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Other environmentalists acknowledge that renewables could cost more in the short run, but they say the efforts are worth the investment. "Energy ought to be more expensive around here to pay for the ... [consequences] that wreak havoc on the environment," said William Schlesinger, dean of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences. "Low cost doesn't let alternatives gain a foothold."

North Carolina is hardly lacking in renewable resources. Energy experts agree that the state has excellent wind resources in the mountains and coastal areas, but no commercial operations have been built in the state. That's because wind turbines, which can exceed 200 feet in height, are prohibited in the mountains by state law and are too controversial for scenic coastlands.

Burning wood waste, farm-animal dung and flammable methane gases that seep from landfills is a largely untapped option. Some have even described North Carolina and the Southeast as the Saudi Arabia of biomass fuels. The state produces an abundance of hog and poultry waste but converting it to electricity is still considered too expensive for commercial purposes.

Landfill gas, known as methane, is used on a limited basis. The state has 131 landfills, only a dozen of which are tapped for flammable gas, said Larry Shirley, director of the N.C. State Energy Office. Utilities are also mixing wood chips with coal.

Progress Energy officials say turning wastes into fuels may be the best renewable option today.

"Some of this stuff with biomass and municipal incineration, those are making a contribution," chief executive Robert McGehee said. "They're equivalent to a good-sized power plant, probably all added together."

Solar energy is the most expensive of the renewables to generate. And while it might become cost competitive one day, it is still largely seen as a residential application for running water heaters and household appliances.

A typical residential solar setup costs about $15,000 for 2 kilowatts, enough to meet about 25 percent of a home's energy needs. Only an estimated 500 homes in North Carolina use solar panels to generate electricity, said Shawn Fitzpatrick, a solar engineer with the N.C. Solar Center.

That's why some put their faith in public benefits funds, which provide loans and training for businesses and homeowners to cut energy use. Some think that aggressive promotion of efficiency and conservation methods would level off Progress Energy and Duke Power's energy demand projections and offset the need for a new nuclear power plant.

"Energy efficiency is really the joker in the deck," Shirley said. "We think if we were very aggressive in the state, we could flatten out those growth curves."

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