You should know where JLF stands on N.C.’s mandate and subsidies for renewable energy and subsidies. We’ve written extensively about North Carolina’s renewable energy portfolio standards and what a bad deal it is here and here and here and here and here and here — all with additional links to even further information and studies.
There was a vote yesterday in the House Public Utilities Committee on HB 681 that would have capped, sunset, and repealed the renewable energy mandate and eliminated special tax credits and set up a study of important energy issues, setting priorities and finding cost saving measures for you. Unfortunately, five Republicans joined with 11 Democrats to defeat the bill. My colleague Jon Sanders re-capped the significance of the defeat of HB 681. What are we left with? Every residential customer’s bill will increase on July 1 when the surcharge for RPS TRIPLES. Your tax money will continue to subsidize a solar industry that will never be able to survive on its own and you will have to support forever (using money that instead could go to teachers, police officers, or improving our roads). The vote was 14-16.
Where do you stand? You know where the John Locke Foundation stands. This letter will tell you where some other folks stand.
Where does your legislator stand? Here’s who voted how in the committee yesterday:
Who voted yes, supporting lost cost reliable energy?
Republicans:
Jeff Collins (Nash)
Harry Warren (Rowan)
Mike Hager (Rutherford)
John Bell (Wayne)
Dan Bishop (Mecklenburg)
Hugh Blackwell (Burke)
Brian Brown (Pitt)
Dana Bumgardner (Gaston)
Rick Catlin (New Hanover)
Debra Conrad (Forsyth)
Jeff Elmore (Alleghany)
Susan Martin (Nash)
Chris Millis (Pender)
Dennis Riddell (Alamance)
Who voted no, ensuring an increase in residential customers’ energy bills July 1 and continued subsidies to special interests?
Republicans:
Sam Watford (Davidson)
Nelson Dollar (Wake)
Kelly Hastings (Gaston)
Chris Malone (Wake)
John Bradford (Mecklenburg)
Democrats:
Carla Cunningham (Mecklenburg)
Ed Hanes (Forsyth)
Kelly Alexander (Mecklenburg)
Beverly Earle (Mecklenburg)
Duane Hall (Wake)
Pricey Harrison (Guilford)
Ralph Johnson (Guilford)
Paul Luebke (Durham)
Graig Meyer (Orange)
Rodney Moore (Mecklenburg)
Michael Wray (Halifax)
Who did not vote?
Dean Arp (R-Union)
Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus)
These are the members of the Public Utilities Committee. The 16 members who voted no have killed the bill, preventing it from going any further. For now. If your representative is one who voted no, you might ask them why. If they voted yes, you might want to thank them. If your representative is not on the House Public Utilities Committee, their name is not on this list, but you might ask them where they stand if given an opportunity to vote on this issue later.
Energy costs matter. When the cost of energy goes up, the cost of everything goes up, killing jobs, slowing the economy and hurting North Carolina families. Who does your representative stand with?