Bill
HB 792
Creates the CLEIR Fund to grant and support small clean-energy projects, workforce development, and private investment in NC's clean-energy sector.
Status (key dates)
- Filed: April 7–8, 2025 (House)
- Effective date (as written in the bill): July 1, 2025
- Reversion deadline for unspent funds: June 30, 2027
- Legislative status in provided documents: Passed First Reading (April 8, 2025). (The bill text sets the effective date above.)
Purpose
- Establish a new NC Clean Energy Innovation and Research (CLEIR) Fund and appropriate state General Fund dollars to support clean energy and energy-efficiency innovation, research, entrepreneurship, small business growth, workforce development, and related market development in North Carolina.
Key provisions
- Appropriations (nonrecurring, FY 2025–26):
- $10,000,000 to the Department of Commerce for deposit into the newly created NC Clean Energy Innovation and Research Fund (CLEIR).
- $4,500,000 to the Department of Commerce for the One North Carolina Fund to provide competitive grants supporting clean energy and energy-efficiency innovation and small business development in the clean energy sector.
- Creation of CLEIR Fund (new Part 2L; G.S. 143B-437.105):
- CLEIR is a special revenue fund housed in the Department of Commerce; the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI) will administer it.
- Eligible grant recipients: private businesses with fewer than 100 employees, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and State agencies.
- Fund uses/priorities:
1. Development and deployment of renewable energy and energy‑efficient / environmentally conscious clean technologies and products across development, production, distribution, retail infrastructure, deployment, and consumer purchase — including workforce development.
2. Development of the clean energy industry, including growing markets for green building processes.
3. Attracting/leverage private-sector investment and entrepreneurship in renewable and energy‑efficient technologies, including workforce development.
- The Department may:
- Set grant caps.
- Require private businesses to provide matching funds.
- Adopt rules to administer the Fund.
- Administration cap: the Department may use up to $100,000 or 5% of the appropriated funds annually (whichever is greater) for administration and expenses.
- Reversion: Funds not spent or encumbered by June 30, 2027, revert to the General Fund.
Who is affected / likely beneficiaries
- Small and medium clean-energy firms (explicitly those with <100 employees), nonprofit clean‑energy organizations, local governments, State agencies engaged in clean-energy projects, workforce training programs, and vendors/contractors in clean‑energy supply chains. The Department of Commerce/OSTI will have administrative responsibilities.
Potential impact
- Provides one-time targeted state funding intended to accelerate commercialization, deployment, workforce development, and private investment in North Carolina’s clean-energy sector.
- By prioritizing small businesses and requiring possible matching funds, the program aims to leverage state dollars to attract private capital and scale startups and local clean-energy initiatives.
- The limited administration cap and 2‑year reversion deadline emphasize prompt grant-making and project deployment.
Notes
- The bill gives substantial discretion to the Department/OSTI on grant size, matching requirements, and administrative rules; actual distribution and impact will depend on implementing rules and grant solicitations.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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