Letter from Jones Street: Major energy legislation drops

The big energy bill of this legislative session dropped this week, and it’s a concerning mixed bag.

Senate Bill 730–Ratepayer Protection Act includes new regulations pitched to keep data centers from pushing new energy infrastructure costs onto residential ratepayers, and new water conservation requirements for these facilities.

But the bill also includes a study provision that feels very much like a step toward eliminating the state’s 2050 neutrality goal, and another section that would likely keep coal-fired plants online years longer than planned while new nuclear energy generation is developed.

The measure quickly cleared its first House Committee, and it’s sitting in the Rules Committee – meaning the next stop likely is the House floor. Because of the legislative procedure used on the bill, after passing the House it can go directly to the Senate floor for an up or down concurrence vote, so time is short to improve this legislation.

Luckily, the General Assembly is taking next week off, so there’s time to educate lawmakers and others about the bill’s key ins and outs, then hopefully improve it. We will be calling on NC Sierra Club members to help us advocate for these improvements, and we’re so appreciative of the grassroots firepower y’all bring to these efforts.

Case in point: We had three Sierra Club members on hand to help parse the new energy bill language – they shared some terrific insights and ideas on how to improve the language! 
 

No matter your background, you have valuable perspectives to bring to the legislative process – come join us for Wednesdays on Jones Street: Your weekly chance to visit the General Assembly with our lobbying team and speak with lawmakers face-to-face. We’ll take next week off and come back strong in June.
 

 

And while you’re at it, sign up to attend our June 4th advocacy webinar, Taking the Butterflies Out of Lobbying.

Other items to note this week: House Bill 369, Parking Lot Reform/Stormwater Control was finally heard by the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday. The committee approved a friendly amendment that our coalition partners at Piedmont Promise negotiated with key stakeholders in advance of the meeting. The amended bill received a favorable report and was referred to the Senate Agriculture, Environment, and Energy Committee for future consideration.
  
Finally, we always keep an eye on the nearly annual “reg reform” bill, which this session is SB 445–Regulatory Reform Act of 2026. This measure is always a grab bag of changes worth watching closely, and this year’s includes language on the environment, education, business, development and public safety.


Thanks for your activism and your support.

Lisa Hazirjian
Legislative & Political Director | NC Chapter