NC Green Power
NC GreenPower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Raleigh, NC, that channels voluntary donations through nearly 50 state utilities to fund renewable energy generation, carbon offset projects, and K-12 solar education programs across North Carolina.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NC Green Power does
NC GreenPower (North Carolina GreenPower Corporation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Raleigh, NC, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Advanced Energy. The organization's mission is to expand public knowledge and acceptance of cleaner energy technologies in North Carolina through voluntary, community-based initiatives. It is the first green energy program in the nation to win support from all electric utilities in the state, channeling donations through nearly 50 participating utility billing systems — a structure established by the NC Utilities Commission in 2001 and reinforced by the NCUC's 2020 approval directing Duke Energy contributions fully to Solar+ Schools.
The organization operates three core product lines: (1) Solar+ Schools, a grant program providing K-12 schools with fully-funded 20-kW solar arrays, weather stations, data monitoring equipment, STEM curriculum through NEED Project, and teacher training; (2) the Clean Energy Education Program, a STEM initiative delivering energy education workshops, hands-on kits, and year-long energy challenges; and (3) a Carbon Offset Product priced at $4 per 1,000 pounds of CO2, supporting methane collection and landfill projects across NC, SC, and VA. Supporting these are four web-based calculators (Donation Impact, Travel Offset, Event Impact, Computer Offset) and the My NC GreenPower community fundraising platform, which uses Stripe for payment processing and Double the Donation for employer matching.
The business model is exclusively voluntary donation-based. Individual donations start at $4/month or $1 one-time, utility bill contributions are passed 100% to NC GreenPower monthly, and corporate sponsorships and bulk carbon offset purchases (with custom quotes for $15,000+ annual) provide additional revenue. The organization is contractually required to use at least 75% of contributions for education, outreach, renewable generation, or offset mitigation. Core customer segments include NC individual donors, K-12 schools, corporate ESG buyers, and electric utilities as distribution partners. Brian Coble serves as President and Executive Director of both Advanced Energy and NC GreenPower, with a board of directors spanning state agencies, utilities, and environmental organizations.
NC Green Power firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NC Green Power
- Legal name
- North Carolina GreenPower Corporation
- Website
- https://ncgreenpower.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NC GreenPower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Raleigh, NC, that channels voluntary donations through nearly 50 state utilities to fund renewable energy generation, carbon offset projects, and K-12 solar education programs across North Carolina.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where NC Green Power is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NC Green Power business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: NC GreenPower accepts financial contributions from citizens in blocks of $4. Donations can be made directly via credit card on the website or through utility bill contributions. Monthly recurring donations start at $4 per month. The utilities pass all contributions in their entirety to NC GreenPower on a monthly basis.
- Carbon Offset Sales: Carbon offsets are sold at $4 per block of 1,000 pounds. For customers with sustainability requirements or goals, offsets can be purchased at the same rate. Custom quotes are available for customers considering purchases of $15,000 or more annually.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Businesses can become sponsors of NC GreenPower programs. The organization offers corporate sponsorship packages for companies looking to meet sustainability goals or support renewable energy and education initiatives in North Carolina.
- Solar+ Schools Fundraising: The organization facilitates fundraising campaigns for solar installations at K-12 schools, with grants of up to $10,000 requiring 50% matching funds from schools. Individual contributions as little as $1 can be made to Solar+ Schools fundraising campaigns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic Monthly Donation - $4/month |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | One-time Donation - As little as $1 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Carbon Offset Blocks - $4 per 1,000 lbs CO2 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
NC Green Power product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NC GreenPower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds renewable energy generation, carbon offset projects, and K-12 clean energy education across North Carolina through voluntary individual and corporate donations. Donors contribute $4 blocks of green power (125 kWh each) or carbon offsets ($4 per 1,000 lbs of CO2) via utility bills or online, while schools apply to the Solar+ Schools grant program for fully-funded 20-kW solar arrays paired with STEM curriculum.
Product overview
NC Green Power is a nonprofit offering a portfolio of environmental impact programs centered around three core offerings: (1) the Solar+ Schools grant program providing solar arrays and STEM education to K-12 schools, (2) the Clean Energy Education Program delivering curriculum and teacher training through a partnership with NEED Project, and (3) Carbon Offset purchases supporting greenhouse gas mitigation projects in the Southeast. Supporting these core programs are a suite of online tools including the Donation Impact Calculator, Travel Offset Calculator, Event Impact Calculator, and Computer Offset Calculator that help donors quantify their environmental contributions. The My NC GreenPower platform enables community fundraising campaigns for these projects. All programs are funded through voluntary donations from individuals and businesses, with contributions also passable through participating utility bills.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar+ Schools A grant program providing K-12 schools across North Carolina with solar educational packages, including a fully-funded 20-kilowatt solar array, weather station, real-time data monitoring, STEM curriculum from NEED.org, and teacher training. Schools receive 50% matching grants up to $10,000.
- Clean Energy Education Program A STEM-based initiative partnering with the NEED Project to bring energy education curriculum to North Carolina K-12 classrooms. Includes teacher workshops, hands-on STEM kits, energy challenges, educational audits, and energy fairs. Accepts up to 30 schools per cohort.
- Carbon Offset Program allowing donors to purchase carbon offsets to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from projects in NC/SC/VA. Offsets are priced at $4.00 per 1,000-pound block. Projects include methane collection from farm animals, landfills, or industrial waste.
- Renewable Energy Donations Program allowing donors to support renewable energy generation from sources like solar, wind, water, and organic matter. Donations of $4 provide 125 kWh of green power. Contributions can be made through utility bills or direct online donations.
- My NC GreenPower
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.02 million MWh of renewable energy produced since 2003
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use NC Green Power
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NC Green Power technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
NC Green Power partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Advanced EnergycoreAdvanced Energy is the parent organization that created NC GreenPower in 2003. NC GreenPower is a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of Advanced Energy. Brian Coble serves as President and Executive Director of both Advanced Energy and NC GreenPower.
- NEED ProjectcoreNC GreenPower partners with the NEED Project (National Energy Education Database) to provide energy education curriculum and STEM kits to North Carolina educators. NEED Project provides over 40 years of experience in energy education programs. The partnership delivers Science of Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Energy, and Energy Efficiency kits correlated to NC State Science Standards.
- Duke EnergycoreDuke Energy is a major utility partner that markets NC GreenPower to its customers in North Carolina. Duke Energy customers can contribute through their utility bills. For Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress customers, NC GreenPower received NCUC approval to use 100% of renewable energy contributions for solar installations at NC K-12 schools.
- Dominion EnergymajorDominion North Carolina Power participates in the NC GreenPower program, allowing customers to support renewable energy through their utility bills.
- Appalachian Energy Center at Appalachian State UniversitysupportingSupported Cove Creek School's solar installation with a follow-on grant to ensure teachers could attend NC GreenPower training and have resources for implementation. Anticipated future collaboration on energy education efforts across the school district.
- North Carolina Utilities CommissioncoreThe NCUC established the voluntary contribution-based green power program in 2001 and approved NC GreenPower's program structure. The commission continues to regulate and approve changes to the distribution of funds, including the 2020 change directing contributions to support Solar+ Schools.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NC Green Power competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Sustainable Energy Advantage: Sustainable Energy Advantage provides consulting and program design for state renewable energy programs and green power offerings. It works with state agencies and utilities on voluntary green power program design similar to the framework NC GreenPower operates within.
- Clean Energy States Alliance: CESA is a nonprofit coalition of state-level clean energy funds and programs across the U.S. It is thematically and structurally similar to NC GreenPower as a state-affiliated clean energy facilitator, though it operates at a multi-state coordination level rather than executing its own donation program.
Emerging players
- NEED Project: The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project is NC GreenPower's curriculum partner providing K-12 STEM kits and teacher training. It is a complementary peer in the clean energy education space rather than a direct competitor.
- Solar United Neighbors: Solar United Neighbors is a nonprofit that organizes community solar co-ops and advocates for distributed solar adoption, with strong K-12 educational programming. It overlaps with NC GreenPower's Solar+ Schools educational mission and community fundraising model.
Direct peers
- Green-e (Center for Resource Solutions): Green-e is the leading North American certification program for retail renewable energy and carbon offsets, operated by Center for Resource Solutions. It serves overlapping customers (voluntary green power buyers and offset purchasers) and competes for the same corporate and individual ESG dollars as NC GreenPower's offset product.
- Arcadia Power: Arcadia Power (now Arcadia) is a clean energy marketplace connecting utility customers to renewable energy and community solar projects through their utility bills. It is a direct competitor in the utility-bill-integrated green power subscription model that NC GreenPower pioneered in NC.
- Terrapass: Terrapass sells carbon offsets to individuals and businesses, including calculators and corporate sustainability packages. It directly overlaps with NC GreenPower's Travel, Event, and Computer Offset Calculators and carbon offset product.
- Cool Effect: Cool Effect is a nonprofit carbon offset marketplace selling verified offsets to individuals and businesses. It directly competes with NC GreenPower's carbon offset product in the consumer and corporate offset segments.
- Bonneville Environmental Foundation: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is a nonprofit that operates voluntary green power programs in the Pacific Northwest with utility partnerships and a Solar Schools-style grant program. It is the closest U.S. analog to NC GreenPower in mission, structure, and revenue model.
- 3Degrees: 3Degrees is a B Corp that supplies renewable energy certificates (RECs), carbon offsets, and sustainability advisory services to utilities and corporations. It is a direct peer in the voluntary carbon offset and renewable energy marketplace serving corporate sustainability buyers, overlapping with NC GreenPower's offset and corporate sponsorship products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
NC Green Power social profiles
Digital presenceNC Green Power financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NC Green Power leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
NC Green Power funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NC Green Power M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NC Green Power
What does NC Green Power do?
NC GreenPower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds renewable energy generation, carbon offset projects, and K-12 clean energy education across North Carolina through voluntary individual and corporate donations. Donors contribute $4 blocks of green power (125 kWh each) or carbon offsets ($4 per 1,000 lbs of CO2) via utility bills or online, while schools apply to the Solar+ Schools grant program for fully-funded 20-kW solar arrays paired with STEM curriculum.
Is NC Green Power a public or private company?
NC Green Power is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NC Green Power founded?
NC Green Power was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NC Green Power based?
NC Green Power is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does NC Green Power make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are carbon Offset Sales, corporate Sponsorships and solar+ Schools Fundraising.
Who are NC Green Power's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Sustainable Energy Advantage and Clean Energy States Alliance. Emerging players are NEED Project and Solar United Neighbors. Direct peers are Green-e (Center for Resource Solutions), Arcadia Power, Terrapass, Cool Effect, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and 3Degrees.
Does NC Green Power have an API?
No public API is recorded for NC Green Power.