Conservation, energy efficiency, and coastal resiliency would receive much-needed funding under Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget proposal released today.
The budget would increase funding for conservation trust funds such as the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the North Carolina Land and Water Fund. This is a logical way to ensure that we protect beloved unique places and water quality as the state grows.
Additionally, the budget would provide more money for clean transportation such as bike and pedestrian projects. Such funding is critical, as transportation emissions are the top contributor to climate change. The budget would expand support for low-income energy efficiency programs such as weatherization to help reduce electricity bills for households whose energy costs eat up a large part of their budget.
In response to Cooper’s budget, Cynthia Satterfield, state director of the N.C. Sierra Club, said:
North Carolina is showing higher than expected job growth and revenue, and will receive billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding. Now is the time for us to make prudent investments in coastal resiliency, clean transportation, land protection, and energy and environmental equity.
Governor Cooper's budget would make those investments and more. It would help low-income families with energy bills and funding to weatherize their homes. It supports clean water through proposals including voluntary buyouts for hog farmers in flood-prone areas. It will further clean energy adoption by providing aid for schools that want to go solar, among other programs.