The legislature advanced a new financing program Thursday that aims to make clean energy upgrades more accessible, including rooftop solar, energy efficient HVAC systems, and LED lighting.

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing allows businesses to borrow money for upgrades and pay it back over time through a small increase in property taxes.

Clean energy advocates, including Matt Abele with the North Carolina Clean Energy Association, applaud the move.

“It’s a monumental step in clean energy here in North Carolina,” Abele said.

More than 38 states have already passed legislation for CPACE programs and more than $2 billion in projects have been financed nationwide, according to the Department of Energy.

“This is going to help those businesses put more money back into their pocket, be able to pay their employees more money, and continue to reinvest in the communities that they are already invested in,” Abele said.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell has strongly opposed efforts to introduce a state C-PACE program in recent years.

“CPACE is a form of predatory lending,” Folwell said. “It manipulates the free market to incentivize small businesses to be offered loans that will have higher interest rates and a higher rate of default. It’s also particularly concerning that when used for so-called green energy projects, that by the time the borrower has a problem, the lender is far removed from the transaction and has no liability if the project never meets its cost savings targets, leaving small business owners holding the bag to keep paying for something that isn’t working.”

Supporters say the treasurer’s concerns apply more to PACE lenders in the residential sector.

“It’s a voluntary option for commercial entities who are looking for an additional opportunity to finance the system,” Abele said. He also noted that clean energy upgrades could help businesses be more resilient in the face of climate change.

“It’s not only a clean energy and sustainability tool, it’s also a resiliency and a bottom line tool for businesses to decrease their utility bills and keep their doors open in the face of increasingly severe storms coming through the region,” Abele said.

Circle K is making it easy for commuters and travelers along two major highway arteries to refresh, fill up and charge up. 

The global convenience store chain celebrated the reopening of its location at I-95 and Raleigh Rd. Parkway on Wednesday, June 26, to include the largest bank of EV fast chargers in North Carolina as well as the state’s first Krystal restaurant.

To mark the occasion, representatives of the Wilson Chamber of Commerce joined Circle K and Krystal leaders and cut the ribbon at 11 a.m. On opening day, customers enjoyed samples of food, prize raffles, giveaways and fun kids’ activities; free EV charging all day long; and a 40-cent per gallon discount on fuel from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Located at 4940 Raleigh Rd. Pkwy near I-95 exit 121 close to the I-587 interchange, the 6,781-square-foot store employs 25 team members and includes:

• A fuel canopy with 18 pumps serving Circle K gasoline and diesel fuel
• Five lanes of high-speed diesel offering DEF, along with a CAT Scale and truck parking
• The largest Electronic Vehicle charging site in North Carolina, with 20 Tesla and 5 Circle K charging spots
• A 2,000 square-foot Krystal’s Restaurant.

Krystal is known as the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South, serving up fresh, hot sliders on signature square buns since 1932. The Wilson Circle K location is operated by Circle K staff, offering around-the-clock service, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night menus.

Inside the store, in addition to a full range of branded snacks and packaged beverages, ice cold beer, age-restricted offerings and clean restrooms, customers can enjoy grab and go fresh food, fast sandwiches, burgers and snacks, 100% sustainably sourced coffee freshly ground to order, ice cold Polar Pop favorites, and signature Froster frozen drinks, as well as a wide range of convenience items.

“We are on a mission to make our customers’ lives a little easier every day, and this site does so in a big way for local customers as well as interstate travelers,” said Will Rice, Circle K Vice President of Operations, Coastal Carolinas Region. “We’re excited to bring this new experience to Wilson, meeting the needs of EV drivers and truck drivers alike, as well as a Krystal restaurant and updated store experience to enjoy while you’re plugged in or filling up.”