By Cassie Gavin
Senior Director of Government Relations
This week, the N.C. General Assembly met only on Monday and passed a handful of bills, including one that the N.C. Sierra Club has opposed since March (H 220, “Choice of Energy”). Legislators are unlikely to return in 2021 unless ordered to do so by a court to redraw voting maps or, possibly, to try to override any gubernatorial vetoes of bills. There are at least four cases moving through the courts challenging the redistricting that the legislature completed earlier this fall.
N.C. Sierra Club, along with 22 environmental and justice groups, requested a veto of H 220 because it would limit local governments’ opportunities to address climate change by moving away from fracked gas energy and because it would limit public records about utility infrastructure in an overly broad way.
Opportunity for Action:
Please contact Governor Cooper and ask him to veto H 220.
More details about H 220:
Section 1 of H 220 would prevent cities and counties from transitioning away from antiquated gas-powered buildings to modern, electric-powered building codes. As our electric grid gets cleaner over time, electrification of buildings offers a way to maximize investments in clean energy.
In addition, Section 2 of House Bill 220 raises transparency concerns by excluding certain information concerning water, sewer, and energy infrastructure from the Public Records Act. Although we certainly support safeguarding our critical infrastructure, we also support the public’s right to know how its water is being treated and to have adequate information to provide comment on infrastructure projects. House Bill 220 restricts access to information to the point where public input essentially could be rendered meaningless.
Looking ahead to 2022 and thanking environmental leaders:
Candidate filing begins Dec. 6 so the 2022 election timeline has nearly begun. Some legislators have announced retirements, including two Buncombe County environmental champions who will be sorely missed. Rep. Brian Turner (D) will not seek another term and Rep. Susan Fisher (D) will retire at the end of this year. Please be sure to thank them for their service to the state and for being steadfast supporters of the environment.