Supporters and opponents of clean energy development dueled in Raleigh and across the nation last week. This week in CIB.

Legislative Watch: Clean Energy Growth in Jeopardy

The Koch Brothers propaganda machine rolled into Raleigh last week to continue its dirty crusade to kill clean energy in America. The result was an anti-renewables dog & pony show at the Legislative Building, in furtherance of their immediate targets: killing renewable energy tax credits and the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS).

The event was sponsored by the American Energy Alliance (AEA), described as the lobbying arm of the Institute for Energy Policy (IEP), a “think tank” funded by the notorious national oil billionaires and right-wing political activists Charles and David Koch. The event panel was moderated by Tom Pyle, president of the AEA and the IEP, and a former lobbyist for Koch Industries.

The economic motivation on behalf of this bunch to “cook the books” of analyses and presentations toward hostility to renewable energy development would seem to be obvious. And, in fact, proponents of renewable energy made that case in response. The American Wind Energy Association pointed out the flaws and fallacies in the Koch-funded case.

Unfortunately, the latest word from our sources at the General Assembly indicates that top House and Senate leaders have dropped the renewable energy tax credits from their budget deal. If that holds up, conservationists will have yet another cause for extreme disappointment in this legislature. Such details could still change, and advocates will be pressing hard, but time is running out. We expect to see a final budget deal brought to a vote this week.

Education & Resources: Sunshine Superstate

Attacks on the economics of renewable energy in North Carolina did not go unanswered last week. The day after the Koch-backed dirty energy group’s presentation, supporters of clean energy presented studies showing that renewable energy development is producing strong net positive investment in North Carolina.

Included was a study from “think tank” RTI showing that projects utilizing the renewable energy tax credits generated $1.54 in state and local tax revenue for every $1 returned in tax credits. The state Department of Revenue data show that more than $2.6 billion was invested in the state in these renewable energy projects from 2007 to 2014, with less than one-tenth of that amount ($227 million) returned in tax credits.

As one other result, North Carolina has reached the status of the number four state nationally in total solar electric capacity. For more information on this impressive production of both clean energy and investment dollars in our state, see here.

Washington Watch: Attacking, Supporting Tougher Ozone Rules

Meanwhile, on the national level, opponents and supporters of cleaner air dueled over the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to toughen restrictions on the pollutants which produce ground-level ozone and smog. As previously discussed in CIB, this rulemaking represents the Obama EPA’s effort to resolve the long-running debate over how much to toughen ozone/smog limits in order to better protect public health. This process is in the administrative end stage.

On the opposition side, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced the launch of an ad campaign attacking EPA’s proposed tighter ozone standards, on the basis of alleged higher costs. Described as a “multimillion-dollar advertising blitz,” the ads are to run in markets covering New Mexico, Virginia, and Washington DC through October 1 (the date by which the final new ozone standard is to be announced).

On the same day last week, supporters of stronger limits on ozone pollution released new polling data indicating that the public nationwide shows “overwhelming” support for stronger smog standards.

The poll (conducted by a professional polling firm for the American Lung Association) found that 73 percent of voters polled supported stricter limits on the smog pollution, up from 68 percent support on the same question a year ago. Voter support for tighter standards remained high (a 2-1 margin) even after hearing simulated arguments for and against the tougher limits. Support for stronger rules commanded majority support among Democrats, independents, and Republicans.

In North Carolina, NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ) director Sheila Holman told members of the NC Environmental Management Commission (EMC) that she expects EPA will set the final new ozone standard at 70 ppb (parts per billion), the upper end of the range on which EPA invited comment. At that level, said Holman, the entire state would still be in compliance with the new standard. Holman said that even if the EPA set the final new ozone standard at the tougher 65 ppb, only five areas of the state would be in non-attainment: Mecklenburg, Forsyth, and the areas around three mountaintop monitoring sites. (NCLM LINC Bulletin, 9/11/15.) As a matter of law, once the new standard is finalized, a separate process would be conducted by EPA to identify the boundaries of non-attainment areas. Those could ultimately be different than the ones predicted by Holman, depending upon EPA’s findings regarding contributing factors to the higher ozone readings.

Judicial Watch: Duke, EPA, Citizen Groups Settle Clean Air Case

Finally, we note that EPA, Duke Energy, and citizen environmental groups last week announced the settlement of a long-running legal case dealing with Duke’s modifications of 13 coal-fired units at five plants more than a decade ago. Eleven of the 13 units had already been retired. The settlement announced an agreed-upon closing schedule for the two remaining units (and one more which had not originally been identified in the case). Duke also agreed to pay a total of $5.5 million in a combination of penalties and contributions to specified environmental projects.

The case originated in a dispute between Duke and the EPA over what constituted “major modifications” which would trigger tougher new emissions requirements at existing plants. An EPA spokesperson called the settlement “a strong resolution, one that will help reduce asthma attacks and other serious illnesses for the people of North Carolina.”

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) represented a coalition of citizen environmental groups who had joined the case on the EPA side and who also joined in the final settlement.

That’s our report for this week.