Legislative Watch: House Approves Major Solar Bill
A long behind-the-scenes negotiation process over state renewable energy policy suddenly emerged with major compromise legislation this week. The measure swiftly passed the House with broad bipartisan support but received sharp criticism from some populist clean energy groups.
House Bill 589, “Competitive Energy Solutions for NC,” was presented as a way to continue the strong growth of solar electric development in our state. It includes provisions allowing the third-party leasing of rooftop solar arrays for homes and community projects, new rules for the development of utility-scale solar farms, and restoration of the chance for large energy users to specify how much of their power they want to get from renewable sources. The current REPS (Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard) progression is retained.
Duke Energy joined with the NC Sustainable Energy Association and private solar power businesses to back the bill. Other environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Southern Environmental Law Center were neutral, citing concerns like a possible retreat on “net metering” payment rates. NC WARN opposes the bill because of limits on third-party solar rooftop projects, such as the exclusion of multi-home or apartment complex systems.
Lisa Sorg, writing for NC Policy Watch, provides a good summary of the complicated landscape of positions, along with a good Q&A section on important provisions of the highly complex and technical legislation.
NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) offered cautious support of the bill on balance. Dan Crawford, NCLCV’s director of government relations, said, “Ultimately, NCLCV will hold our nose and support the bill because it moves the state forward on renewable energy in several key areas. We remain steadfast in our commitment to hold Duke Energy accountable in its support of renewables and will continue to work to improve some aspects of the bill. This is a good first step of many to come in order to move towards a clean energy future.”
Sorg may give the bottom line in stating, “House Bill 589 is not a perfect bill. It may even be distasteful, especially for progressives impatient with the pace of renewable energy development. But considering the anti-renewable tenor that has characterized the legislature for the last six years, this bill is likely as good as it gets — for now.”
