WeVote
Log In

Bill

WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 922

Summary — HB 922: North Carolina Consumer Protection Act

Status: Passed 1st Reading; Referred to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (April 2025)
Filed/Introduced (metadata): November 12, 2024; House filing/processing dates in 2025 (see Procedural Status)
Primary Sponsors (per edition 1): Representatives Harrison, Hawkins, von Haefen, Cervania

Purpose / Intent

HB 922 is framed as the "North Carolina Consumer Protection Act" for utility ratepayers. Its stated objective is to (1) revise and expand definitions in the state's public utility law (notably the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard, G.S. 62‑133.8) and (2) add requirements intended to protect utility customers from paying unjust or unreasonable fees imposed or recovered by public utilities. Much of the bill text supplied focuses on definitional updates that affect how the North Carolina Utilities Commission and utilities classify resources, activities, and costs.

Key provisions (high level)

  • Amends G.S. 62‑133.8 (CEPS) — the bill substantially revises and adds definitions used in that statute. Notable definitions added or clarified include:
    • Advertising (and exclusions for mandated public safety/agency-directed messaging)
    • Clean energy facility / clean energy resource (explicitly includes renewable, nuclear — including uprates — and fusion energy)
    • Fusion and fusion energy (technical definition added)
    • Combined heat and power system
    • Electric power supplier (public utility, electric membership corporation, or municipality selling retail electricity in NC)
    • Demand-side management and electricity demand reduction (real‑time, measurable reductions)
    • Energy efficiency measure (clarified to exclude demand-side management)
    • Lobbying, political influence activities, public official, regulatory matters (expanded scope to capture activities intended to influence legislation, regulation, elections, referenda, franchise approvals, or rate-setting)
    • Renewable energy certificate (defined/clarified as tradable instrument representing one MWh)
  • The bill’s stated policy intent (in summary language) is to add requirements protecting ratepayers from being charged for certain costs that could be characterized as unjust or unreasonable; the definitional changes (e.g., defining lobbying, political influence activities, and advertising) appear designed to clarify what activities and costs may or may not be recoverable through rates or CEPS compliance.
  • Empowers the Commission (G.S. references) to apply the clarified definitions and standards in oversight of utilities and CEPS compliance.

Who is affected

  • Public utilities, electric membership corporations, and municipal electric suppliers operating in North Carolina (by changing how resources, certificates, and costs are defined and treated).
  • Utility ratepayers — intended beneficiaries of protections against recovering certain utility expenditures through rates.
  • North Carolina Utilities Commission and other regulatory agencies (responsible for interpreting and applying new definitions and any resulting cost‑recovery rules).
  • Entities involved in clean energy projects (definitions of “clean energy facility/resource”, inclusion of nuclear and fusion, and treatment of renewable energy certificates).

Procedural status / timeline (selected)

  • April 10, 2025: Bill document filed (House)
  • April 14, 2025: Passed 1st Reading; referred to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  • Earlier metadata indicates initial filing or introduction activity in late 2024; various docket/committee entries in early–mid 2025 appear in bill activity logs
  • Note: supplied material is an “Edition 1” draft and the statutory text provided is truncated.

Notes, caveats, and next steps

  • The provided text is largely definitional and truncated; the bill summary language promises additional requirements to protect ratepayers, but the detailed provisions (for example: explicit prohibitions on cost recovery for political influence, advertising, or lobbying; new Commission procedures; or specific fee limitations) are not present in the excerpt.
  • For regulatory or legal analysis, review the full bill text and any committee substitutes or fiscal notes to determine (a) whether the bill would prohibit utilities from recovering certain costs in rates, and (b) how the Utilities Commission is directed to implement/enforce those limits.
  • If you want, I can: (1) compare this draft against current G.S. 62‑133.8 to show exact changes, (2) track subsequent committee actions and amendments, or (3) draft a one‑page brief for stakeholders (utilities, consumer advocates, regulators).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.