Governor Cooper Must Sign Revised Energy Bill

RALEIGH, NC  -- The North Carolina General Assembly has passed HB951, a bill that was previously a give-away to Duke Energy and the fracked gas industry, but has since undergone intense revisions. If signed, the bill would codify parts of Governor Cooper’s Clean Energy Plan, which established targets of 70% reductions in power-sector carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Following is reaction from Luis Martinez, Director of Southeast Energy for the Climate & Clean Energy Program at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“In North Carolina, we have seen the consequences of the climate crisis first-hand and have spent the past few years developing solutions among a broad array of stakeholders. This is an urgently needed bipartisan bill that begins to implement those solutions. Governor Cooper must sign the revised HB951, which will support a clean energy transition in the state for the future of our health, our environment, and our economy.

"The original bill needed a complete rewrite. The new HB951 is not perfect, but it is much improved and presents many opportunities for clean energy in North Carolina. There is a lot more to be done, so we and our partners intend to engage in every step of the process — particularly before the utility commission to ensure stronger consumer protections.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.