North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

SB 844 — Affordable Energy Omnibus.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 27, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    0 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

20 added · 21 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 844 has added a focus on environmental impacts, specifically concerning noise pollution from large-load facilities, which is important for community awareness and approval. Additionally, provisions regarding the certification process for these facilities have been clarified, emphasizing the need for local consent through a referendum. These changes aim to improve consumer protections and ensure that utility plans are more transparent and considerate of local concerns, particularly as electricity costs rise in North Carolina.

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FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Apr 27, 2026 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 844 Short Title:
844 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS45473-NPa-34 Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REDUCE ENERGY COSTS, TO ENSURE FAIR COST ALLOCATION, TO PROTECT CONSUMERS, AND TO MODERNIZE NORTH CAROLINA'S ELECTRIC GRID.
Rules and Operations of the Senate April 28, 2026 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REDUCE ENERGY COSTS, TO ENSURE FAIR COST ALLOCATION, TO PROTECT CONSUMERS, AND TO MODERNIZE NORTH CAROLINA'S ELECTRIC GRID.
Whereas, electricity costs for North Carolina households have increased substantially in recent years, placing financial strain on families;
Whereas, electricitycosts for North Carolina households have increased substantially in recent years, placing financial strain on families;
*DRS45473-NPa-34* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (a) Application.
*S844-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (a) Application.
The application for a certificate to operate a large-load facility shall be made in a form prescribed by the Commission.
The application for a certificate to operate a large-load facilityshall be made in a form prescribed by the Commission.
(4) That the applicant will mitigate any adverse social, economic, and environmental effects resulting from foreseeablenoisepollutioncausedbythe large-load facility.
(4) That the applicant will mitigate any adverse social, economic, and environmental effects resultingfrom foreseeable noisepollutioncausedbythe large-load facility.
(5) In the case of large-load data centers, that the political subdivision with jurisdiction over the proposed facility has consented by local referendum held in accordance with G.S.
(5) In the case of large-load data centers, that the political subdivision with jurisdiction over the proposed facilityhas consented by local referendum held in accordance with G.S.
62-133.16, and that large-load facilities will be responsible for the Page 2 DRS45473-NPa-34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 entire cost of any capital investments or incremental operational expenses necessary for the electric public utility to serve large-load facilities, including any generation, transmission,distribution,orinterconnection costs reasonably attributable to serving this class of customers.
62-133.16, and that large-load facilities will be responsible for the Page 2 Senate Bill 844-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 entire cost of any capital investments or incremental operational expenses necessary for the electric public utility to serve large-load facilities, including anygeneration, transmission,distribution,orinterconnection costs reasonably attributable to serving this class of customers.
DRS45473-NPa-34 Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 "Shall (the political subdivision) consent to the Utilities Commission issuing a certificate of operation to allow the construction and operation of (the large-load data center)? [ ] YES [ ] NO" If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in the affirmative, the political subdivision consents to the Commission issuing a certificate of operation to the large-load data center.
Senate Bill 844-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 "Shall (the political subdivision) consent to the Utilities Commission issuing a certificate of operation to allow the construction and operation of (the large-load data center)? [ ] YES [ ] NO" If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in the affirmative, the political subdivision consents to the Commission issuing a certificate of operation to the large-load data center.
62-127.2,as enactedby subsection(a) ofthis section,shall be submitted by the electric public utility no later than July 1, 2028.
62-127.2,as enactedbysubsection (a) ofthis section,shall be submitted by the electric public utility no later than July 1, 2028.
Page 4 DRS45473-NPa-34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (a) Each electric public utility shall submit to the Commission a proposed grid modernization plan to maintain and improve the adequacy, reliability, and resiliency of the electric grid to serve the people of the State or the area served by the utility.
Page 4 Senate Bill 844-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (a) Each electric public utility shall submit to the Commission a proposed grid modernization plan to maintain and improve the adequacy, reliability, and resiliency of the electric grid to serve the people of the State or the area served by the utility.
DRS45473-NPa-34 Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (5) That the environmental compatibility, public convenience, and necessity require the transmission line.
Senate Bill 844-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (5) That the environmental compatibility, public convenience, and necessity require the transmission line.
(b) If the Commission determines that the location of the proposed transmission line should be modified, it may condition its certificate upon modifications it finds necessary to make the findings and determinations set forth in subsection (a) of this section." 7 PART V.
(b) If the Commission determines that the location of the proposed transmission line should be modified, it may condition its certificate upon modifications it finds necessaryto make the findings and determinations set forth in subsection (a) of this section." 7 PART V.
APPROPRIATION SECTION 7.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Utilities Commission the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used for purposes consistent with this act, including administering the certification requirements for large-load customers, reviewing electric public utilities' grid modernization plans, enforcing consumerprotectionlaws, and conducting dataanalysis onutility rates.
APPROPRIATION SECTION 7.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Utilities Commission the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used for purposes consistent with this act, including administering the certification requirements for large-load customers, reviewing electric public utilities' grid modernization plans,enforcing consumerprotectionlaws, and conducting dataanalysis onutility rates.
Page 6 DRS45473-NPa-34
Page 6 Senate Bill 844-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Withdrawn From Com

  4. Re-ref to Appropriations/Base Budget. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate

  5. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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0 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 178 not signed on

Sponsors (0)

None.

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (178)

178 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 178 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

environment technology energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 844?
SB 844 is sponsored by Woodson Bradley (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 844?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 27, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 844?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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