NC Lt. Governor: No New Coal

From the Florence Morning News:

Perdue: No more coal-fired power plants should be licensed in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina shouldn't license any more coal-fired
plants because they pollute too much and don't move the state to greater use of alternative energy and conservation, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue said Friday.

Releasing her energy platform in her run for governor, Perdue said if elected she would work to require utilities to create half of its future power generation needs through efficiencies. North Carolina should be a national leader in helping to reduce dramatically U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, she said.

"In North Carolina, changing our energy strategy energy is about more than protecting our environment - it's an opportunity to build a green economy and a 21st century green work force," Perdue said in a news release.

Her leading Democratic opponent - State Treasurer Richard Moore - released an energy platform last week. Perdue said issues surrounding last month's licensing of a coal-fired power generator in Rutherford County for Duke Energy Corp. "must represent the end of an era for North Carolina."

Future technology may capture all pollutants from coal-fired plants, but "until such a day arrives, we should table any discussion about licensing" similar plants, she said.

Perdue also would expand the number of alternative fuel vehicles in the state's motor fleet and improve efficiency standards for government buildings. She's also interested in creating a sales tax holiday on purchases of high-efficiency appliances similar to the weekend-long exemption on school supplies and clothing.

If elected, Perdue would explore whether the state should enter a cap-and-trade system to limit carbon emissions by polluters.

Such a system, already in place in the U.S. to limit sulfur dioxide emissions, would give companies "credits" equal to the amount of carbon dioxide they could emit. Firms with excess credits could sell the credits on a commodities market to others that exceed their limit.

A "Green Business Fund" approved by the Legislature to encourage clean-energy industries also should be expanded, according to Perdue.

Read more here. See what the fellow running for lieutenant governor thinks here.

What does our Governor think?