Earlier this year, the Republican-led legislature in North Carolina eliminated the state’s carbon emissions reduction target for 2030 and allowed Duke Energy to charge consumers for the cost of gas and nuclear power plants before they are even operational.
According to an analysis from Energy Innovation, the OBBBA would drive up the average household energy costs by $220 in 2030 and nearly $490 in 2035. In addition, the federal bill is expected to cut over 41,000 jobs from North Carolina’s workforce in 2030 and another 32,000 jobs by 2035.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Trump’s signature budget bill, will lead to higher energy costs and a stifled clean energy industry in North Carolina, according to clean energy experts.
The task force comes on the heels of the Republican-led state legislature passing, over Stein’s veto, a new law that allows utility giant Duke Energy to increase costs for residential customers, as well as indications that the Trump administration plans to eliminate federal tax credits and other funds for renewable energy projects in North Carolina.
The Trump administration’s effort to eliminate the Roadless Rule would strip protections from more than 172,000 acres of public lands in North Carolina, including portions of the Croatan, Pisgah-Nantahala, and Uwharrie National Forests.
The EPA has submitted a proposal to scrap a years-old finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten the environment and public health. Former officials say such a move would gut the agency’s own power to curb greenhouse gas emissions, which have been widely found to cause global warming.
Governor Josh Stein has vetoed several bills that, if passed, would have an impact on North Carolina’s charter schools, environment, and the balance of political power.
The NC League of Conservation Voters & BlueGreen Alliance gathered outside of Tillis’ Greensboro office to highlight the economic impacts of erasing the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, particularly emphasizing the impacts affecting North Carolinians’ jobs.
NC’s first Buc-ee’s is expected to feature a 74,000-square-foot store, 652 parking spaces, and 120 gas pumps. Despite the Mebane City Council hearing hours of public comments that were mostly against Buc-ees, the council approved the project back in January 2024. The mega gas station would consume over 23,000 gallons of water daily, and the site sits within a mile of 13 known underground fuel leaks.
“FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west,” Stein explained. “The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money toward supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs.”