NC Green Power

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Advanced EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced 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 ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNC 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 EnergycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDuke 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 EnergymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDominion 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 UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported 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 CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Regional 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

• Xx.com/ncgp
• Facebookfacebook.com/ncgreenpower
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nc-greenpower

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NC Green Power