind power. In August 2007, North Carolina adopted a renewable energy and energy efficiency portfolio standard requiring electric utilities to meet 12.5 percent of retail electricity demand through renewable energy or energy efficiency measures by 2021. Electric membership corporations and municipalities that sell electric power within the state must meet a 10-percent standard by 2018.