The State Energy Conference of North Carolina returns to the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, NC, this year from April 29-30, 2025. Over 800 professionals attend the event each year to gain insight into the business of energy, technical innovation, diverse resources, and industry opportunities that drive the energy economy in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) leads the event with the help of many organizations from the clean energy space, ensuring a holistic approach to conference sessions and offerings. This year, the conference boasts 36 different sessions across six tracks, with each session curated to address the most innovative and pressing aspects of the energy industry.
Clean Transportation Project Manager at NCCETC, John Bonitz, is co-managing the Clean Transportation track with Kate Bashford, Project Manager at Appalachian State University’s Energy Center, to create three engaging and informative sessions. These sessions dive into the future of transportation within the state, the impact of policies and infrastructure on electrification, and durable transportation options. Bonitz says, “The unstoppable improvements in the economics of electric transportation make this track necessary: By hearing from young people, exploring new tech and policies, and studying the ways EVs and alt-fuels have improved resiliency, we trust that these sessions will help us all keep up with the speedy pace of developments in cleaner transportation.”
The first session in the Clean Transportation track is titled “Zoomers on the Move: Gen Z on Transportation Now and in the Future”, and will take place on Tuesday, April 29, from 4:25 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. This session will feature a panel of young people from different backgrounds who are engaged in clean energy and transportation. Panelists will discuss their experiences and insights into the educational system that prepared them for an impactful career and what challenges or opportunities they encountered. They will also outline their vision for a transportation system at the state or national level. Currently, the planning team has invited several speakers and confirmed two: Audrey Compiano, graduate student in transportation planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Tochukwu Aniekwensi, engineering student at North Carolina State University.
The next day of the conference holds the remaining two Clean Transportation sessions. “How Better Policy, Smarter Charging, and Resilient Infrastructure Are Driving Transportation Electrification” will take place on April 30, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This panel discussion will explore how managed charging strategies, innovative equipment, and smart policies are driving the future of clean transportation. A cutting-edge telematics-based charging pilot will be highlighted along with new electric transport refrigeration projects (eTRUs). NCDOT will give an update on their DC Fast charger deployments, and a micro-grid-enabled fleet charging hub will also be discussed. The policy support initiative, Charging Smart, will be presented, which is a program that assists local governments in improving their codes and ordinances for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. John Bonitz will moderate speakers, including Nikki Hensley Lynberg (Innovation and Business Development Analyst at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives), Heather Hildebrandt (Statewide Initiatives Group Supervisor for NCDOT), and Brian Lips (Senior Project Manager for Policy at NCCETC). Additional speakers will be added prior to the conference.
The final Clean Transportation session will be held at the end of the conference on April 30, 2025, from 1:30pm to 3:00pm, and is titled “Durable Transportation Options in Times of Emergency and Normalcy”. Both the theoretical possibilities and real world practices of hybrid and electric powered vehicles will be discussed, including how other types of traditional and alternative fuels helped provide power to individuals in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Speakers will also look at how specific regulations and technologies can either help or hinder the use of EVs for emergency power backup, mobility or other applications. The confirmed speakers for this session are Sara Nichols, Energy and Economic Development Program Manager at Land of Sky Regional Council, and Skye Golan, Policy Manager at the Electrification Coalition. The speakers will be moderated by Kate Bashford.
For more information about the conference or to look into Sponsor and Exhibitor opportunities, visit ncenergyconference.com. Early bird registration prices are available until March 21, 2025.