U.S. Supreme Court blocks federal power plan that would raise electricity rates
February 10, 2016 12:32 PM
The U.S Supreme Court made an unprecedented moved yesterday in ruling to put a hold on the Obama administration’s federal power plan that would raise North Carolina power bills and hurt economic growth across the country. The ruling suspends the federal government’s ability to impose the plan until the legal challenges have been resolved and is a strong indicator that the petitioning states, which include North Carolina, will succeed in their challenge of the rule.
The federal power plan is estimated to increase North Carolina’s electricity rate by 22 percent and would hurt economic growth and threaten job creation across the state with little, if any, environmental benefits. Governor McCrory will continue to fight the Obama administration’s federal overreach in court to protect ratepayers and North Carolina’s economic health.
This effort is the second time in the past six months Governor McCrory's administration has fought federal overreach in federal court and won a stay. In October, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit put on hold a federal rule that would harm farmers and economic development by greatly expanding jurisdiction over waters never previously regulated by the federal government.