Raleigh—The state Senate has given initial approval to a bill
that would both require a percentage of the state’s electricity to come from
renewable energy and energy savings and allow utilities to pass on the costs of
constructing new power plants before those plants are complete. The bill, “Promote Renewable Energy/Baseload
Generation,” has drawn opposition from Environment North Carolina and others for
the latter provisions, which would facilitate new coal and nuclear power plants
in the state, undermining the goals of a renewable energy standard.
“North Carolina has a tremendous opportunity to produce clean,
renewable energy from the sun and wind, and to use energy more efficiently,”
said Environment North Carolina State Director Elizabeth Ouzts. “We should maximize that potential before
tipping the scales further towards more dirty, dangerous power sources.”
More than 60 percent of the
state’s electricity today comes from burning fossil fuels, a major source of
the pollution that leads to global warming.
Another 30 percent comes from nuclear power, which poses safety risks
and creates waste that remains hazardous for generations.
Senate Bill 3 contains
provisions that would shift financial risks of building new power plants from
investors to ratepayers, making massive new coal and nuclear generation
facilities in North
Carolina all
but certain.
Environment North Carolina has objected to these provisions, arguing they
overshadowed the clean energy portions of the bill, which, by themselves, could
represent an important step towards maximizing the state’s potential for clean
energy and energy efficiency.
After a final vote in the
Senate scheduled for next week, the bill heads to the House, where it will be
heard in as many as three different committees.
“We’re disappointed that the
Senate has approved incentives for more nuclear and coal as part of a clean
energy bill,” said Ouzts. “We’re asking
house members to make the clean energy bill clean again.”
