Solar Energy in Rural North Carolina
Published on April 17, 2024., by Michelle Lotker.
This article highlights how small-scale solar installations in rural North Carolina are helping landowners—especially Black farmers—generate income, retain land, and contribute to clean energy goals.
The piece centers on Marion Mitchell’s farm in Pendleton, NC, where solar panels now share space with traditional agriculture. Led by Ajulo Othow of EnerWealth Solutions, the initiative promotes agrivoltaics—combining solar energy with farming—to support rural communities. These smaller solar setups, paired with battery storage, feed power into local electric cooperatives like Roanoke Cooperative, reducing grid costs and improving energy resilience. Importantly, the program helps landowners diversify income while preserving generational farmland, addressing historical land loss among African American families. Othow emphasizes that land ownership is key to wealth and stability, and solar energy can be a tool for equity and sustainability.
