By Andrew Meehan, October 2007
Introduction
The North Carolina General Assembly this summer passed legislation that could funnel millions of dollars to rural areas for renewable energy development over the next 10 years.
The new measure requires utilities to generate more electricity from renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar and biomass. The state’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) mandates that by the year 2018, 10 percent of the electricity that cooperatives deliver to consumers must be generated by renewable resources or offset by energy efficiency and conservation programs. The law requires investor-owned utilities (Duke Power, Progress Energy, Dominion Power) to acquire 12.5 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2021.
The new law is meant to bring more renewable energy to North Carolina at a time when the demand for power is expected to grow dramatically. Projections show that over the next 30 years, North Carolina’s electric utilities must supply energy to approximately 3.5 million more consumers than they already serve. The growing demand will require major new power generation facilities, as well as expanded energy efficiency programs such as incentives for efficient appliances, more efficient buildings and energy-saving programs.
Because renewable energy resources are located within rural areas, rural North Carolina could supply much of the fuel for the next generation of renewable power plants. Wind energy in the mountains and on the coast can power turbines. Electricity generated by processing hog and poultry waste can also provide some farmers with an alternative for waste disposal. Solar power advocates see potential in North Carolina. But each type of renewable energy bears its own technical, engineering, environmental and political challenges. Wind power, for example, is difficult to site in the mountains because of laws that prevent structures on top of ridges. Some in the environmental community oppose the use of hog and poultry waste to generate power.
Others, however, view energy from biomass as a positive focal point for renewable energy development. Many hog and poultry operations capable of producing power from waste are in areas served by electric cooperatives.
| top |