Active participation in the transformation of the global energy economy represents the greatest economic opportunity for North Carolina since the Industrial Revolution. Our future economic well-being, our environment and our national security depend on North Carolina's leadership to drive the necessary changes.

This vision will require a lot of hard work to implement, and the work will have to be done by leaders across every sector, at every level of government and in all communities. So where are the opportunities for our state? What will it take to profit from this extraordinary transformation?

As part of its policy process designed to define a plan of action, the Institute for Emerging Issues at N.C. State University organized a leadership summit, met with key stakeholders, conducted research and organized three working groups. The results were 20 action steps that address issues in the area of market transformation, science and education, and finance and infrastructure.

The recommendations on buildings and land use are quite clear that efficiency is the low-hanging fruit when it comes to policy initiatives. Indeed, given the incredible growth in our state, we have a unique opportunity to get our built environment right the first time. But we will need a mix of regulation and incentives to help the market produce new buildings, new communities and new infrastructure that use energy wisely.

The recommendations on science and education provide the crucial ingredient for making incentives and regulations work. If business and political leaders, local government staff, economic development officials, and engaged citizens know and understand the scale of the challenge, and the opportunity, their support and their efforts will be much more easily mobilized.

More than that, we need to accelerate the transformation of our research institutions into engines of green innovation. N.C. State University has made this the year of energy, a year in which students and faculty, administrators and staff raise the bar in education, research and sustainable living. All of our other institutions of higher education -- universities, colleges, community colleges, public and private -- are doing likewise. These are the ultimate renewable assets, assets capable of catapulting our state into the lead around the world.

But these kinds of market and educational changes require financial change. Our banks, also unparalleled assets, are poised to innovate in the area of efficient and renewable energy lending. But we need the resources to pay for new research into biofuels and power engineering, and to pay for smart management of our electricity. Finding these resources will be a measure of our seriousness. Taxpayers and rate payers need to benefit directly from any money we spend on increased efficiency.

But the final requirement is leadership. North Carolina has a history of good government and strong leadership. It is our time now, time to put our public and private leadership to work in the pursuit of this new, extraordinary economic opportunity.

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