Bill Takes Aim At Renewable Energy In NC

A bill that would place restrictions on renewable energy in North Carolina has come under fire from green energy advocates. The bill would impose a variety of financial hurdles and safety precautions on wind and solar farms.

House Bill 843 would require a wind farm or solar farm to be built at least one and a half miles away from a neighboring property line, and increases sight and noise restrictions. It also requires upfront financing to cover future costs of decommissioning, or removing the project at the end of its lifetime. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Cook, a Republican from Beaufort County.

Cook tells the News and Observer he's heard from constituents concerned about environmental risks, and about how industrial wind turbines would affect property values.

But environmental advocates say the bill is essentially a ban on wind and solar polar. They believe it's an attempt to build on momentum from last year's elimination of a state tax credit for renewable energy development.

North Carolina is now in third place nationwide for total solar energy capacity.