New Energy Future News

Raleigh—An array of more than 15 leading environmental, consumer, and social justice groups, including AARP North Carolina, NC Justice Center, and Southern Environmental Law Center, are calling on House lawmakers to make key changes to S. 3, the energy bill that includes a blank check for more coal and nuclear power plants along with promotions for renewable energy sources. 

Environmental advocates are asking House lawmakers to ensure that the bill does not accelerate the construction of the very plants that renewable energy and energy efficiency measures are intended to offset. 

“Unfortunately, the bill’s renewable energy benefits are now overshadowed by provisions that would promote new coal and nuclear plants,” said Elizabeth Ouzts, state director of Environment North Carolina, one of the groups calling for changes. “We’re asking House lawmakers to make the Clean Energy bill clean again.”

The state’s investor-owned utilities lobbied successfully for provisions in the bill that reverse decades-old policy for financing construction of new power plants. The changes, which allow utilities to pass on the costs of constructing new plants before those plants are complete, are drawing fire from consumer groups.

"By shifting the financial risk for the construction of new power plants to consumers, utilities will be emboldened to build more dangerous nuclear plants, with more cost overruns, resulting in higher rates for all North Carolinians." said Rob Thompson of the N.C. Public Interest Research Group.

Al Ripley, director of NC Justice Center's Consumer Action Network, noted the impact of those provisions on poor and working class families. 

"While all of us will see a significant bump in our electricity bills, low- and fixed-income consumers that already struggle to pay their monthly bills are the last people that should be financing the construction of expensive new power plants,” said Ripley.

The groups delivered separate letters—one detailing environmental concerns, the other summarizing consumer complaints—to all 120 lawmakers in advance of the first hearing of S. 3, “Promote Renewable Energy/Baseload Generation” in the House Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee, expected today at noon.  Senate lawmakers moved the complex, 27-page bill through its process in less than three hours, with little discussion and debate.  Advocates are asking for a fuller debate in the House.