Environment: State Park Expansion, Clean Water Act of 2007, & Renewable Energy Portfolio

Walter Dalton’s top priority as Lieutenant Governor is to improve the quality of life for all North Carolinians and he believes that how we treat our environment is a direct reflection of how we value our quality of life. That’s why he works tirelessly to protect our natural resources, promote investments in renewable energy, and preserve open space.

Walter further believes that reducing our dependency on foreign oil and our impact on global warming are not issues to be addressed in the future – they must be addressed today. The time for putting our heads in the sand is long past and where our federal government won’t go on these issues, our state government must.  

This past year, Walter Dalton walked the walk, and while we need to do more, he got North Carolina started in the right direction. He was a leader in passing groundbreaking legislation that established a renewable energy portfolio for North Carolina. Here are the details on Walter’s work protecting our environment and preserving our resources:

 

Conservation

• Preserved more than 500,000 acres of land in North Carolina by creating or expanding state parks.
• Prevented the private sale of Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Gorge by incorporating it into the State Park System.

Protecting our Resources

• Cosponsored the Clean Water Act, providing for the improvement of our water and sewer system.
• Invested $100 million into the Clean Water Management Trust Fund which has received close to $700 million during his time in the Senate to combat water pollution.
• Voted for passage of the Clean Smokestacks Act (SB 1078, June 18, 2002).

Leading the way in Renewable Energy

• Sponsored the Renewable Energy Bill requiring utility companies to produce 12.5% of their needs through renewable resources – creating the highest standard in the Southeast.
• Required state vehicle fleet to reduce dependency on fossil fuels by 20%.
• Helped secure $120 million to protect our natural resources and lands for future generations.
• Requires a specific solar requirement, equal to about 300 megawatts.
• Extends state tax credits for investments in renewable energy technologies to nonprofit entities.
• Allows North Carolina to join 24 other states in utilizing energy resources within the state rather than relying on foreign fuels.
• Will make North Carolina a leader in solar research and technology, establish tax credits for energy efficiency, and eliminate the sales tax in energy to manufacturers and farmers.