HotList 04/09/2013

April 9, 2013

Friends,

It looks like Spring is finally here and hopefully here to stay. My two and four year old little girls are enjoying the weather playing outside and throwing frisbee with the dogs.

I want to once again draw your attention to HB 298 Affordable and Reliable Energy Act. I laugh every time I read the name because I know that North Carolinians enjoy one of the lowest electric rates in the country. I checked my power bill the other day and did notice I was paying $0.42 extra this month for the Renewable Energy Standard. A small price to pay to help reduce the use of fossil fuels.

The new version of the bill is bad. Here are some of the low points from my friends at the Sierra Club:.

– Effectively caps the REPS at 6%. NC achieved 3% in 2012.

– Ensures there will be no further development of new renewable energy sources in a variety of ways. This PCS:

Allows any form of current or pre-existing renewable energy to be counted toward the REPS goals, essentially ensuring no further development of new sources.
Allows existing hydropower to count towards REPS.
Increases percentage of energy efficiency allowed to count towards the REPS so as to dilute development of renewables.

– Utilities keep concessions from the 2007 Senate Bill 3 negotiations: This PCS allows the utilities to keep the concessions and financial incentives that they received in return for their support for the renewables section of Senate Bill 3.

– No cost recovery for research: The exception to the expenditures that utilities may recoup is investments in research that would advance the development of renewable energy.

– Removes set-aside for solar: Deletes the most successful component of the REPS, the solar set-aside, while retaining the two unsuccessful components (swine waste and poultry).

NCLCV is adamantly opposed to any substantive changes to Senate Bill 3. If you want to take time to study the bill then proceed with a study, but not while making changes to the RPS.

Finally I will leave you with a great Op-Ed from the Winston Salem Journal that addresses H298. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact. Have a great week and enjoy the weather.

Best,

Dan Crawford | dan@nclcv.org