Just a few years ago North Carolina's Sustainable Energy Conference events focused on the moonshot dream of developing state policies to promote the clean energy sector.

This year the conference will be held in Raleigh at a time that state legislators are trying to undo a key state policy, and the first law of its kind in the South, that promotes renewables and energy efficiency.

This week's introduction of House Bill 298, which seeks to freeze the state's renewables and conservation mandate, will lend a sense of timeliness to panel discussions about the status of solar energy, wind farms and other renewables in North Carolina.

Sunlight is a pretty special thing. It wakes us in the morning, heats the earth during the day, helps plants grow, and provides us with some of the most beautiful moments of our lives – sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, etc. More and more, it is also providing us with electricity.

The Raleigh City Council has unanimously signed off on the city's plan to install two solar photovoltaic array systems at the new Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Operations Center.

Renewable sources such as solar and wind could supply up to 80 percent of the world's energy needs by 2050 and play a significant role in fighting global warming, a top climate panel concluded Monday. Read more about it here.

If North Carolina recruiters, economic developers and lawmakers weren't actively courting GE, last week's announcement should have energized them.

In the next three months or so, the energy division of General Electric plans to select a spot somewhere in the United States for a new, $600 million solar-panel factory that's expected to employ about 400 people.

While no one will confirm North Carolina's interest, it's hard to imagine that this state won't mount some attack to attract the plum project. That effort will almost certainly include state and local incentives tied to job creation targets, and face stiff competition from other states.

For starters, it's green energy, a no-brainer for politicians eager to lure environmentally friendly jobs. It's a lot of jobs. And it's GE, not some risky solar startup.

Federal energy officials awarded a $5.15 million, three-year grant to a group led by Durham-based Cree that's working on new "smart grid" technology.

Cree's partners include researchers at N.C. State, ABB and Powerex. Most of the money will go to Cree, which is developing a new semiconductor device. N.C. State announced it will receive about $750,000 of the grant.

The grant is the latest from the U.S. Department of Energy to reach the Triangle. N.C. State has gotten money from previous grants related to electricity grids and renewable energy.

The term "smart grid" refers to a digital system that's expected to improve how electricity is delivered, and allow utilities to store power from renewable resources such as solar and wind.

The Charlotte City Council has approved a plan to divert garbage from landfills to a renewable energy project that will provide fuel for electricity power plants. Read more about it here.

North Carolina could have the most viable offshore wind power on the East Coast, with the ability to bring power to hundreds of thousands of homes and generate up to 20,000 new manufacturing jobs, according to a new study by the National Wildlife Foundation.

The state has “great potential” for offshore wind power, thanks to its shallow waters, lengthy coastline and excellent wind speeds, according to a report released this morning by the National Wildlife Foundation.

That’s based on studies from the Department of Energy and UNC-Chapel Hill.

The Department of Energy’s “20 percent by 2030” report predicts that five to 10 gigawatts of energy could come from the Tar Heel coastline. The state could gain 10,000 to 20,000 manufacturing jobs, according to the report, “Offshore Winds in the Atlantic."

GlaxoSmithKline is preparing to install more solar panels on a roof at its massive Research Triangle Park campus.

The British drug maker first installed panels on its headquarters building in 2008, a 75-kilowatt system. It added a smaller set on another building last year.

Officials expect to have the largest yet, a 220-kilowatt solar system atop the Bide Building, ready next month.

GSK is just one of a rapidly increasing list of Triangle companies harnessing the sun to power local operations, offset utility costs and project a green image. Declining costs and improving technology are helping fuel the trend.