In the summer of 2022, the UNC EFC began a research project regarding decentralized users (those on private wells and septic systems) in North Carolina, supported by funding from the NC Collaboratory. This research was a new venture for the … Read more

By Anna Patterson, Project Director, UNC Environmental Finance Center and Amanda Peele, Project Analyst, UNC Environmental Finance Center  Climate change is increasing the severity and frequency of extreme weather events, which may cause flooding, drought, coastal damage, heat waves, and … Read more

By Amanda Peele, Project Analyst, UNC Environmental Finance Center Where does water go when it spirals down the drain? Whether from a home, a local brewery, or the car wash down the street, it likely ends up in a public … Read more

By Hope Thomson, Project Director, UNC Environmental Finance Center The UNC EFC was founded in the late 90s to support the financial sustainability of entities providing environmental services. Though the UNC EFC’s work has varied over the decades, direct technical … Read more

  The N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) in the Department of State Treasurer provides financial oversight for over 1,100 units of local government, including public water and wastewater local government units (LGUs). The LGC’s Unit Assistance List (UAL) identifies financially … Read more

By Justin Nolan, Project Director, UNC Environmental Finance Center The craft beer industry is exploding across North Carolina, from around 200 breweries in 2019 to 430 in 2023. According to a recent study on the beer industry’s economic impact, it … Read more

By the UNC Environmental Finance Center Introduction The UNC Environmental Finance Center, in collaboration with the North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure, recently conducted a comprehensive survey of stormwater utilities in North Carolina for fiscal year 2024. This survey included … Read more

In spring of 2023, the UNC Environmental Finance provided the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) with recommendations on how to potentially structure and administer a new customer assistance program (CAP) for their service area, which includes areas of Chapel … Read more

  By Hope Thomson, Project Director at the UNC Environmental Finance Center The UNC EFC primarily works with public service providers of environmental services: local governments or other institutions providing water, wastewater, stormwater, or other services to a public population. … Read more

  By Emma Grace Copenhaver, Project Analyst at the UNC Environmental Finance Center Dashboards Since 2005, the EFC has been creating dashboards that compare utility rates across a state. These dashboards are helpful tools for utility decision-makers as they consider … Read more