A Senate committee could vote as early as Tuesday to support a bill establishing a “Renewable portfolio standard” for energy.
“What is that and why should I care?” I hear you asking from the other side of the computer screen.
Roy Cordato has discussed a key problem with the new standard: the potential for millions of dollars in new utility costs that are unrelated to the most cost-efficient methods of providing electricity. The standard would require utilities to use some renewable sources (but not nuclear power) to generate a portion of the electricity sold in North Carolina.
Despite that concern, a discussion this morning in the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee suggests the bill has a good chance of moving forward.
It’s described as a work in progress, and more changes are expected before the committee reconvenes next week, but representatives of the state’s utility companies and the manufacturers’ association have endorsed the latest version of the bill.
Some environmental groups that want the standard signaled they oppose the bill. They don’t like the provisions pushed by the utilities to help them deal with potential cost increases tied to mandatory renewable energy use.
What would this mean for you and me? Higher electric bills.
