May 12

Written by: Dan Besse
5/12/2007

Among the greenhouse gas control strategies receiving final CAPAG endorsement at this meeting were the following approaches:
--"Demand side" management programs for energy efficiency in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
--Strengthened land use planning and promotion of public transit alternatives to control vehicle miles traveled.

• Adoption of the California "clean cars" emission standards.
  
• Increased development of biofuels.
  
• Stronger efforts to preserve agricultural and forest land, and to expand both urban tree-planting and reforestation of cleared lands.
  
• Capture and use of methane from landfills and agricultural operations.
  

We have one more scheduled meeting, in July, to complete our deliberations. At that meeting, I will press for final action in support of several more important tools, including an "environmental portfolio standard" (EPS). An EPS will require electric utilities which do business in North Carolina to include a set minimum percentage of renewable energy resources and energy efficiency tools in their generating mix.

Smart energy policy is a key part of building a future that makes economic and environmental sense for our state.

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