A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACt providing that the secretary of commerce, commissioner of agriculture, and the chairman of the utilities commission shall establish standards, procedures, and agency responsibilities to facilitate natural gas service to critical economic opportunity projects in the state.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 7 of Chapter 62 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read as follows:
"§ 62‑133.7A.  Facilitation of natural gas service to critical economic opportunity projects.
The Secretary of Commerce, Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Chairman of the Utilities Commission shall establish standards, procedures, and agency responsibilities to facilitate natural gas service to critical economic opportunity projects in the State. To qualify as a critical economic opportunity project, a proposed project must have a positive net present value to the economy of the State when measured over the reasonable life span of the project or must be projected to increase employment in the State by at least 100 full‑time jobs, or both."
SECTION 2.  The Secretary of Commerce, Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Chairman of the Utilities Commission shall meet as soon as practicable after this act becomes effective to establish standards, procedures, and agency responsibilities for the facilitation of natural gas service to critical economic opportunity projects, as provided in G.S. 62‑133.7A, as enacted by this act. No later than October 1, 2014, the Secretary of Commerce, Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Chairman of the Utilities Commission shall submit a report of their findings and conclusions under this section to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.