To: The North Carolina State House and The North Carolina State Senate
NC Renewable Energy Program
Stop hurting NC farmers and Renewable-Energy Job Creators! On Wednesday May 1, 2013, a majority of Republicans voted to end the Renewable Energy program that has been in effect for the last 6 years. NC farmers, the N.C. Pork Council and N.C. Farm Bureau, stated that killing this program will prevent them from selling methane from their hog farms. The bill requires electric utilities to buy at least 12.5 percent of its power from green and renewable sources from 2021 forward. The Senate version caps the requirement at 3 percent and eliminates the 2021 requirement. Duke Energy residential customers pay 22 cents a month and Progress Energy customers pay 42 cents a month for the renewables subsidies. I'll gladly pay my 64 cents per month to help phase-in renewable power. I want to help farmers, methane gas recovery, and solar panel companies prosper and hire more workers. I want to reduce pollution and keep North Carlina beautiful. I sign this petition showing I want the North Carolina Renewable Energy Program reinstated.
Why is this important?
On May 1, 2013, the NC Renewable Energy Program was killed by Republican Senators. It was in place from 2007 until now, during which there was bipartisan support in a largely Democratic North Carolina legislature. Now, the Republicans have taken a narrow, exclusionary view of North Carolina's energy future. They've taken away any push to have the electric companies use renewable energy.