By Cassie Gavin
Senior Director of Government Relations
This week was a hectic one at the N.C. General Assembly. With crossover imminent, legislators are rushing to pass bills out of committees and out of one chamber or the other to keep them alive for the biennium.
Senate Passes Duke Energy Shareholder Protection Act
By a vote of 27-21, the Senate on Thursday passed Duke Energy's bill, S 559, Storm Securitization/Alt. Rates. This measure would reduce transparency and accountability in setting rates by allowing the Utilities Commission to approve multi-year rate increases for up to five years. The measure passed the Senate despite unanimous opposition from every customer and consumer group that has weighed in, including big businesses, consumer groups, and environmental groups. Just days ago, 60 companies sent a letter to the Senate stating their opposition.
The measure next goes to the House, where its prospects are uncertain.
Opportunity for Action:
Please contact your state representative and ask them to protect the public’s voice in energy decisions by opposing S 559. This bill would protect the interests of Duke Energy shareholders at the expense of residential and commercial rate-payers’ voices in the rate-making process, while also reducing accountability and transparency. The bill does not have adequate safeguards to ensure that the public interest is protected.
House Committee Approves Billboard Protection Act
The House Transportation Committee on Tuesday approved H 645, a giveaway to the billboard industry at the expense of the public’s trees and local government authority over community appearance. This bill has another stop at House Rules Committee, then could be before the House for a vote as soon as next week. If this bill passes the House, it is likely to receive a friendly reception in the Senate. Please reach out to your state representative and ask them to protect trees over billboards by opposing H 645.
Senate Committee Approves Wind Ban
Sen. Harry Brown's S 377, Military Base Protection Act, was considered for a second time Thursday by the Senate Commerce Committee and approved.
S 377 would effectively ban wind energy in eastern North Carolina and much of the rest of the state. See the proposed wind ban map here (wind energy would be disallowed in the red areas). Sens. Erica Smith (D - Beaufort, Bertie, Martin, Northampton, Vance, Warren), Floyd McKissick (D - Durham) and Bob Steinburg (R - Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington) spoke up against the bill in committee, arguing that it’s unnecessary given that the Department of Defense Clearinghouse already reviews wind energy projects to ensure compatibility with military readiness. Please thank these senators for sticking up for clean energy; email them by clicking on their names.
S 377 will next be considered by the Senate Rules Committee. If approved, it could be voted on by the Senate next week. Its prospects in the House are uncertain.
In Good News: House Committee Approves Bill to Limit Single-Use Plastics by State
Good news - the House Environment Committee on Tuesday approved H 823, NC Managing Environmental Waste Act of 2019, sponsored by Reps. Harry Warren (R - Rowan), Chuck McGrady (R - Henderson), Pricey Harrison (D - Guilford) and Holly Grange (R - New Hanover), a bill to begin a pilot program to reduce the state’s use of single-use plastics, increase funding to local governments to reduce plastic waste, and study the issue of single-use plastics. Please thank the sponsors for this effort! Click on their names to email them. H 823 will next be considered by the House Finance Committee on Monday.