Environment

HB 747 updates North Carolina's wildlife laws with three key changes. It requires the Wildlife Resources Commission to keep personal information (like addresses and email) and details about rare species habitats confidential to prevent harm or theft. The bill also creates two new license plates - “Wildlife Resources” (requiring 300+ applications before development) and “Lifetime Conservationist” - with sales revenue funding conservation accounts. Additionally, it shortens the out-of-state boat number reciprocity period from 90 to 60 days and adds safety rules for personal watercraft, including mandatory Coast Guard-approved life jackets and restrictions on close following. These changes affect the Commission, vehicle owners, and boaters, effective October 1, 2025.

HB 442 creates a four-year pilot program (2025-2029) to restore recreational summer flounder and red snapper fishing in North Carolina. It directs the Fisheries Division to allow a seasonal fishing window from May 15 to July 31 each year with a daily limit of one fish per person (no seasonal limit), while ensuring released fish don’t count toward catch limits. The bill aims to address North Carolina’s stricter rules compared to neighboring states like South Carolina, which have boosted recreational fishing tourism. The Division must annually report to legislative committees on fish population conservation progress and potential future limit increases.

SB 605 makes two key changes related to water management and environmental regulations. First, it eliminates subbasin designations and removes the requirement for an Interbasin Transfer certificate for water transfers that occur between subbasins within the same major river basin, simplifying the process for water resource managers. Second, the bill revises how nutrient offset credits are calculated for wastewater permits in the Neuse River Basin. It specifies that a "TMDL transport factor" must be applied to both the permitted wastewater discharge and the nutrient offset credits, and it broadens the applicability of this calculation by removing a previous customer connection limit for local governments. The bill also directs the Department of Environmental Quality to develop new modeling for nutrient transport in the Neuse River Basin, which could lead to updated rules.

SB 261, the Energy Security and Affordability Act, removes a mandated interim timeline for carbon reduction by North Carolina's major electric utilities (those serving 150,000+ customers) and introduces an alternative cost recovery method for ongoing construction of base load power plants. The bill requires these utilities to achieve a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and carbon neutrality by 2050, with the Utilities Commission developing a Carbon Plan by 2026 for achieving these goals. It specifies that new solar energy must come from 45% third-party power purchase agreements for small solar facilities (80 MW or less) and 55% utility-owned or purchased sources, including for solar paired with storage. This bill directly affects North Carolina's largest electric utilities and the Utilities Commission, altering their regulatory framework for emissions and infrastructure costs.