Energy (Utility Regulation)

SB 1024, titled 'My Power Bill Is Too High,' aims to protect North Carolina electricity customers by repealing the authority for multiyear rate plans that allow utility rates to increase automatically without annual review. The bill requires that all future electric utility rates be set only through a standard annual general rate case, eliminating preauthorized rate adjustments. Additionally, it modifies performance-based regulation rules to limit automatic rate increases to a maximum of four percent in the second and third years of any multiyear plan, while excluding large new generation projects from these automatic hikes. This legislation directly affects electric public utilities and their customers by ensuring more frequent regulatory oversight and greater transparency in how utility rates are determined.

HB 1063 establishes new regulations for large-scale data centers in North Carolina to protect utility customers and local resources. The law defines a large data center as a facility requiring 40 megawatts of electricity or consuming over a billion liters of water annually. Operators must obtain a certificate of operation and submit detailed disclosures regarding their energy and water usage before construction begins. Facilities are required to generate at least 25% of their power on-site using clean energy and pay full costs for any infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them. Additionally, the bill limits state and local incentives for these facilities to prevent shifting utility costs to residential and small business customers.

SB 720 revises definitions in North Carolina's public utility law to establish a Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (CEPS). It defines key terms like "clean energy facility," "renewable energy certificate," and "energy efficiency measure" to create a framework for utilities to meet clean energy and efficiency goals. The bill requires electric power suppliers to comply with these standards, protecting ratepayers (utility customers) from unjust or unreasonable fees. This directly affects public utilities, electric power suppliers, and their customers across North Carolina.

HB 922 revises definitions in North Carolina's public utility law to protect ratepayers from unreasonable fees charged by utilities. It specifically clarifies terms like "advertising" (excluding safety messages or mandated public notices), "clean energy facility," and "energy efficiency measure" to ensure utilities cannot charge customers for non-essential promotional activities or misrepresent energy sources. The bill directly affects all electricity, gas, and water utilities operating in North Carolina and their customers, requiring them to comply with these updated definitions when calculating rates. Key provisions include banning utilities from including certain marketing costs in rate base calculations and defining measurable energy efficiency improvements. This focuses on transparency in billing rather than creating new fee structures.

HB 1002, the Rate Payer Protection Act, prohibits North Carolina utilities from passing grid and energy costs specifically tied to large data centers (100+ megawatt demand) to electricity ratepayers. Instead, it creates a 14-member Special Commission to plan data center infrastructure, reviewing grid capacity, recommending locations based on factors like fiber and water access, and advising on energy expansion needs. The Commission must report findings to state leaders by June 2027 and expires on that date. This directly affects ratepayers (who avoid these costs) and utilities (which must exclude data center-related expenses from rate calculations).