CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An independent analysis of North Carolina Senate Bill 266, conducted by NC State University, shows that the legislation could result in an additional $23 billion in costs passed on to ratepayers due to a heavier reliance on natural gas-powered plants.

“This independent academic analysis confirms that Senate Bill 266 comes with a heavy price tag — $23 billion of additional fuel costs that will be passed on to North Carolinians,” said Will Scott, Southeast Climate & Clean Energy Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “S266 would delay building cleaner, cheaper sources of energy at a time of rapid energy demand and leave customers, not the utility, footing the bill for all that additional gas burned.”

With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org