Among the most worrisome bills under consideration in Raleigh this year is a Senate proposal that would weaken the state’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By removing a 2030 target for a 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions, the bill takes another big step backward in confronting the global climate crisis.
But as Tom Ervin, a former judge and South Carolina Public Service Commission member noted in a recent op-ed for NC Newsline, there’s another reason for concern: the legislation’s likely impact on ratepayer electric bills.
As Ervin explained, under the proposal, utility giants Duke and Dominion would be allowed to charge their electric customers upfront for the costs of building new plants.
And when this happened in his state, consumers were left stuck with billions of dollars in sunk expenses to cover when a planned power plant went belly up.
The bottom line: According to our neighbor, big and expensive trouble is on the way for North Carolina unless lawmakers reject the utility industry gift. Let’s hope they’re listening.
For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.
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