EnergyUnited Urges Action To Protect Affordability For Cooperative Members
EnergyUnited is supporting legislative efforts to modernize a North Carolina renewable energy requirement and protect electric cooperative members from unnecessary costs that could place added pressure on future electric bills.
The issue stems from provisions in North Carolina’s Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (CEPS), enacted in 2007, which requires utilities to offset a portion of their retail sales by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from swine waste and other renewable energy resources. The policy was intended to encourage the development of renewable energy technologies; however, the technology needed to economically generate electricity from swine waste at scale has not matured as anticipated, and – for this reason – co-op compliance with swine waste RECs has been waived each year.
With these annual waivers expected to sunset, electric cooperatives could be required to purchase costly swine waste RECs to comply with the mandate if no legislative action is taken. North Carolina’s electric cooperatives estimate the mandate could drive hundreds of millions of dollars in additional compliance costs over the next 15 years, with those costs ultimately passed on to cooperative members, including families, seniors, farms and small businesses across rural North Carolina. EnergyUnited anticipates that the cost of renewable energy credits sourced from swine waste will cost our members more than fifty times the cost of a renewable energy credit fueled by other sources such as hydro-electric or solar.
“As a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, EnergyUnited’s priority is providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity,” said Thomas Golden, chief executive officer of EnergyUnited. “We support responsible energy policies that balance environmental goals with affordability and ensure every dollar added to a member’s electric bill provides meaningful value.”
EnergyUnited joins North Carolina’s electric cooperatives in supporting legislation that would establish reasonable cost protections while preserving the state’s commitment to renewable energy. Cooperative leaders believe modernizing the existing policy would help maintain affordable electric service without requiring members to bear the cost of a mandate that has not demonstrated meaningful results for reliability or consumer affordability.
With lawmakers expected to return to Raleigh later this month, members are encouraged to make their voices heard now by asking state legislators to support action this year that protects cooperative members from unnecessary cost increases. Through the Voices for Cooperative Power advocacy platform, members can send a letter urging lawmakers to work with North Carolina’s electric cooperatives on a legislative solution that prioritizes affordability, protects rural consumers and prevents cooperative members from being required to subsidize costly compliance for a for-profit industry.
About EnergyUnited
EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is the largest electric cooperative in North Carolina with 145,038 member connections. Headquartered in Statesville, EnergyUnited provides electric service in portions of 19 counties in west central North Carolina which include Alexander, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Wilkes and Yadkin. Visit energyunited.com to learn more about the cooperative’s energy services and community outreach programs.
Previous
