energy

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s government mandates for renewable energy and energy efficiency will likely cost the state 3,600 jobs and $1.8 billion in higher electricity rates, while slashing the state’s…

RALEIGH – The current controversy over Duke Energy’s Save-A-Watt program highlights problems linked to all government-mandated energy-efficiency plans. That’s the assessment of a John Locke Foundation analyst whose new…

Energy-efficiency programs generally have many of the same problems as Duke Energy’s heavily criticized Save-A-Watt program. Energy-efficiency programs force consumers to pay an extra hidden tax on their utility bills to subsidize financial incentives for the purchase of energy-efficient goods and services.

RALEIGH – As energy costs climb in North Carolina, state lawmakers are contributing to the problem with misguided policies targeting climate change. A new John Locke Foundation Spotlight report…

Low-cost energy is not only critical to the economy, but also to our health, safety, and general welfare. Despite concerns over energy prices, policymakers are intentionally increasing energy prices through new taxes and regulations.

RALEIGH – North Carolina needs a “Coast Law” to protect residents from wind turbines that ruin local landscapes, harm wildlife, and pose potential health risks, all while providing an unreliable…

Wind power is generated through large groups of massive industrial wind turbines, sometimes as tall as 50-story skyscrapers. Like the wind itself, wind power is intermittent and extremely unreliable. The wind must be strong enough, but not too strong, to generate power. So wind cannot be used for baseload generation nor to meet peak demand. For example, to avoid a blackout, a Texas grid manager recently had to cut off electricity to some customers, in large part due to a sudden drop in wind power.

RALEIGH – A new John Locke Foundation report guides North Carolinians through “vague, overbroad” policies proposed to help the state address global warming. The report shows how the policy…

In 2006, North Carolina's Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) formed an advisory group called the Climate Action Plan Advisory Group (CAPAG). This group's task was to develop recommendations for specific actions to help reduce or prevent climate change.

RALEIGH – North Carolina electricity customers could soon be forced to pay as much as $125 million a year for electricity they’ll never use. A new John Locke Foundation…