Blue Ridge Power to lay off hundreds in Asheville, Fayetteville

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Blue Ridge Power, a solar engineering, procurement and construction company created by Asheville-based Pine Gate Renewables, will lay off 517 employees across its Asheville and Fayetteville offices as it shuts down operations, according to a notice filed with the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The layoffs, scheduled to be completed by Nov. 18, will affect 348 workers in Fayetteville and 169 in Asheville, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing shows.

Pine Gate Renewables established Blue Ridge Power in 2021 to serve as its engineering, procurement and construction arm. The company maintained offices in Asheville, Fayetteville, Charlotte and Midland, Michigan, and its website lists more than 700 employees.

In a statement to Business North Carolina, Pine Gate cited industry changes as the reason for the layoffs.

“Blue Ridge Power has experienced market headwinds similar to those impacting the entire renewable energy industry, requiring Pine Gate Renewables to dedicate significant resources to support the organization,” the company said. “After reviewing numerous options to find a path forward, Pine Gate made the difficult decision to conduct an orderly wind-down of Blue Ridge Power. This decision in no way reflects the hard work or dedication of our valued team members, and we are deeply grateful for all of their contributions.”

Pine Gate, founded in 2016, employs roughly 300 people and has completed more than $7 billion in project financing and capital investment. Its operations include more than 100 solar facilities representing over 2 gigawatts of installed capacity, with 30 gigawatts in development. Blue Ridge Power has built approximately 7 gigawatts of solar infrastructure nationwide, with projects under construction in 14 states.

The closures come amid a challenging period for renewable energy developers. Analysts say recent federal policy changes, including the elimination of several solar and wind subsidies, could slow renewable energy installations over the next decade.