113B-6. General duties and responsibilities.

The goal of the Energy Policy Council is to identify and utilize all domestic energy resources in order to ensure a secure, stable, and predictable energy supply and to protect the economy of the State, promote job creation, and expand business and industry opportunities while ensuring the protection and preservation of the State's natural resources, cultural heritage, and quality of life. The Energy Policy Council may delegate its duties where appropriate to the Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources of the Department of Environmental Quality. The Council shall provide oversight and approval to the duties delegated to the Division. The Energy Policy Council shall have the following general duties and responsibilities:

(1) To develop and recommend to the Governor and the General Assembly a comprehensive State energy policy that addresses requirements in the short term (10 years), in the midterm (25 years), and in the long term (50 years) to achieve maximum effective management and use of present and future sources of energy, such policy to include but not be limited to energy efficiency, renewable and alternative sources of energy, research and development into alternative energy technologies, and improvements to the State's energy infrastructure and energy economy, including smart grid and domestic energy resources that shall include at least natural gas, coal, hydroelectric power, solar, wind, nuclear energy, and biomass. For utilities regulated under Chapter 62 of the General Statutes, the policy developed under this subdivision shall be consistent with the analysis and plan developed under G.S. 62-110.1(c).

(2) To conduct an ongoing assessment of the opportunities and constraints presented by various uses of all forms of energy to facilitate the expansion of the domestic energy supply and to encourage the efficient use of all such energy forms in a manner consistent with State energy policy.

(3) To continually review and coordinate all State government research, education and management programs relating to energy matters, to continually educate and inform the general public regarding such energy matters, and to actively engage in discussions with the federal government, its agencies, and its leaders to identify opportunities to increase domestic energy supply within North Carolina and its adjacent offshore waters.

(4) To recommend to the Governor and to the General Assembly needed energy legislation and rule making, and to recommend for implementation such modifications of energy policy, plans, and programs as the Council considers necessary and desirable.

(5) Repealed by Session Laws 2009-446, s. 6, effective August 7, 2009.