ALEC-Sponsored Bill To Repeal North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Standard Narrowly Passes Out Of Comm [View all]

[octoberlib]

Yesterday, the North Carolina House Commerce Committee narrowly passed a bill that would repeal the state’s successful renewable energy standard. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Renewable Energy Standard’s (RES) to encourage electric utilities to expand the power they generate from renewable sources such as solar and wind.

In 2007, North Carolina became the first state in the Southeast to adopt such a standard — Senate Bill 3 passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support and requires state utilities to supply 12.5 percent of renewable energy by 2021. Since then, clean energy companies have generated billions in revenue and have created thousands of in-state jobs — all while reducing pollution and saving ratepayers money


Legislation was also introduced in 2011, but got no traction in part due to the state’s largest utilities protesting its repeal. Thousands of dollars have been spent by conservative organizations across the state to dismantle the program, with efforts being led and coordinated by Koch fueled groups. Indeed, the Koch brothers have donated $150,000 and $25,000 to ALEC and the Heartland Institute respectively, the organizations responsible for creating the model legislation. The Koch brothers have also donated to the John Locke Foundation, one of the state’s most outspoken climate science denial groups. The John Locke Foundation was created by Art Pope, a discount mogul and conservative benefactor that was once a national director of Americans for Prosperity, the tea party group founded and funded by the Koch brothers. Pope was also key to fueling the Republican Party historic takeover of the state legislature in 2010, spending over $2.2 million targeting two dozen key state races. His organization released a report attacking the RES with false claims that it would increase the cost to consumers and cost the state jobs

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/04/04/1824171/alec-sponsored-bill-to-repeal-north-carolinas-renewable-energy-standard-narrowly-passes-out-of-committee/