A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO extend by one year a compliance date for sulfur dioxide emission reductions for investor-owned public utilities that convert coal‑fired generating units to units that use only natural gas as fuel.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly makes the following findings:
(1)	The conversion of coal‑fired generating units to generating units that use only natural gas as fuel will reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) more than would the installation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions controls on the coal‑fired generating units.
(2)	The conversion of coal‑fired generating units to generating units that use only natural gas as fuel will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and mercury (Hg) significantly more than would the installation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions controls on the coal‑fired generating units.
SECTION 2.  G.S. 143‑215.107D reads as rewritten:
"§ 143‑215.107D.  Emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from certain coal‑fired generating units.
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(e)	Except as provided in subsection (e1) of this section, an investor‑owned public utility that owns or operates coal‑fired generating units that collectively emitted 225,000 tons or less of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in calendar year 2000:
(1)	Shall not collectively emit from the coal‑fired generating units that it owns or operates more than 100,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in any calendar year beginning 1 January 2009.
(2)	Shall not collectively emit from the coal‑fired generating units that it owns or operates more than 50,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in any calendar year beginning 1 January 2013.
(e1)	An investor‑owned public utility that owns or operates coal‑fired generating units that collectively emitted 225,000 tons or less of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in calendar year 2000 may delay compliance with subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this section until 1 January 2014 if the investor‑owned public utility demonstrates to the Commission that it will convert one or more coal‑fired generating units that it owns or operates on 1 July 2009 and on which sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission controls have not been installed to generating units that use only natural gas as fuel to the extent necessary to achieve compliance with subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this section by 1 January 2014.
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SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.