House Bill 951 — signed into law on Oct. 13 — requires the North Carolina Utilities Commission to take the steps needed to achieve the goal of reducing energy producers’ carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. According to Cooper, 15 other states have already signed similar carbon reduction legislation and before North Carolina signed HB 951, Virginia was the only state in the southeast to have this kind of legislation.
In an Oct. 13 press conference, Cooper stated that the Utilities Commission has been instructed to create plans by the end of 2022 to meet the carbon dioxide reduction goals. However, he said that this plan “Must be reviewed every two years to consider rapidly evolving and low cost technology.” Additionally, the Utilities Commission is tasked with finding the most cost efficient means of reaching the set goals.
For more information, please red the full article, Gov. Cooper Signs New Energy Bill Calling for Carbon Reductions (PDF)