An assessment of the green economy in the upper coastal plain region of North Carolina

Harnessing the green economy has been coined as the solution to our "two biggest problems" with our two biggest problems being a loss of income and opportunity for our under and middle class workers and continued environmental degradation (Jones, 2008). While in the past we have grown our economy by exploiting both our natural and human resources, the green movement is an attempt to grow the economy through industries that restore and protect our natural resources. Many economic development and environmental agencies have forecasted incredible numbers of jobs to be created in the "green" sector, typically defined as the industries involved in conserving energy and creating clean energy. While there a wide range of projections, responsible development of this sector can provide both jobs and environmental benefits to the Upper Coastal Plain (UCP) Region. A change in policy framework, as well as increased public awareness, has created emerging markets in several green industries. Most significantly, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has provided the single largest investment in clean energy thus far. Included in this bill are several procurement measures and tax credits that will spur demand for clean energy and energy efficient products. Perhaps more importantly, however, was the appropriation of $500 million to fund workforce training programs through the Green Jobs Act. The Green Jobs Act takes steps towards more fully developing and establishing skilled and competitive green industries. Furthermore, the Green Jobs Act attempts to connect low income persons and displaced workers with jobs in this growing sector. In the summer and fall of 2009, I gained personal experience working with the procurement side of green policies by assisting small towns apply for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grants. While providing this assistance to small towns in the Upper Coastal Plain Region with applying funds energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, I noticed that every town received energy efficiency audit services provided by contractors from Raleigh. These particular procurements benefitted the existing green economy in a nearby metropolitan center, rather than encouraging the development of a local green economy. While this sample of energy efficiency services does not provide a basis for drawing conclusions about the regional economy, it led me to my research question: how does the "green economy" fit in the Upper Coastal Plain regional economy?Master of City and Regional Plannin