Summer is fully upon us and it’s hard to believe that the 2025 Emerging Issues Forum was one month ago. As the first in our three-year forum series, Future Forward Infrastructure, the 2025 forum on energy has set the stage for a larger program of work throughout the coming years, addressing the infrastructure needs our state will face as we continue to grow.
If you attended the forum, you heard about the recommendations drafted by the Energy Infrastructure Advisory Council (EIAC) to help communities address challenges and take advantage of opportunities in workforce development, affordability and community infrastructure investments. I want to thank everyone who has provided feedback so far, as the variety of perspectives shared is vital to ensuring that the end product is comprehensive and enduring. The EIAC will finalize these recommendations soon and we look forward to revealing the final set of future forward ideas with you.
Speaking of perspectives, we recognize there is only so much we can cover in one day and our need to focus the discussion at the community preparation level. Still, we asked forum participants to tell us what we missed. Their responses, while few, ranged from wanting a greater focus on the environmental aspects of energy production, the unspoken assumption that economic growth is always good, and how to educate middle and high school students about energy issues. We appreciate those who shared these perspectives and they will remain with us as we continue our work.
I’m also happy to share that conversations from the forum will continue throughout the summer. Our “Maximizing Energy Opportunities for our Communities” panel will reconvene in August at the National Institute of Minority Economic Development’s annual Executive Networking Conference in Pinehurst.
As we continue the work to advance the state’s economic prosperity by strengthening our energy infrastructure, our team is also ramping up work in another critical area: water. We are working closely with multi-sector regional action committees in the mountains, piedmont and coast to help narrow our focus to best serve each region’s unique needs. Our team is also establishing a statewide Water Infrastructure Advisory Council to draft policy recommendations in this issue space.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Water, which will be held on Feb. 25, 2026, in the mountains, Piedmont and coastal regions. Congratulations to Seth Palmer, who won two free tickets to this historic event!
Outside of infrastructure, our community initiatives teams are hard at work assisting rural communities. Speaking of historic, our BAND-NC team is just months away from completing the locally-created digital inclusion planning process in all 100 counties. Our Faith and Community team continues to connect faith leaders to resources to serve their communities in economic and community development through peer network groups and gatherings. Be on the lookout for updates on both of these initiatives soon.
Have a safe summer!
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