Actually, North Carolina has had similar fees for years, although
not called a climate tax.  North Carolinians pay a buried fee in
their utility rates for what are called demand-side management (DSM)
programs.  These programs do precisely what the Boulder programs
would do, such as provide rebates, etc.  The State Energy Plan (in PDF), which is developed by the State Energy Office, discusses DSM programs in North Carolina.

Now, the Public Staff (which is supposed to represent utilility
consumers) and environmental groups are pushing for a separate fee (in
addition to the rates consumers already pay) that will help pay for
what is called a public benefits fund. The money from public
benefits funds go to all kinds of programs
completely unrelated to the actual costs of supplying electricity
(unrelated programs include energy research and development, paying
utilities to use alternative sources of energy no matter how much it
costs consumers, education programs, etc.).

It also should be noted that this fund is one of North
Carolina’s primary ideas to reduce climate change–it was discussed at
the recent Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change and is listed as a possible option by the state’s Climate Action Plan Advisory Group (CAPAG).

The Public Staff has looked at programs in Vermont and Wisconsin
as models for a public benefits fund.  The average cost of such a
fund, according to the State Energy Office, is $181 million per year.

The more energy that utility consumers use, the bigger the fee they
will pay–in other words, consumers will have to pay an electricity sin
tax.    Even “better,” there is a chance that the new
electricity sin tax could simply be authorized by the Utilities
Commission (improperly) without the legislature authorizing the tax.

Boulder
has nothing on North Carolina when it comes to environmental
extremism.  At least Boulder is honest about the tax–the
electricity sin tax that helps finance public benefits funds usually
are given innocent names like “cost recovery mechanism,” “surcharge”,
“energy efficiency charge,” and other names that ensure consumers have
no idea they are paying a tax.