Even as Congressional Democrats on both the left and center continue to bargain over the scope of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” economic, climate, and social funding plans, North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has forged an agreement on a major climate change bill with Republicans in the state legislature. The legislation will likely be considered by both the North Carolina Senate and House later this week.
Gov. Cooper was able to achieve significant climate improvements in the legislation supported by Republicans through tough negotiations, including increasing the greenhouse gas emissions reductions under the bill from 64% to a remarkable 70% by the end of this decade. The legislation will shut down five high-polluting major coal-fired power plants, grow renewable energy substantially by least 4,700 megawatts over the next decade (enough to power millions of homes), and fund planning for a possible new advanced nuclear power plant within the state.
Importantly, Gov. Cooper was able to retain the regulatory authority of the North Carolina Public Utilities Commission while also guaranteeing that they follow least cost guidelines in setting consumer rates. In particular, the governor insisted on stripping out mandates limiting the Commission’s options regarding what kind of generation would replace the retired coal plants, allowing the Commission to determine which new sources of power can best keep costs down, cut emissions, and ensure consumer electricity reliability. The legislation is expected to create thousands of new jobs over the next decade, while also including assistance for low-income households.
It is worth remembering that President Biden also gained bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate for his major infrastructure bill, that contains a series of major climate change measures. And it is notable that many of the 19 Senate Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill have lobbied their House Republican colleagues to support the measure over the objections of the House Republican leadership. Congressional negotiations now hinge on getting agreement among moderates and liberals on the scope of the climate, economic, and social legislation using the budget reconciliation process.
President Biden has indicated that the scope of the reconciliation legislation may include between $1.9 and $2.3 trillion in overall funding. The Progressive Policy Institute has issued a detailed budget proposal which includes $600 billion in climate change funding as well as other key economic and social priorities for a total about $2 trillion, written by PPI budget expert Ben Ritz and PPI President Will Marshall. It is a principled compromise emphasizing inclusion of key programs that will be most helpful to the American people, and one that Congressional Democrats on both left and center should consult closely as they attempt to rapidly conclude their own negotiations. And they should also take inspiration from the important and ambitious climate change work of Governor Cooper and his colleagues in North Carolina.
