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5 <br /> plan, GSO2040, contains high-level goals for prioritizing sustainability through <br /> environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic resilience. <br /> • The Town of Hillsborough adopted a resolution in 2017 establishing a transition from <br /> fossil fuel-powered operations to 100% clean and renewable energy by December 31, <br /> 2050, or sooner and 80% clean and renewable energy by 2030. <br /> • Orange County adopted a resolution in 2017 to transition to 100% renewable energy by <br /> 2050 and a resolution to proportionally uphold the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce <br /> greenhouse gas emissions between 26 and 28 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels. <br /> Orange County's Climate Action Plan, adopted in November 2023, further committed to <br /> reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. <br /> • The City of Raleigh adopted a goal in 2019 of reducing community GHG emissions by <br /> 80% by 2050. In addition, the City's Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan include <br /> policies and goals that focus on GHG reductions, utilizing alternative and renewable <br /> energy, improving energy efficiency, improving equity and resilience, and improving <br /> energy security. <br /> Despite robust efforts at the community level, local governments are often constrained in <br /> achieving our goals and reducing our total GHG emissions footprints by our minimal direct <br /> ability to choose and optimize the sources of electricity that power our communities. Cities and <br /> counties are interested in finding ways to improve the overall emissions performance of the <br /> electricity system as a result. In addition, local governments understand firsthand how energy <br /> decisions affect the overall affordability and livability of their communities. High energy costs are <br /> a major contributor to economic insecurity, and many low-income energy-burdened North <br /> Carolinians suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change and power plant <br /> pollution. Moreover, as some of the utilities' largest customers and good stewards of taxpayer <br /> money, local governments are acutely aware of the role that clean energy investments can play <br /> in keeping costs reasonable and predictable over the long-term, hedging against volatile fuel <br /> prices, and delivering significant economic benefits in terms of ratepayer costs as well as public <br /> and environmental health, resilience, and other non-energy benefits. <br /> For all of these reasons, the effective implementation of Session Law 2021-165/House Bill 951, <br /> including the development and implementation of the CPIRP, is a significant priority of North <br /> Carolina's local governments. Duke and the NCUC have both been essential partners for <br /> implementing our climate and clean energy plans and related priorities and the undersigned see <br /> the CPIRP as a pivotal opportunity to increase collaboration and achieve more together. <br /> The undersigned ask that the Commission consider the following recommendations in crafting <br /> the 2024 CPIRP: <br /> 1. All pathways in NCUC's 2024 CPIRP should prioritize meeting the 2030 deadline of <br /> reducing carbon emissions by 70% compared to 2005 levels. <br /> 2. The 2024 CPIRP should fully account for available incentives included in the <br /> Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), <br /> particularly the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, which has significant <br /> potential to promote the deployment of carbon free resources in a cost effective manner. <br /> 3 <br />