Raleigh, N.C. – Major revisions to North Carolina’s energy rules became law on Thursday, modernizing state policy to protect ratepayers with competitive costs and encourage the continued development of renewable power sources.
House Bill 589 Competitive Energy Solutions was supported by a powerful group of stakeholders during consideration by the House of Representatives, including consumer protection advocates, renewable energy developers and utilities.
“Modernizing North Carolina’s energy grid with a pro-growth approach will protect ratepayers and power North Carolina’s economy forward,” said House Speaker Tim Moore.
“We’re helping North Carolina remain a national leader in renewable power and job growth by making clean energy more accessible and affordable to average North Carolinians.”
The legislation implements a market-driven approach to ensure North Carolina’s energy grid is dependable and cost-competitive to serve a growing state population with rapidly-innovating technology. The price of power is a key cost-driver for businesses and families.
Led by Reps. John Szoka (R-Cumberland) and Dean Arp (R-Union), House lawmakers crafted the comprehensive approach to modernizing North Carolina’s energy policies.
“Installing a competitive process for purchasing renewable energy benefits power customers and protects the reliability of North Carolina’s energy grid,” said Rep. Dean Arp.
“This is a balanced compromise that encourages renewable energy development and lets free-market competition lead the way into North Carolina’s energy future,” said Rep. John Szoka.
North Carolina is a national leader in renewable energy with a growing population of residential, industrial and commercial power customers.
Competitive Energy Solutions- What Does it Do?
H.B. 589 Competitive Energy Solutions implements a competitive bidding process for solar developers to control costs and foster market-driven solutions for power customers in North Carolina.
Competitive Energy Solutions ensures residential, commercial and industrial customers continue to have access to affordable, clean and reliable energy throughout the state with a modernized, free-market approach to renewable development.
Competitive Energy Solutions creates a Green Source Rider Program, which allows large utility customers to purchase the type of energy that makes the most sense for their customers and employees.
The Green Source Rider Program will provide North Carolina another economic tool to recruit and maintain jobs in the future from businesses that have increasingly-common sustainability goals.
Competitive Energy Solutions creates a solar leasing program where customers can work with private parties to take advantage of a competitive market to install renewable energy with competitive pricing.
The plan encourages the development of rooftop and other solar energy projects by making them more accessible and cost-effective for consumers through community and third-party leasing energy programs.
Competitive Energy Solutions encourages innovation of renewable energy technology by requiring providers to compete for lower prices and more favorable siting locations when they connect to North Carolina’s power grid.
The comprehensive Competitive Energy Solutions plan keeps North Carolina in control of its own energy future with forward-thinking power policies that ensure affordable rates and diverse sources of increasingly-efficient technology.
Competitive Energy Solutions requires an 18-month moratorium on wind power development to study the impact of turbines on military operations.