Response of the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association to NC Senate PCS for H.B. 951

The Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA) appreciates the effort that Governor Cooper and the Senate leadership have put into developing a Proposed Committee Substitute for H.B. 951 (the PCS). While the PCS advances laudable decarbonization goals, CCEBA cannot support the PCS in its current form because of serious ambiguities in the legislative drafting that create uncertainty about the meaning, intent and effect of the legislation. If these ambiguities are not resolved now, there could be years of contentious and expensive litigation to resolve them down the road. Not only would this be unnecessary waste of resources, but it will also severely delay achievement of the goals of the bill.

CCEBA therefore requests that these ambiguities be resolved through minor clarifying amendments to the PCS. In making this request, CCEBA does not believe it is seeking any substantive changes to the PCS, which it understands is the product of a carefully negotiated compromise. Rather, it is seeking to clarify the meaning and effect of the bill.