North Carolina Democrats on the state and federal levels are pushing a range of grants, initiatives, and legislation to support the state’s ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
“My office is intervening to make sure we find the right balance between investing in our energy infrastructure and protecting North Carolinians’ wallets,” AG Jackson said in a statement released earlier this month.
“Thousands of families were going to have the option to install solar power, save money, and have another energy option after a major storm. Now the EPA has illegally cancelled those funds – so I’m going to court to bring $150 million back to our state,” Jackson said in a press release.
“Duke has eliminated wind, reduced solar, and delayed nuclear while increasing our dependence on price-volatile natural gas and coal. Duke Energy is retreating from the state’s clean energy future that can continue to bring good jobs and lower costs to North Carolina.”
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.