Carolina Crossroads

If any of the meetings and conversations I've been privy to in the last three weeks hold water, 2007 will be an environmental crossroads for Tarheels. Duke Energy is pushing for new coal plants at Cliffside, the Legislature has formed a committee on Global Climate Change, the State Energy Office is still on the chopping block down on Jones St., I now I sit in the 5th meeting on the Climate Action Plan Advisory Group (CAPAG). Blogging live from RTP's EPA Building (which is amazing...take the virtual tour)!

I plan to bring more environmental policy analysis and news over the next month, in hopes that more folks will pay attention to this huge fork in the road we now face. What's worse is that it is here, now. Duke Energy wants the Utilities Commission to approve plans for the Cliffside project by February 28th. And today, the General Assembly convenes for what could be the session where any of the following could happen:

*Elimination of the State Energy Office, who, while once plagued by management problems (a decade ago), is now implementing programs that build efficiency and progress;

*Passage of a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that would require utilities produce 10% of North Carolina's enery from renewables by 2017, reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) more than any other strategy being considered;

*Passage of residential and/or commercial regulations including but not limited to: demand side programs, energy efficiency funds, market and technology programs, equipment efficiency standards, and building design incentives;

*Passage of supply-side regulation to energy production other than RPS;

*Passage of transportation and land use standards that improve efficiency;

*Passage of agricultural and waste management legislation that institutes standards and procedures to use byproducts for fuel;

*Or of course the same old, same old: utilities getting their way, paying nothing more than lipservice to progress while overlooking the economic and environmental threat of Global Climate Change for the quick and easy of archaic energy production systems.

Today, CAPAG, which is 'complementing' the Legislature's Committee on Global Climate Change, is starting to review and approve the 52 suggested 'climate change mitigation options' that the heads of the field have suggested. Click here if you want to peruse the 'options.' Personally, RPS is my favorite: it cuts more GHG than any other option and changes the rules of the game (which I always like).

Regardless of what we and our elected and appointed officials choose, there is a choice to be made, a crossroads in the path of North Carolina. One is a continuation of the problems that will eventually lead to the Outer Banks being underwater, the other will begin the process of stopping Global Climate Change and the chaos it brings - to our environment, to our economy, to our people.