Haywood county is one of only two counties in the entire U.S. that is a headwaters only county. That means all waterways within the county also originate in the county before heading down to other counties. This provides a unique opportunity (and responsibility) for clean water for drinking, brewing, for wildlife and fishing, for recreation and just for marveling at their beauty. 

Waynesville’s water is some of the purest in the U.S. due to having control over its watershed for the drinking supply. In the 1920’s, the town’s leaders had the foresight to purchase the 7,340 acres after severe droughts. The large investment was seen by some at the time as foolish and the town council was voted out the next term. Their political sacrifice won in the long-term though and with conservation easements added in the 2000s, the town’s water is secure and pure in a way that few towns are. 

The town of Waynesville’s largest single public energy use is the Rec Center at 30% of the total. This makes sense as it is the town’s largest building and sees the most use by residents and non-residents. An assessment done on the Rec Center shows its roof can hold enough solar cells to offset around 60% of its energy usage. This investment can pay itself back and provide savings to the town over the lifespan of the solar system. If batteries were added to the system, it could also serve as a large resilience hub for shelter and communication during disasters.

The Best Buy and Belk buildings are currently the only two LEED certified buildings in Waynesville. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is the globally recognized standard for sustainable buildings. Stores, schools, hospitals, warehouses and even houses can be LEED certified for new construction, renovations or operations. Although not LEED certified, the new Town Hall and the Finance building have around half the average building’s energy usage per square foot, meaning big savings to the town. More LED lights, more efficient HVACs and motion sensor lights and heating could reduce costs even further.

The air in Smoky Mountains National Park is among the worst of any national park. This is primarily from prevailing winds carrying factory pollution which gets trapped in the mountains as well as local pollution from cars and trucks. Not only does it obscure the majestic views, it acidifies land and streams causing unhealthy trees, plants and aquatic animals. The ozone created is 2x higher than urban areas like Atlanta and exceeds harmful levels for humans on hot days at the higher altitudes and the nitrates in some streams approach the threshold for potable water. Increasing local EV use and renewable energy will help this problem. 

NC has reduced its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) net emissions by 38% from its 2005 levels. In the energy sector, that reduction is around 50% due to adding renewables, especially solar, while retiring some coal plants from the mix. NC law aims to have the state reach Net Zero emissions by 2050. 

In 2018, NC had only 10,000 registered electric vehicles(EVs). After setting targets for Net Zero by 2050, we reached our target of 80,000 EVs registered in 2023, two years ahead of plan. Currently there are over 110,000 EVs registered in the state, an 11X increase in 7 years! To support this increase, new EV chargers are being added at an average of almost 30% per year. 

In 2024, 96% of all the new power production in the U.S. was carbon free (Solar, Wind, Wave, Geothermal or Nuclear)

In 2024, NC ranked 5th in the nation in Solar Power Capacity with 9668 megawatts. That accounts for almost 10% of the state’s electricity and fuels 7356 direct jobs. Prices for solar installations have fallen 42% over the last 10 years and now classify it as the cheapest new power source.

Multiple energy efficiency programs from NC and Duke exist to help low and middle income customers receive discounts on weatherization or efficient appliances upgrades to their homes.

EnergySaversNC is expected to be available to Haywood county in September, but the site is live and you are encouraged to register now to be towards the top of the list.

Duke offers multiple efficiency programs for their customers that you can assess and contact them about.