“Textile companies in North Carolina State are worried about the financial expense due to the new energy bill pushed by the Republicans”.
They warned that the burden would be so significant that it would discourage efforts to expand in the state. North Carolina is home to 30,000 textile industry positions, which in turn support 90,000 additional related jobs. Significantly higher electricity costs would push industry investments out of North Carolina and into other states.
The textile executives joined advocates for the environment and the poor on Monday to urge state legislators to reject a major energy bill pushed by House Republicans.
Representatives of the North Carolina Justice Center and the Southern Environmental Law Center also spoke in opposition to the bill. Environmental groups argue the measure handcuffs the state’s energy future by forcing too many coal-fired plants to transition from natural gas to electric power generation and weakens the Utilities Commission.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper opposes the House GOP proposal, saying it would cost too much and fail to meet clean energy goals. His energy plan would reduce power-sector carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
