Legislators Override Governor Stein’s Veto, Undermining Communities in North Carolina

North Carolina Legislators have overridden Governor Stein’s veto of SB 266, a bill that permits utilities to raise rates outside of the usual procedures and charge customers for energy investments that may never be implemented. SB 266 directly undermined a 2021 bill designed to protect consumers by ensuring that utilities could not increase electricity rates without a comprehensive review process. By overriding the Governor’s veto, North Carolina legislators will allow SB 266 to rescind these protections, putting customers at risk of unexpectedly high electricity bills.

Vote Solar Regional Director of the Carolinas, William Munn, issued the following statement:
“This override is a massive step backwards for North Carolina families and communities. Voters in rural Bertie, Edgecombe, and Martin counties—and in urban Mecklenburg County—deserve to know their own representatives cast crucial votes allowing utility construction costs to be passed directly onto communities already struggling with a high energy burden. SB 266 strips away the safeguards that were put in place to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in how utilities set rates. It is a shame to see legislators fail the very people they were elected to serve.”

Vote Solar Southeast Senior Regulatory Director, Jake Duncan, issued the following statement:
“SB 266 undermines the trust that North Carolinians should have in their government’s oversight over Duke Energy’s for-profit monopoly on electricity. Allowing utilities to charge customers for projects before they are built is not just risky and irresponsible, it’s unjust. We’ve seen this happen before when a similar law in South Carolina left ratepayers on the hook for billions for the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project. By overriding the Governor’s veto, legislators are choosing to shift the financial risk off of Wall Street and onto working families. On top of that, the bill will delay critical carbon cuts. This bill is not just bad policy, it’s a betrayal to communities in North Carolina.”