Issues & Policy

Support efforts to allow residents to remain in their homes while maintaining the financial health of utilities through federal and state aid programs such as LIHEAP, direct aid, and other mechanisms.

Ensure cost estimates of any proposals are accurate and comprehensive. Oppose any effort to force entry into wholesale market constructs. Ensure public power communities are eligible for electric vehicle, renewable energy, energy storage, or other infrastructure incentive programs.

All customers should pay their fair share of the costs of keeping the grid operating safely and reliably. Oppose attempts to nationalize rate design and distribution-related matters that have traditionally been governed by state and local laws.

Support rural broadband expansion for the prosperity and livability of North Carolina’s rural communities and for the operation of electric utilities while preventing cost-shifting to electric customers. Enable municipalities to offer broadband services for the benefit of their communities.

Support legislation that establishes grants for small utilities to study cyber and physical vulnerabilities. Any legislation should recognize the current federally mandated programs established under NERC.

Advocate for the completion of the evaluation of Yucca Mountain as the long-term storage solution for spent nuclear fuel.

Support efforts to reinstate the advance refunding option and secure comparable tax incentives. The federal tax exclusion for municipal bond interest should not be limited or replaced.

Oppose efforts to weaken the exemption for public power utilities from federal pole attachment regulations and FCC efforts to preempt state and local laws regarding pole attachment agreements. Pole attachment policies must preserve the reliability of the electric distribution system, protect the safety of all utility workers, and reject schemes that subsidize communications company shareholders at the expense of electric customers.

Reliable electric service is just one of many benefits of living in a public power community. When even the slightest downtime equals real dollars lost, it’s good to know that our community is powered by our locally owned and operated utility that keeps the power on 99.8% of the time. North Carolina public power communities like us experience 40% fewer outages than communities in the state powered by other providers. When power does go out, North Carolina public power communities like us get their power back on three times faster. That reliability is about more than convenience. It’s peace of mind.