Higher power for North Carolina consumers are not a maybe – they are a certainty. That is unless the legislature changes direction. A change in direction does not appear likely as they get ready to pass Senate Bill 75 as explained in this Carolina Journal article. This bill is a follow on to the horrendous Senate Bill 3 of 2007 which added a “renewable energy” requirement for NC power producers. Renewable energy means more expensive energy.
The current Senate Bill 75 is just a way of taking a bad bill and making it seem less bad. But this bill has all of the worst aspects of lobbying and “rent Seeking” and at the end of the day people of NC will pay for this bill. It favors a type of equipment made by a particular manufacturer that the power companies are not interested in using unless they can shift the cost. SB 75 will help them do that. Back in the 1980’s I participated in CP&L’s demand reduction program because they offered me a financial incentive to allow them to interrupt some of my use of electricity. When they no longer needed to reduce demand (new generating capacity became available) they ended the program.
Instead of passing more government interference in the marketplace, this legislature should look at repealing the bad parts SB-3. House Bill 431 by Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow) is a start. The bill needs some work but it is the direction a “conservative” legislature should be taking, not more interference like SB-75.
So when your power bills go up, remember the legislative action that caused it and the legislative action that did not fix it…
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