ACTION ALERT: Contact Senators TODAY with concerns on H169

Last Thursday, the Senate began consideration of a new, comprehensive "regulatory reform" bill (HB169), which includes several concerning energy-related items. This bill could be voted on by the full Senate as early as this afternoon.

The primary concern is Section 3.2 (Lines 10-13 of Page 8 of H169 4th Edition) which repeals the requirements state agencies have to meet energy efficiency goals.

This Section is a direct contradiction to recommendations to the legislature from the Energy Policy Council, chaired by Lt. Governor, Dan Forest.  The Lt. Governor is also the President of the Senate.

The Energy Policy Council’s recommendation is as follows: North Carolina has made significant achievements in using energy more efficiently and ranks 21st in lowest residential and commercial energy consumption per capita. The EPC recommends building on those improvements by raising the state’s energy reduction goal from 30 percent to 40 percent through the Utility Savings Program. Reaching the 40 percent goal by 2025 could save two billion dollars in utilities costs, a portion of which should be reinvested in additional energy projects. (Source: DEQ’s March 2016 Energy Policy Council Report) 

Please email or call your Senator TODAY and ask him/her to follow the recommendation of Lt. Governor Dan Forest and the Energy Policy Council and oppose Section 3.2 of H169.  You may want to include the recommendation from above in your email.