Legislative leaders have found a number of ways to increase costs to North Carolinians — an assessment on health insurance premiums to pay for a high-risk pool, taking sales tax revenues from counties, adding a new mandate for mental health coverage, and targets for the use of renewable energy. The tax bill is not the end of the higher cost of government this year. And the NC Chamber is encouraging these hidden taxes.
Lew Ebert, head of the North Carolina Chamber, had only good things to say about SB 3.
Most other countries have less regulated electricity markets than the United States with competition among suppliers. Distributed generation is an increasingly viable alternative.
Some consumers are willing to pay more for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, just as some have been willing to pay a premium for organic food. There is no reason to cap these costs, but if politicians want to limit the cost for using renewable energy, where is the fiscal note showing the cost of a subsidy? If there is demand, free the market to allow people to pay more, but do not force renewable energy and its higher costs on people and companies that just want electricity.
