Senate Bill 382, the bill that would transfer executive power in North Carolina, has both environmental and political implications and has generated significant debate. The bill is being introduced in response to Hurricane Helen, but provisions regarding changes in the balance of power and environmental impacts have raised concerns. The bill passed a veto in the Senate and now faces a tough vote in the House.
Renewable energy credits for pig waste-to-energy projects
At the center of the environmental debate is a proposal to increase renewable energy credits (RECs) for facilities that convert pig waste into biogas, especially in economically distressed Tier 1 counties such as Sampson and Duplin counties. . The credit incentivizes the recovery of methane from pig waste lagoons, which promoters claim will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide new economic opportunities for farmers in rural areas. I am doing it.
James Lamb, an environmental specialist with Prestige Farms and a Sampson County hog farmer, supports the measure, seeing it as an essential tool for economic development.
“That’s good,” Lamb said. “These projects help farmers recycle nutrients, generate energy and bring in additional revenue, which is especially important in rural areas.”
But critics, including Mary McLean Asbill of the Southern Environmental Law Center, say that while biogas projects may help reduce methane emissions, they fail to address the fundamental environmental problems associated with industrial hog farming. He claims that there is no.
Asbir said communities in primary counties have long faced pollution from pig waste lagoons, and encouraging more biogas projects could exacerbate these environmental and health risks. .
“This bill would further strengthen practices that disproportionately harm low-income people and communities of color,” Asbill said. “While biogas may reduce methane emissions, it does not address the pollution from hog lagoons that leaks into waterways and impacts air quality.”
Asbill also pointed out that while the bill encourages hog waste projects, it excludes other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power from consideration in these counties. “We’re building on the foundations of industrial agriculture at the expense of better solutions,” she says.
Changes in public charge commission
Senate Bill 382 proposes major changes to the North Carolina Public Utilities Commission, which regulates compliance with state energy policies, including environmental provisions, as well as utility rates, energy infrastructure, and carbon plans to meet emissions reduction deadlines. I’m doing it. If enacted, this bill would shift the commission’s partisan balance, increase the influence of legislative appointees, and reduce the attorney general’s ability to represent ratepayers in commission proceedings.
Critics argue these changes could weaken consumer protections, especially as states transition to cleaner energy sources.
“This is a power grab that weakens accountability,” Asbir said. “North Carolinians deserve a knowledgeable and independent commissioner, not a political appointee who puts public corporations above the people.”
The proposed restructuring also raises concerns about how the state would regulate renewable energy projects, including those related to pig waste. There are concerns that because the commission is more closely aligned with political interests, decisions could be made that favor big power companies and industrial agriculture over local communities and environmental protection.
Asbill added, “The work of public utility commissions will become increasingly important as we address climate change goals.” “A weakened commission could make communities more vulnerable to environmental damage from projects like this.”
Environmental justice and rural communities
Senate Bill 382’s focus on incentivizing pig waste-to-energy projects is particularly controversial in Tier 1 counties, where industrial hog farming has long been a source of environmental injustice. There is. Communities in these areas are low-income, majority black, and have suffered from the negative impacts of pig waste, including contaminated water and harmful air pollution from pig lagoons.
Lamb, who operates a hog operation in southeastern North Carolina, sees biogas as a potential solution to some of these problems.
“We’re always looking for ways to turn good into great,” Lamb said. “If we can recycle waste and use it for energy, it’s a win for everyone.”
But Asbir warns that focusing on biogas as the primary solution for waste management risks reinforcing the same harmful practices that have long plagued these communities. “Providing more incentives to the same industries that are causing these problems just adds insult to injury,” she said. “What we need are more sustainable agricultural practices and comprehensive waste management reforms.”
The road ahead
Senate Bill 382 passed a veto override in the Senate, but its future is uncertain in the House, where a three-fifths majority is required to override a veto. While the bill’s renewable energy provisions have been praised by some, environmental groups and critics of the Public Utility Commission’s proposed changes say the bill’s benefits are aimed at promoting environmental justice and long-term climate change goals. It is argued that this could be achieved at the expense of
