Finally, a significant state legislative win for the environment. This week in CIB:

• Legislative Watch: Clean Energy Repeal Defeated
• Environomics: Surge in Renewables May Explain Opposition
• Education & Resources: Lung Association Releases ‘State of the Air’
• Conservationists: Green Tie Set for May 29

Legislative Watch: Clean Energy Repeal Defeated

The N.C. House’s Public Utilities Committee last week slapped down legislation which would have gutted the state’s booming renewable energy industry, by a surprisingly strong 18-13 margin. A truly bipartisan coalition including three key Republican leaders (and six overall) blocked HB 298, which would have repealed North Carolina’s REPS (Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard).

REPS requires the state’s electric power utilities to produce a minimum percentage, increasing over time, of their electricity from renewable energy resources. It is credited with the rapid growth of solar electric production in our state, and an accompanying plunge in the costs of that solar electric generation. It is seen as poised to produce not only continuing gains there, but also electric generation from other sources like wind.

Support from businesses already in North Carolina and providing jobs and economic growth was key to blocking HB 298. Rep. Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said, “I would have had a difficult time talking to a CEO who just brought 300 jobs to Cleveland County [and telling him] that I’m going to vote to eliminate this program that justified their investment.” Moore’s comment referred to a $27 million manufacturing plant being developed in Shelby by a company that makes mounts and brackets for solar farms. Moore chairs the House Rules Committee. Other House Republican leaders voting against HB 298 were Conference Leader, Rep. Ruth Samuelson (R-Mecklenburg), and House Appropriations Committee Chair, Rep. Nelson Dollar (R-Wake).

The stinging defeat of HB 298 left representatives of anti-environmental groups like Americans for Prosperity furious. The anti-clean energy groups were counting on North Carolina, where they have an unusual degree of influence through strings pulled by State Budget Director Art Pope, to serve as their first victory in a campaign to repeal clean energy policies in over 20 states around the nation. Instead, they are left scrambling for a way to reverse the momentum-killer of a sharp defeat in a committee chaired by the bill’s own principal sponsor.

NCLCV Director of Governmental Relations Dan Crawford said, “We would like to thank all the members who voted to support a robust and bright clean energy future for North Carolina.” Those members of the House Public Utilities Committee who voted against HB 298 were Representatives Alexander, Dockham, Dollar, Earle, Gill, Hall, Hamilton, Hanes, Harrison, Jeter, Johnson, Lucas, Luebke, R. Moore, T. Moore, Pierce, Samuelson, and Wray.

Environomics: Surge in Renewables May Explain Opposition

It’s a puzzler: With renewable energy production surging in North Carolina, nationwide, and around the globe, why is a narrow but powerful opposition trying to halt and reverse state laws that are helping to enable the surge?

Perhaps this is one of those cases in which the question itself provides the answer. Annually, global new investment in renewable energy now essentially matches new investment in fossil fuels, and is predicted to further increase enormously, tripling by 2030.

Not everyone is pleased by that trend. Individuals and groups dependent on the flow of cash into their fossil fuel enterprises are fighting to maintain their relative wealth and power over the energy market. They understand that once they’ve lost their stranglehold, they will never get it back.

If that breaking point isn’t already past, certainly it is very close. Duke Energy’s own subsidiary, Duke Energy Renewables, which holds most of Duke’s renewable energy investments, already owns about 1,700 megawatts. Most of that is in wind, and it also includes seven solar farms in North Carolina and several in other states. Duke now projects that it will have 6,000 megawatts in total renewable generation by 2020. By comparison, Duke (one of the nation’s most nuclear-intensive companies) has a total nuclear generation portfolio of just 10,000 megawatts.

As we have noted in previous bulletins, the national and state groups spearheading the current wave of attacks on investment in renewable energy (like REPS, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard) tend to be heavily funded by sources using oil and coal company money.

Taken in this context, the rationale behind this furious attack on tools like REPS that are working to increase clean energy generation becomes clearer. The oil and coal industries have a grip on our wallets and they want to keep it–and they’re paying generously through a network of lobbyists, “think tanks” and political operatives in their bid to do so.

Education & Resources: Lung Association Releases ‘State of the Air’

The American Lung Association last week released its 2013 ‘State of the Air’ report on air pollution in the United States. This 14th annual report found progress nationally on air quality, but also noted that 42% of Americans still live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particulate pollution.

Among other content, the online version of the report offers an interactive function allowing browsers to check their home counties’ status on these pollution issues. Several counties and metro regions in North Carolina made the failing-grade lists for one or another problem. To review the report and research your local results, see here.

Conservationists: Green Tie Set for May 29

Make your plans now to take part in the 2013 NCLCV Green Tie Awards Dinner in Raleigh the evening of Wednesday, May 29. Help honor the environmental heroes fighting to protect our health, land, air, water and wildlife in a very tough legislative environment. For more details and to register, go here.

That’s our report for this week.