As a member-owned cooperative, we prioritize providing our members with affordable, reliable electricity. Today, a growing threat could impact these basic needs for you and all electric consumers in North Carolina and nationwide — an energy policy going too far and fast in the transition to renewables. During the past year, we have been sounding the alarm. In our state, the NC Energy Solutions Act (HB951), which calls for a 70 percent carbon reduction (from 2005 levels), is a driving concern for us. As we review the plans being established to meet this law by Duke Energy, our wholesale power provider that we purchase electricity from to provide to our members, we have grown increasingly concerned about reliability and affordability. On a federal level, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has warned that the nation is facing unprecedented challenges to the reliability of the electric power system. FERC Commissioner Mark Christie noted the problem is not adding wind, solar, and other renewable resources but rather the subtraction of resources and power plants that can quickly adjust power output to consumer needs. The core problem, he said, is simple: “We’re retiring dispatch able generating resources (such as coal and gas) at a pace and in an amount that is far too fast and far too great and is threatening our ability to keep the lights on.” This will significantly impact the reliability and security of the electric grid and have a challenging economic impact on consumers. An example of what can occur is the wake-up call the Carolinas experienced on Christmas Eve, 2022. That was the first time many utilities in North Carolina received emergency requests to start temporary rolling outages or blackouts to protect the grid and have enough power to get through that extremely cold period. Winter Storm Elliott had caused sustained low temperatures over the entire region, and power generators found themselves lacking adequate generation fuels to power the extreme demand for heating. It is a situation that could have been much worse. Fortunately, your co-op wasn’t asked to participate in the rolling blackouts, but there is no guarantee that it won’t occur in the future. The answer? An “all of the above” approach using all available resources, including coal, gas, nuclear, and renewables, will work best to keep power reliable AND affordable. In looking out for our members and communities, we ask policymakers to ensure all power generation resources are available. We will keep you informed about these efforts and movements on a state and federal level as we continue with our top priority: Working to provide you with the most reliable electricity at the most affordable cost.